Petrit Latifi

In this census register of the Sanjak of Shkodra of 1485, the names of the inhabitants of the Krajë region are mentioned: Doda, Marshiqi, Koliqi, Muriqi, etc.

The registration of lands in the Sanjak of Shkodra, as an administrative unit after the fall of the castle in 1479, was made by the emin Mustafa Saraxheldin and the scribe Sulejman Abdullahu. Since the city of Erdene is mentioned in the register as the place where the register ended and taking into account the practices of writing ‘in place’ of the registers in the 15th century, it can be assumed that this register is the second or third copy of the original.

This register has a special importance as a historical source because it sheds light on the socio-economic and political situation, as well as provides onomastic data to understand the ethnic origin of the population of the area covered by the register.

The document also shows “Slavic” names which confirms the slavization policy carried out 2 centuries earlier against the Albanian Catholics and Vlachs. Most of these so called “Slavs” were in fact Albanians who had adopted a secondary Slavic name due to pressure