Authored by Iljaz Rexha. Translated by Petrit Latifi.

This section has been saxed from Iljaz Rexhas “Studime Orientale”, published 2023.

Abstract

“The article discusses the presence of the Albanian population in the geographical area of Dardania, which encompasses regions of Kosovo andNorth-Western Macedonia, during the medieval times leading up to the Ottoman Empire’s occupation of the Balkans. The study focuses on historical media sources from the 13th to 16th centuries that attest to the existence of Albanian settlements and populations before the Ottoman invasions. Sources include antique medieval geographic maps and archaeological findings.

The territory, in antiquity, was part of the Dardan Kingdom, which was establishedby the Dardan tribe of Illyrian origin, considered the ancestors of theAlbanians. The state had its political, administrative, and military structures,and its own currency. After falling under Roman rule in 44 AD, Dardania underwent various administrative changes. The article further delves into theimpact of various migrations and invasions on the Albanian population,highlighting their resilience against romanisation and assimilation.”

Ras-Rashka was never part of Dardania (Kosovo)

“As we can see from other sources, the hypothesis of Serbian
authors that allegedly towards the end of the XII century Kosovo was
conquered by Slavs of Rashka. This Slav narrative doesn’t have any
documented proof, neither did Kosovo exist under such name, beside
the name of Dardania. Only after the first battle Kosovo is mentioned
as a historic toponym. Stefan Nemanja has managed to conquer only
few small regions of north-western and north-eastern parts of Dardania,
but Byzant, managed to regain lands conquered by Slavs as soon as it
stopped the wars in which it has been engaged with other states. Stefan
Nemanja on this occasion stated: “I conquered parts of the Greek lands
(byzantine I.R.) liberated lands of the state of Rashka, but conquered the Greek ones.”

This stance documents that the reality was that the territory of Dardania, central Kosovo was never a part of the state of Ras-Rashka established by the Stefan Nemanja. Also, English historian Noel Malcolm states that Kosovo has never been inside the medieval territory of Rashka. Serb expansionism of Kosovo, from Nemanja starts only at the end of the XII century.

However, some quasi scientists and Slav historians have falsified
Nemanja words and have completely differently interpreted his words,
by saying: Nemanja has liberated few parts of his lands which belong
to the state of Ras, and that were earlier conquered by the Byzant. Some
of the quasi Slavic authors of the XIX century have fictionally prepared
the thesis that when Slavs came to Dardania (they use the toponym),
they found Kosovo not inhibited.”

Stefan Nemanja was not a Slav

“Establisher of the state of Rasia was Stefan Nemanja, born in
Ribnica in Zeta, Montenegro (in ancient times known as Docleatia-Docleacia), was from a dark ethnic descent, with symbiosis of ethnic
autochthonous Pre-Slav groups. Nor his name, or surname are of Slav
origin, his name is of a Greek origin, Stefanos (meaning crown), while
his name Neiman has the Jewish origin.

At the beginning, he was baptised according to the roman catholic church and later on he was converted to orthodox rite. His ethnic origins are still not clear even today. It is an undeniable historic fact that Slavs that came from the Russian Carpaths have settled in the Illyrian lands, before the arrival of antic Albans and Medieval Arberor, reposting them in the southern part of the Balkan-Illyrian peninsula.”

According to the new data, we can conclude that the geographic location of Dardania in which also northwestern part of Macedonia is included, is conquered by the Slavs of Ras, as stated above, in the last two decades of the last part of the XIII (1282-1283), and not during the last decade of the XII century.

The territory of Dardania has long been under the rule of Bulgaria, when
they before Serbs, during IX-X centuries, they have in an administrative manner made the first Slav toponyms in the territory of Dardania and medieval Arberia where Alban population lived, where
we found many of the settlements with in Bulgarian language.
Slavisation of settlements of the Alban population and the conversion
in the orthodox religion continued with a high intensity, under
administrative pressure during the conquer of medieval state of Slav
Serb of Ras.”

Slavic destruction and massacres in Dardanian lands

“The invasion of Slavs into the inhabited lands with Alban population, (formerly under the rule of Byzant), caused great destruction and massacres, displacing the indigenous inhabitants from their fertile lands who were forced to shelter some sheaths through caves and insurmountable mountains to survive.

Therefore, Slav authors don’t cite the parts that famous historians of Balkan such as Šufflaj, Jireček have made since a long time known for the histography and ethnography of Balkan that Slavs that came to Balkan have displace indigenous population from their fertile lands further down south. According to the Balkan studies scholar 0LODQâXIIOD\ famous historian and ethnographer from Croatia says that:

“Settlement of slavs in the western Balkans had fallen on the Albanian population as sword that had cut off some of the main branches of its trunk in the North and South and narrowed them within a much smaller territory. Also other famous historian, Konstatiin Jireček with Czech origin, speaking of Illyrians, the Illyrians during the Roman period, were the first of medieval Albans, (Illyria su bili prteča srenjevjekovnih Abnasa), which during the denominations of Slavic populism, as he writes, the Illyrians from territories where until then they lived, between the space of Dalmatian and the Danube River were pushed (by Slavic tribes) further south of the Balkan peninsula.”

Šufflay and Jireček both claimed that their medieval studies, in all regions included in the triagle Ohër-Vlorë- Tivar- Prizren-with few other territories far away in the Northern part of Prizren, (northeastern part of Kosovo-I.R.), were Arberor settlements (Zemlje Arbanasa). They wrote that Arberore (Arbanasi), lived during medieval times in different cities in Kosovo and Macedonia, but they didn’t say much for the Alban population that lived in the urban and rural settlements, which are also mentioned in medieval Slav registries1 of the second half of the XIII-XIV centuries.

Onomastic proof of Albanian presence

“Stanoje Stanojević, is one of the first Slav scholars that has brought a short registry from Slav Crisobuls as an onomastic proof, where we can see that we are dealing with the process of slavisation of the Alban population during the medieval times, which the orthodox Church has baptised in the typical Slav names: Father Shodoje (Shodol) the son of Dragija, father Gjini, his son Mojan, father Maroj, the son of Beranit, Nikola the son of Rajko, his grandfather Lleshi, Bogdan the son of Progon, father, But’ko sons Shoqi and Dragoslavi2 etc.

From the book of registry: Rajko Gjin-ović, Brato Gjon’ović, Bogdan Llesh-ović, Rajko Krizmić (Krizma), Bogdan Krizmić (Krizma- Crissima), Nikodim Krizmić, Radosav, Radomir and Hrane sons of Lleshit, Stanoje Goden-ović, Bogdan Tanush-ević, Hlapo Guri’Bard- ić (Gurabardhi-I.R.), Dragoslav and Dragosh sons of Bogoje-s, their grandfather had the name Kuriku ( Gurakuqi- I.R ) etc. Radoj Troshan-ović, Pop Troshan, his brother (Tolja) and Priboja. Scholar Milosh Milojević, mentions few inhibitants of Çabiq and Xërxa (Zerzeva): Milc Toljan-ovik (Tolja), Stepan, Milesh, Gjin , Gjergj, Preka (Prenka), Pavl’ovik, Rajko Gjin’ovik, Brata Gjon’ovik, Preka (Prenka) etc.

In the village of Korishë of Prizren, from the year 1348, it was gifted to the monastery of saints Mihal and Gabriel of Prizren, while in the year 1454, two members of the jury are mentioned: David Buzuluk (Buz-Ulku), and Dragoslav Mar’Četić (Mark-Çeta), in relation to the outlining of the property of the village. Also, archive sources of the archive of Dubrovnik offer few data on the Alban population and slavisation of the Albanian names in the region of Novaberda and Anamorava, where in the year 1428, in the book of the trader from Raguza (Mihal Lukareviqit), there was a number of registered inhabitants with anthropic symbiosis of names which were characteristic to Albanian catholic priests, but also of the orthodox priests of the Alban origin from Novoberda and in vicinity of Novoberda who worked as miners and were traders and craftsmen.

I will just mention some of them: Andreja Gjinović, Dragoslav Gjonović, Radoslav Gjonović, Gjorgje (Gergj) Progonović, Mark Pronogović, Johanes-Jovan- Gjon Progonović, Bogdan Lekić (Leka), Jakov (Jaka) Lešović (Lleshi), Nikša Lekić (Leka), argjensar, Nikša Ćaretić (Niksha Qarreti), Radislav Zotić (Zoti) etc. These onomastic data were published by famous scholar Mihajlo Dinić.

While he was commenting the book of a trader Mihal Lukareviqit from Raguza,among other, in relation to Arberor inhabitants concludes by saying:“We can see that in the registry there are hundreds of people from thecity and surroundings of Novoberda, which have our name (in Slavic meaning), with exception of few Arberor names (arbanaških imena),who are simple miners, who have been brough as specialists from Germany and among our people.

However M. Dinić, as many of the Slav author have attempted to negate and minimise the autochthonous presence of the Alban population although they are mentioned in theearly sources of the Slavic documents but in a very scattered way, but in a very detailed way in Osman registries of the centuries XV-XVI,where Alban population as well as their settlements were registered,with very characteristic Albanian names: Binça of Vitia, begging ofcentury XI.(1019), Rabana mtz. Arbana at Prokupi, of XII.century Arbanaški Potok, (from the Prroni i Arbneshit in Albanian) and settlement -Ljug- and the same name is the Slavic language Dolac ofthe XIII century.

Arbanas of Xërxa of Rahovec, Arbanns of Janjeva, Arbanashka of Kumanovo and two Arbanas of Shtip of centuries. XIV.Muzaq of Prokuplje of XIV. Buzovik near Berana centuryXIV,Buzovik near Vitia, Butofc near Prishina century. XIV. Berisha in themountains of Komaran and Berish in the Mushitisht of Suhareka,century. XIV. Burmaz and Shalinofc at Novi Pazar and Shalinofc atIstog in the XIV century (Novaković).

Tens of medieval settlements before Slavs, that are based on thename of Illyrian-Arber-Dardan as, Bardus-Bardon, Bardin, Bardoniqand Bardofci, have been found registered in the ottoman registries ofthe centuries XV-XVI, before invasion of the territory of Dardania, bythe medieval state of Ras.

Claims by this author and other Slav authors that allegedly Arbanaset came to Kosovo and Macedonia at the end of the XVIIcentury and the beginning of the XVIII century. This thesis that isinvented without any scientific bases, beside medieval sources,negates this also the registry of Novoberda, of the year 1497/98, notonly in 38 settlements of this medieval town, but also in 210 ruralsettlements, including the county of Kazaja-Novoberdo (Rexha, 2002).

This was registered in the cadastral registry and the Alban ethnicpopulation belonging to the orthodox and the catholic rite. The most convincing proof that Alban population was in majority are the proofs of priests, which have been registered in the settlements of Anamorava: priest Braja Arbana’s, priest Berashi, priest Dashi, priest Jaku, priest, Petri, priest. Dimitri3,priest, Gjon’i, priest Gjin’i, priest Pljaki, Pava(Pal ) son of Gjoni, priest Delash son of priest Gjonit, Gjin son ofProtopopit, Jovan son of priest Mati-t, and the priests of catholic ofAlban origin: priest Nikola Priest, Marko, priest Mati, priest Bardo(Bardhi), priest Pepa, priest Ulku-Ujku, priest Simon, priest Jozef,Andreja don Gjergji, don Pavli (Pali), dom Nikola Progoni, dom Nikola Tanushi, etc.

It is interesting to say that as many of the Slavic scholars,Mihaljo Dinić, known also in Balkans, remained committed scholar ofthe propagandistic school of Balkan of Jovan Cvijićit who establishedthe Institute of Ethnography and Anthropo-geography to publishedition of few sets of books under the title: “Settlements and the originof the Serb population”, to study ethnic structure in Serbia, but alsocategorically negate the existence of Alban population, during medieval times in the geographic area of Dardania-Kosovo-NorthWestern Macedonia and Southern Serbia in the region of Nish.

This political and propagandistic project has been negated fivedecades ago also the sources of the Archive of Dubrovnik, but alsoonomastic and demographic data which were found near the Christianobjects and churches as well as the official registries of the Ottomancadaster of the centuries XV- XVI, that there were churches andmonasteries of the Alban ethnic origin, which according to the officialcorrespondence of the Holly See of Vatican, were forcefully convertedinto orthodox churches.

As for the ethnic and religious issue, according to the regimentsof the defts, it is clearly seen that, the process of slavisation of thestructure of anthropometries of the Albanian population, was ongoing,but in the anthroponomic it seemed like the Slavic populism, (sinceduring medieval Slavic rule, it was dressed administratively, evenviolently, with typical Slavic names), It was in reality in ethnic andlinguistic terms, mostly Albanian and non-Slavic ethnicity.

This process of Slavisation also affirms Slavic registries. As well as its conversion to the Orthodox religion of the Pravoslav rite that had beendone in an administrational and violent manner, through the PravoslavChurch, had almost ended. For this process of slavisation and the conversion of the Alban population, beside the Slav sources in the transparent manner it is also shown In more than 20 cadastral registries of the official ottoman administration of the centuries XV-XVI, (which are considered diplomatic sources, which have been drafted by the official committees, with the order of Sultans and in the preamble ofthese documents there was their Monogram-Tugra making it impossible to falsify it).

The Slavisation of the settlements with Alban population in the onomastic aspect and the conversion in the orthodox rite are alsopresented in the works for the existence of Alban population, evenbefore the ottoman rule in the territory of Kosovo and North-Western Macedonia. These studies were partly based on Slav sources and more in depth on the ottoman cadastral registries of the following authors:Handzić (1969), Pulaha (1974), Rizaj (1983), Tërnava (1979), Duka(2009), and Rexha (2016).

We have to bear in mind that, Jireček and Šufflay like medieval scholars of the Balkan history, at that time didn’t possess data of the registers for the registration of population registry, since they couldn’t offer the data that are connected to the ethnic, religious and monographic structure of the above mentioned regions.Their thesis that Albans (Arbanas) have lived only in the area of Tivar-Prizren-Ohër-Vlorë, has been overthrown with the discovery ofthe ottoman cadastral registries of the centuries XV-XVI, that prove the existence of the Alban population in all rural settlements of Kosovoand North-western Macedonia and Southern Serbia, since this thesis has been documented since five decades ago.

Serb-Slav authors are trying to contest the proofs of the authentic ottoman registries, basing their assumptions only on the Slavregistries, that re copies to the original ones, as the famous Russian paleologist Vladimir Moshin (2011) also testified to, who for many years in a row has studied those registries and has said that some of them are not very credible, since they have been re-written and reduced with different annexes by the priests of orthodox monasteries and churches. Based on the historic toponyms of the Albanian language, that are considered established during the antique time and the medieval period, they prove that Alban population lived in Balkan even before ottoman and Bulgarian rule (centuries 9-10), but also before the rule of Slav-Serbs, during the second half of the 13-14 centuries, in thegeographical area of Dardania.

According to the historic toponyms of the Albanian languagethat have been registered in the fragmented ways in the Slav sources ofthe XIII- XIV centuries and in the detailed manner in the ottomanregistries of the XV-XVI century, that went from Nish and in the north-eastern region, while in south-western part from Shtio in the borderwith Bulgaria.In the north-western part from Jeni Pazar to Vishegrad in theborder with Bosna.

According to the cadastral registry of the XV-XVIcentury, we can see that also properties in the region of Nish4, wereregistered and that catholic inhabitants of the Alban population: Gjonson of Mihajl, Mati son of. Gjerjash, Tominik son of Petri, Nikola sonof Arbanas, David son of Dhimitri, Petri son of Boja, Daka son ofFilip,. Kolj, son of Gjon- Dermi, David son of Gjon, Jovan son of b.Gjon.

Also, in the registry there were 3 pre Slav settlements, alsoconnected to the Albanian on the bases of – mal-malj+ča-slav suffixSlav> Maljča, 2 of those are in the northern part of Nish, while thirdsettlement is written in the deformed manner Maljoshishta, because inthe topographic card of Austria of 1690, they wrote it in the Albanianform of Maljishte and it was placed in the southern part of Nish. Alsoin the settlement of Maljisht where inhabitants have Christian names,they have also registered: Kostandin the son of Arbanas, Marko son of Kostandin Arbanas, Gurguri son of Pavli, Pavli son of Brajsalit, Petrison of Brajsal, Dushman son of Brajsal, Gurgur son of Brajsal.

In the Christian neighbourhoods of the settlement of Prokuplje,they have registered inhabitants with the traditional Albanian Christian names: Kostandin son of Berjan, Nikola son of Bardo (Bardhi), Vasilson of Jaku, Jaku son of Dimtri, Petri son of Dimitri, Mara son ofDimitri, Shin Todor, Pava son of Shin, Matosh son of Petri, Nikola sonof Plana, Mil Mati, Mil Shati, etc.

According to the detailed registry of year 1477, from fewunpublished onomastic data, we can see that that some of the neighborhoods of the city of Prishtina (BOA.TD, 1477), there were Christian Heads of the families registered with ethnic Alban origin:Dimitri Daci, Brajko Daci, Ulko Kupili, Mihajl Domi, Bogdan Paleci(Pal’Leci ), Nikola Buzala, Bogdan Qarreti-q, Jovan Qarreti-q, JovanGjovani ( Gjoni ). Nikola Shodra ( ShenTodra-I.R.), Petri son of Popit,, Petri son of Jani, Jaku son of Maxharrit, Todor son of Gjon Buçi, RadiDimitri, Radi Prron, Nikola son of Gjon, Gjorgj (Gjergj) son of Dash,Jovan son of Botush (Batush), Radosav son of Pljak, Radosav Sharra,Buzati Dimitri, Dimitri Doda,, Duka (Doka) Novata, etc.

Also in the older registry of the year 1525, we find onomasticdata which have not been published until now, in which in Prishina’s neighborhoods were registered heads of the families with verychacteristic names of Alban origin: Konstandin Domeli, Mati Gjini,Raja Gjini, Raja Raban-i (mtz. from Arban), Petri Gjini, Gjon Nikla,Jako Dominik, Andre Mati, Vuka Mati, Marush Martini, Raja Doka,Simon Tojlin, Raja Duka, Konstandin Leshjani, widowed Spana,widowed Mara widowed, etc. Most of the head of the families of thecity of Prishtina had Christian-Slav names, as a continuation of theactivities of Orthodox Church that has some status of the culturalautonomy, from sultan, while the activities of the Catholic Church since the medieval times was suspended and remained in that way since ottoman rule, where religious services for Alban Catholic population were done through assimilation and baptising with the typical Slavnames.

In the settlement of Vushtrri (Vilçiterrin), according to theregistry of Vilk Vilyaet of the 1455 year, in the societal settlement ofChristian-Alban-Slav, there were 40 heads of the family that were stillof catholic religion, 91 heads of the families were of Christian AlbanSlav origin, orthodox and Alban ethnicities, 66 heads of the families ofSlav origin, 15 head of the families of Vllah-Rumanian origin, 2 ofGreek origin and 2 of Hebraic origin.

In the year 1530, in Prizren there was a settlement (mahalla)Andreja Laç-Arnauti with total of 15 houses. We will provide just fewexamples on how the Slavisation of the Alban population happenedwhere most of the heads of the families had typical Slav names,whereas in onomastic aspect heads of the families had typical and traditional names of roman-Latin and Greek-Byzantine origin.

Stepan,son of Boardos (Bardhit), Radivoj son of Gjonesh, Jovan son of(Gjoneshit), Dimitri son of (Gjonesh-it), Gjura, son of ( Gjonesh-it),Radic, son of Arbanas, David son of Shala, Nikola son of Shala (Rexha,2005). According to the registry of Rumelia of the year 1451-1452,inthe city of Skopje, there was a neighbourhood of Gjinaj (Mahale-iGjinko ).

Whereas Macedonian historians M. Sokoloski and A.Stjanovski, didn’t manage to read this toponym properly, transcribingthe names in a wrong way as Maalo Genko, instead of the ottomanTurkish form neighbourhood of Gjinko, which derives from thepatronym of brothers and families of medieval noble families that are mentioned since XIV-XV centuries, in Slav and Ottoman documents.In the neighbourhood Gjinko there were registered also these head of the families: Gjinko Kundraxhi, who was a cobbler: (as itseems the whole neighbourhood took the name after him), Todori|, brother of Gjin the cobbler, Nikola the son of Sopat (Sopa), Dragoslavthe son of Sopat, Dimitri the son of Prenç, Nikola the son of Jonç,(Gjonç-it), Dragan the son of Malja, Nikola the son of Drralla, Drralladhe son of Mark, Nikola the son of Bertoris.

In the year 1467, after 15years , in the neighbourhood Gjinko (Gjinaj), we find it registered theson of Gjinko, the above mentioned cobbler Mark the son of Gjinko,with the following heads of the families: Dimitri the son of Mitresh’,Nikola dhe son of Gjesha, Todor, dhe son of Mirush, Rela dhe son ofSapat (Sopat), Todor the son of Liko.

In the neighbourhood SvetkoSamarxhi of Skopje of the year 1467, the following heads of the families were registered: Nikola the son of Muzaka, Todor the son ofShendre (Shen Andre), Gjura son of Marin, Jovan the son of Suteç(Suta). Another head of the family under the patronym Muzak we find registered in the Muslim neighbourhood Ahrijan Hasan, who hasconverted to Islam and was in the blood relations with Nikola Muzakën catholic, from the Christian neighbourhood of Skopje.

These two heads of the families from Skopje, one of themcatholic and the other Muslim apparently had blood ties with 2 otherheads of the families of the orthodox religion with Radoslav Muzakënand Ivan Muzakën, of the village Ponorç of Tetovo that converted tothe orthodox religion in the orthodox church.

In the Muslim neighbourhood of the city of Tetovo, in theregistry of the year 1451-53, there were 5 head of the families registered under the ottoman names and under 5 surnames, traditionalfor medieval Alban: Hizir Gligori, Shahin Godeni, Jusuf son of Gjon,Hamza son of Ulku (Ujku), Murati son of Domjan.

In the Christian neighbourhood of Tetovo there were many heads of the families registered, we will mention only some of them:Andreja the son of Arbanas, Nikola the brother of Arbanas,Marin the brother of Arbanasit, Nikola the brother of Gjergj, Gjura thebrother of Lazor. Lazor the brother of Buzota, Dimitri the son ofPrenko-s, Lazor the son of Tush-ko-s, Gjon the son of Arbanas.

Nikothe son of Tanush. etc. In the year 1467, in the settlement of Kërçova,there was an Alban neighbourhood but in the ottoman form, Mahalle(neighbourhood) of Arnavut, which is a result of merging of two words,from the Greek form Arvaniti, and Serb neighbourhood (Mahalle’iSerf).

In both neighbourhoods there were inhabitants of Alban originand according to the majority of names that were held by heads of thefamilies, in the first one it was dominant the form of Roman-Latin-Greek-Byzantine in the Slavic forms that during medieval times were
held by Albans of catholic religion. In the Serb neighbourhood, there
were names of Greek-Byzantine origin in symbiosis with the Slavic
ones that were held by Albans of the orthodox religion of the Greek
and Slavic rite.

Also, Alban population was settled in the outskirts of Shtip
(Astibos), and Veles (Bilazora). Also, according to the medieval
historic toponyms of the XV- XVI centuries, a considerable number of
medieval settlements with Albanian names exists in the region of
Radomir, Qystendil, and Sofja, (Serdica) in Bulgaria, they were
inhibited with Christian Alban population.

Data from registries prove the existence of Alban population in Dardania, Kosovo and Northwestern Macedonia, while early sources of medieval Slav administration in a scattered way, shows only a small part of the
settlements that are part of Slav churches. Beside from registries of the
medieval Slav-Serb kings of the Peja and Prizren region, Alban are also
mentioned by Serb despot Stefan Lazar, as permanent inhabitants in
the area of Morava of Gjilan, like: Nikola Gojsali, from the village of
Livoq, Buljan and Berush, from the village of Çërnicë (Çarrinq), and
Sular and Rrapush- Rrapi, from Zhegra. Datas collected from registries
are proving the thesis of K. Jirečekut, who has asserted that Gryka Suki

(Klanac Succi), later on called Porta e Trajanit (The port of Trajan,
Trajanova Kapija), from that time was a border between the East and
the West: Thrakia was part of Prafeand ctus praetoria Orienttis, while
the rest part of the peninsula all the way to Danube and the southern
part of Peloponesis were within Praefectus praetoria Illyrici.

According to the research and onomastic studies conducted byfamous scholar Fanulla Papazoglu, came to the conclusion that, Dardania should be considered as a specific onomastic area. The fact that Illyrian names in the whole territory of Dardania and a large number of them, are with no doubts of an Illyrian origin and exist only in Dardania.

This shows that Illyrian onomastic in Dardania was autochthonous and not imported from the outside. Alban population being autochthonies in Balkan is also proved by local and international scholars through toponyms, ononyms and antic pre-Slav hydronyms
that took the form of Albanian language: Naissus-Nish, Scupi- Shkupi.
Astibos- Shtip, Scardus-Sharr, Ulpiana- Lypian, Scodra- Shkodra,.
Lissus-Lesh-Lezhë, Drivastum-Drisht, Drinus-Drin, ScumbusShkumbi, Isamus-Ishëm, Barbana-Buna, etc.

Based on these data and toponomastics of antique famous linguists such as the Austrian N. Jokl Von Han (1854), V. Georgiev (1974), Barić (1955) and Çabej (1960), they have supported the thesis that it was exactly the territory of Dardania that other names such as Nish, Sharr, Shkup, Shtip etc. were the cradle of the old Alban population. There was another fact that has been proven according to the toponomastic evidence by the famous Dutch linguist N. Van Wejk, that in the early medieval time, Serb population was separated from the Bulgarian ones, by the non-Slav population, that is explained though the existence of the Alban population.

From this we can conclude that this territory of Dardania, have been inhibited by antique Albanians as well as the medieval ones. Also according to the German scholar G. Stadmuller, among others,
he asserts that, those names of the cities are the ones that preserve the
proof of Albanian speaking population, and tells us that this population
was not composed from the shepherds that were found in the
mountainous area, but a prosperous population that was living in an
urban area.

After the invasion of the territory of Dardania, medieval state of Ras, immediately established its administration and forced military presence, along with the structure of the administration of Serb Orthodox Church that is a part of the executive power of the state. With the initiative of the Orthodox Church they have approved also the decision for the transfer of its Holly See, which until that time was in Žića-Studenica of Ras in Peja in Dukagjin area, with a special program to convert autochthonous Albanian population and Vllehs to make
convert them in Slavs in their language and ethnic belonging.

During their medieval rule, Slavs managed to gradually turn into Slavs Vllah population (that during the roman rule according to the Alojz Benac was Illyrian and completely Romanised). They were a minority in
comparison to the autochthonous Alban population, that resisted the
Slav assimilation, all but one small part that was converted and
included in state administration of Ras state and individuals that were
converted into orthodox religion and that served in orthodox church as
priests.

Majority of Alban population, which was persecuted was
considered as heresy, from Serbian kings, Milutin and Dushan was not
turned into Slav, despite all pressures, persecutions, drastic fines by
burning and hurting them physically all the population, that belongs to
catholic religion and resisted the conversion in the orthodox religion,
especially catholic clergy that didn’t accept the orthodox religion, they
were persecuted and executed based on a Legal Code (Zakonik), of the
king Stefan Dushan that was adopted in 1439.

Conversion of Alban population was done from the administration of Slav Churches, sincethe activity of catholic churches was prohibited, because they were putunder the service of Slav churches. In 1346, Pope Clement VI,addressed the king Stefan Dushan, in which he mentions catholicchurches: in Prizren, Prishtina, Trepça, Novobërda e Janjeva, thatd uring that time were under the jurisdiction of the church of Kotor.

In the letter it was stated that few kings of Ras, predecessors have taken catholic churches and kept them occupied. After the pressure and brutal fines of forcefully converting ofAlban population of Roman origin, especially of his clergy, by the Slav kings, since the time of the rule of Stefan Nemanja, which continuedalso during the rule of Milutin and Dushan.

When the Holly See,headed by the Pope Clementi V (Berisha, 2003), immediately reacted and has addressed the state of Ras, requesting that they allow catholicpriests to perform religious services without barriers for catholic population.B) Onomastic historic pre-Slav proofs that testify the existence ofAlban population in Kosovo and North-Western Macedonia, duringantic and early medieval times, since there was a lack of archaeological findings and epigraphic writings from antics and medieval times, in this context, data of historic toponyms with Illyrian-Arber origin, that offerreal indications that they have been established during the medievaltime based on the proto-Albanian language, and can be used as an evidence for the existence of Alban population that lived here before,before the occupation of Dardania.

Therefore, toponyms representlinguistic traces of an ethnic group or a population, same as the fossilremains show places where something existed in a certain time. Detailed documented recordings for the majority of settlements beforethe ottoman time, they were lacking, except a small number that we reregistered during the XIV century in Slav registries of their medievalchurches, while earlier Bulgarian recordings disappeared.

In ottoman cadastral registries, beside the settlements withpopular endonym Arbanas, we can witness that that were settlementsin proto-Albanian language in the sources of medieval Bulgarianadministration, where we mention settlement Bineç – Binça of Vitia ofthe year 1019, again written as a registry of Bulgarian king KonstatinAsen, where Binça is given in possession of the Saint George Monastery (Sveti Đorđe), near Skopje, that confirms that Alban settlements existed even before that occupation of Serb-Slavs in the territory of Dardania.

In Ottoman registries, there are tens and tens of registered Albanian settlements that were covered in the names of Slav administration that the administration of that time has removed and used only Slav names. Ottoman administration because of fiscal-tax reasons, during the registration of settlements has discovered many settlements with two names, the one of the Slav administration and the other that was used by the local Albanian population.

We will bring few proofs for few settlements that are pre Slavs and that in etymological and semantic ways, are formed on the bases of proto Albanian language and in the very narrow sense they belong to geographical area of ​​Dardania, theareas of Illyricum- Balkan. These toponyms are written in medieval sources, have the Latin, Greek and Slav prefix:

Bardus, Bardon, Boardisa, Bardos’ane, Bardoniq, Bardiq, Barlova Barlofc, Darda, Dardos, Dardhosh, Dardash, Dardishte, Dardet-in, Darllan, Dardiq, Dassa, Dassius, Dassos, Dashiq Dashefc, Dashinofc, Lulisa, Lulosa, Lulash, lulaçLulkofci, lulashefci, Malentum, Males-Malesh, Malos-Malosh, Malush, Malisht, Malesheva, Maleshefci, Maljeva, Malça, PetraBarda , and Gures Petra (Guri Bardh), Guri Bardiq, Petra Rosa and Petra Kuq (Guri Kuq), Petra Negros (Guri Zi).

Some settlements based on the proto Albanian language that we find in the medieval sources, with suffix and forms: Latin-Roman, Greek-Byzantine or tautological forms that prove that these toponyms have been found also inside and outside of the territory of Dardania, and have been used by the population of Albanian ethnic origin that existed during the Byzantine rule.

These toponyms with the origin of the proto-Albanian language in Latin and Greek forms have been passed from generation to generation from the Albanian speaking population until late medievaltime that proved its existence under the Roman and Byzantine rule in the territory of Dardania, before occupation of Dardania by Slavs: Toponyms with proto Albanian bases and the Greek suffix, of the antique city of Vendenis-Vindenis of the II century of new era, that was near Podujevo, that was missing since medieval times.

Another toponym of the antique settlement Dassa-Dassos, the first time mentioned with the inscription from V-VI century, which most of the foreign and local scholars consider that has Illyrian-Dardan origins. While, scholar Andreja Vukičević, considers that the toponym DastoDastus, is based on the proto Albanian language Dashtun- Dashun. Settlement Dassa, was found near the archaeological site of antiqueUlpiana, in south-western part of Prishtina, and was missing.

Based on the name das-dash there were tens of settlements that existed under thatname. In the ottoman registry of the year 1444, there was a settlementcalled Dashinç in the vicinity of Prokuplje Dashinç in vicinity ofRozhaja Rijeka, in Rogozno of Bihorit, Dashefc, in the vicinity of Peja,Dardashi in the vicinity of Ohrid, etc.Today’s territory of Kosovo and North-Western Macedonia, in its historic past, firstly it was included in the state that was called the Kingdom of Dardania, headed by Shkup that was established in the IVI of our era by the Dardan tribe with Illyrian origin.

These countrieshad their borders from (Nishi)in the North all the way to (Astibos) inthe south. Also in the topographic map of the Roman Empire of theEast during the time of the Justinian rule (527-565) there was a nameof the Dardania province written in the context of this empire.The word dard- dardhë of Albanian language, some of thescholars of the Indo-European languages, while E Çabej considers withthe origin of Ilirian-Balkan, while J.G. Von Han, considers thatgeographic name Dardania from the antique time, can be explained with the word darda – dardha of the Albanian language.

Toponym dardhë of the antique time, during the medievalBulgarian rule (century IX-X), the of a Slav-Serb (XIII-XIV), waspassive, but in many cases only considered in the Serbian word NUXãNDSome toponyms based on the word dard- dardhë, appear again in the ottoman registries of the XV-XVI centuries, but in the Slavic forms,such as: Dorllan5, of Leskofc, Darllan6, Çarrniç of Gjilanit, Dardetin,ofRogoznës of Bihorit, Dardiiq7, in the vicinity of Rozhaja, in the Albanian form such as Darda8, of Pashtrikut, Dardashi9, of Ohrid,Dardishte10 etc, that have been found in the area of Dardania.

Thesetoponyms written in a Slavic form, prove that ottoman administrationtook those toponyms from medieval Slav administration and has exceptthe process of complete slavisation.According to the data of Byzantine historian, ProcopiusCasareas (500-565), in the vicinity of Naisus-it-Nish there was afortress Dusmanes11.

In th ottoman registries of the years 1477 and1478, there was a settlement of Dushman-ofc and the settlement under the same name Raban-ofci12, in the region of Llapit, changed versionof the same Slav word, taken from the popular name Arban. Frommedieval time, in Dukagjini region, there is a tribe Dushmani13.

Thefirst proof of the Illyrian-Arber names in the Latin form Bard-us>Bardus14, (from the word Bardh); that are given form the famoushistorian that you can find in Pag of Croatia since the XI (1071). WordMali Bard (Mali i Bardh), we find at the Arab geographer, Al Idrisi atthe end of the XI century and the first XII century. apparently has to dowith mountainous area Alpes Albanicae (Malet e Bardha). WordVardar of an early form Bardarios, some scholars like: I Duridanov,V. Besherliev, V. Georgiev, J. Zaimov, extract from an indo-europeandatabase Snordo-uori (black, water, river with black water).

Accordingto J. Ivanov, this word derives from Var (big ) and Dar15, river, sea,meaning Big River. While a famous romanist Sh. Sejdiu, the source of the word Bardarios based it on the indo-European word Borgh-uori (the wateris white), whtite water-Lumi i Bardhë., while the toponym with thebases bard, in Raguza and Slav documents of the XIV century and itwas registered in Slav registries as Bashtina Bard-ina, in Slav formatina, in the Prizren region.

Patronym Dominik Barda (Bardhi), is mentioned since the year1335. In ottoman registries there was a pre Slav toponym used basedon an Albanian language spoken in the vicinity of Kurshumlia, in theLatin form16 Bard+us.> and in the topographic Austrian map of theyear 1689, registered in the Latin form of Bardus.

In the registry therewere only 4 houses registered, names of the heads of the families were made Slav, one of the head of the families had the name Belati,transformed in a Slavic form from the Illyrian-Arber,-Bardi. Another toponym that is registered in the registries of the 15 century, also in the Latin form was Bardus17- from the region of Dibra.

In the area of Dardania that existed during medieval times, tens of settlements on the bases of theword Bard- Barl dhe Barz, today they exist only 2 of them in the vicinity of Gjakova, that were demolished by the Slav administration and has turned them in Slav names, same as it has named many of the Slav priests. Name Bard, is a very old name of the Illyrian-Dardan province from Bardus, later on used among many other inhabitants of Balkan,and has been known from Illyrian-Antic time.

Foreign scholars (Mayer,1957), (Krahe 1929), (Rendć & Miočević ,1948), (Çabej, 1970), (Ajeti,1982), (Grković, 1977), (Ilievski, 1984) the word bard, be it patronymor toponym, they claim that it derives from the proto Albanian wordbardh. Also other antique toponyms that have Illyrian-Arber bases,beside the medieval sources, they have been registered also in theottoman registries of the centuries XV-XIV, with bases mal, mol dhemaje:, Malj-ić+ka> Maljićka, Malj’ča,e Nishit, Malj-ishte, Maljeshefci Malj-efci, Maljosh, Maljush-ic, Malj-uk, Maljet-ino, Malj-ese,Malj’evo, Majdevo, Majkovac, Majevica, Majanci, MaljçishteeShkupit, Maljesh-eva, and Shtipit, Maljoshefci and Sofjes, etc.

All these settlements that have a word mal during medievaltimes could be found in the geographical location of Nish and furtherthan Shtip and Qystendil in Bulgaria, and on the other side from YeniPazari further then Vishegrad.Word mal, is pretty widespread and characteristic for Dardaniaarea. According to the Serb historian Milivoje Pavlović, the word mal,during the process of Romanisation and later of Slavisation in the areaof Dardania, resisted the change of the latin word mont and Slavicword planina.

Beside local Albanologists and also foreign scholars(Cimovski 1958, 47-48), Duje Rendić Miočević, Milivoje Pavlović,(Skok 1972, 47-48), (Barjatarević , 1987), words mal, mol dhe mul,have Illyrian or Arban source of the proto Albanian language. Theseare proofs that tell us the existence of settlements and Alban populationin the wider geographical area of Dardania-Kosovo and North-WesternMacedonia, before the Bulgarian occupation of the IX-X centuries, andthe Slav ones that took place during the second half of the XIII andXIV centuries.

In the Slav medieval sources we find some Albaniantoponyms that were written only in Slavic words, while we find also avery old version of them written only in Albanian form, but which was covered by Serb administration and used only in Serbian form.

In the ottoman registry of the XVI century, there was asettlement under the name of Alban39 in the vicinity of Prokuplje, butas it seems, it exists in the deformed form by the Slav medievaladministration as Alabana. In the area of central Dardania, there werefew toponyms of Proto-Albanian language with Bulgarian pre-fixes kiko, ka, that testifies that ethnic name of Arban has been since the periodof Bulgarian rule during the centuries IX-X registered in the medievalBulgarian administration, before the occupation of the territory ofDardania-Kosovo and of North-Western Macedonia by the medievalstate of Ras, since the toponym written in Bulgarian form Arbanashkipotok was mentioned, in a document of the prince Miroslav, sincebefore the years 1253-1254, that went missing during a Bulgarianattack during those years at the side of Huma.

This document wasrenewed later by the king Urosh the first, by repeating the registry ofhis father through which he was proving the ownership of themonastery of Saint Peter of the region of Lim (Lymit) that was givenas a gift to the prince Miroslav and himself he has gifted few villagesin the region of Dukagjin (in the document, in Slav language, Hvosno)and in Drenica region, written in Slav language Držkovina). Whenprinc Miroslavi, before years 1253-1254, was determining the bordersof the village Kryshefc (today Skenderaj), was mentioning the borderof this village, that went from the mountain in the creek of Arbanas(Arbanashki Potok), in the mountain and from there in the river, in Klina.

From the diploma of Stefan Dushan of the year 1354, we cansee that he gave the right and various benefits to Hilendar Monasteryasking from state institutions to determine the borders of the monasteryin the villages: Ponorc, Krushic and in Llabçevë, todays Llapushës. Inthis document, king Dushan forbids all nobility Vllehs and Arbanas,not to graze the cattle near the church. Other proof was connected withthe payment of certain percentage from the agricultural, pastoral andAlban population that was ordered since 1355 to do so.

In this document of this year in which the land was given to the monastery ofHilandar in Atos, Dushani not only he forbid Arbanas not to graze the cattle, but also he ordered that this population pays the taxation for thevine production in the market of Klina. From this document, we canclearly see that population was paying tax for the vine, and this showsus that in this area there has been harvesting of grapes that was not theprofession of pastoral-nomad, therefore these evidence shows theexistence of Alban ethnicity in those agricultural settlements evenbefore the XIV century when this document was written.

King Dushan, in his registry asked that Arbanas are found near churchesneed to work according to the Serb traditions, meaning to practice orthodox religion, the mess and all the rites to be performed in Slav language.Beside the toponym Prroi i Arbneshit (Creek of Arbnesh) in Drenas, there were many other toponyms under the ethnic name of medieval Arbans: Arbanas of the year 1296, in the region of Rijeka Crnojevića and other Arbanas, in the area of Kraja – Tu, in Montenegro.Arbanas of Rudos, Aarbanas of Borač, Arbanas of Višegrad andArbanas of Trebinje from Bosnia.

In the territory of Dardania-Kosovo and North-Western Macedonia, in the books of the king Milutin of the year 1330, the settlement “Arbanashka” in Bulgarian poem in the North-Western part of Kumanovo, then Arbanas of Shtip, in his Slav work Zhiganc and other Arbanas under the name of Zubac, in the vicinity of Shtip, Arbinvo, in the vicinity of Ohrid, village Prushka, ofthe year 1254, near Bijelo Polje and Buzovik near Berana, of the year 1314, today in Montenegro, Buzofc of Tetovo of the year 1348, which is changed to Bozovac.

In the region of Nish, Prokuplje and Kurshumlia also there wereother settlements written in Slavic names of the XIV century such as:Muzaćeve Kuće – Muzaq, of the year 1318 , Arbanasi of Kushumlia of the year 1455, Arbanas of Peokuplje, other Slav name Krushevic,Arbanas and its Slav version Sušic, and Arbanas and its Slav version Hobotinç. Bukmir and Tanush of Prokuple. Arbanašic of Vranja, of the year 1486. Arbanas of Radomir-Qustendil, Arbanasiof Soffa of century XV and Arbanas of Trnavas of the XIV in Bulgaria. Bernicë Arbanas of the year 1477, in the region of Ostrovica in Novoberda and Petril Arbanas in the region of Medvedja of the year 1455-1477.

Neighboured Arbanas in Janjevo of Novoberda of the year 1497-98,etc. D) traces of churches and monasteries that testify the existenceof Alban population in the area of Dardania-Kosovo and the NorthWestern Macedonia (according to the Slav and Ottoman sources).In this part of the paper we don’t speak of churches andmonasteries that exist today in Kosovo, in the ruins of these churches of Byzantine and Roman time after the occupation of Kosovo in thesecond half of the XIII and XIV centuries, Slav-Serbs of Rashka rebuiltthem, with the claim that Kosovo land is a holly Serb land and beforeits occupation it was un-inhibitable.

This is how the works of few ofthe Serb authors are based on no proves and facts. We will bring few proves that there were churches and monasteries that existed in thegeographical territory of Dardani that were built by autochthonous Alban population before the rule of the Slav state.

Beside the historic medieval sources, the presence of the Albanpopulation in the geographical region of Dardania-Kosovo and NorthWestern Macedonia, are being proved also by the Christian religious sites of the Latin-Catholic origin and the Greek-byzantine church that were built by the autochthonous Alban in their permanent settlements.

Some of them had the names of the word ARBAN or the special,characteristic and traditional name of medieval Alban as it was: The church of st. Merry ( Crkva Sveti Marija ), in Ohrid, called Saint Clement and that was built at the last decade of the XII century. Progon Zgur, with Alban origin, who at that time held a high position in the society and was the son in law of the Byzantin emperor Andronik Paleolog (1282-1283).

As we see, Ohrid at that time was a big cultural and religiouscentre of the Orthodox Church and had the importance in the regionand beyond…also nobility with Alban origin had their powers in thesouth-western part of Macedonia. In Ohrid there was a church ofNikolla Arbnesh, of the century XIV, written in Slav sources, under thename of Nikola Arbanashk built by Alban population.

In vicinity of Skopje, there was a Monastery of Shën Gjergji, where Albans and Christians went. In Kratova of Macedonia there was a church of Arnaut, of the XV century, but we don’t know when it disappeared.In the vicinity of Prespa there was a Monastery of priest Gjergj Orthodox priest with the alban origin registered under the Albanian name and not the Serb version of the name Georgije. Also, a settlement Glabonik, near Leskofc in the southern part of Serbia, there was a Monastery of Saint Arbnesh, registered under Slav form in the cadastral registries of the Monastery of Saint Arbanas, without any priest, abandoned since a long time.

Later on the Slav Church has beentransformed in the orthodox monastery, under the name of Sveti Stanisha. This monastery, with no doubt was build by the Alban population since the medieval Bulgarian rule. The lad of thismonastery was registered in the ottoman registries. In Prizren,according to the Slav sources, there were two churches: Church Saint Nikolla (Crkva Sveti Nikola), of the XIV century, that was built by Rajko Krizmiç (Krizma), from Prizren, while other church Kisha e Bogdanit (Klise-i Bogdan) is mentioned also in the ottoman registry.

No. 368, that was build between (1361-1368 ), by Bogdan Krizma(Krizmiç), the son of Rajko Krizmas, son and dad, both of Alban origin. In the documents of the Archive of Dubrovnik, he is mentionedas Bogdan Crissima as noble, trader and the minister of finance in theadministration of the Slav despot Vukashin.

In Prizren also accordingto the Ottoman registries of the XV-XVI centuries, only in theneighbourhood Ribar in Prizren there were 4 churches registered, two of those were orthodox churches – Church priest Vlatko and Church of priest Stepanit and two other Chatolic churches, church of priest Nikola and priest Latin (chatolic).

In this neighbourhood, according tothe registry there were the following heads of the families registered::Nikolla Gjoni, priest, Nikolla Tolja, Bogdan Nikola, Dimitri DukaDoka , Nikolla Vida, Nikolla Lleshjani, Pejo prishliç, Vasil prishliç,Jovan Pavli, land in the possession of Spanko Toljes, land in possessionof Stepan Jovanit, land in possesion of Andrea, in posesion ofKaterinës, land in possession of the priest Gjon popit, Tuna Leca,widowed, Rada Toljka, widowed, Roza, widowed, Kalina, widowedand Belja, widowedIn the settlement Hoça, according to the same registry, in theneighbourood Filip was registered Church of Saint John, in the latinform (Kilise- Shen Gjovani). Even today Albanians of the catholic fatehold those names of the roman-latin region.

Reference

https://filologjia.uni-pr.edu/desk/inc/media/9133CD22-F3E8-4D11-9C44-A50D5B0D9BAD.pdf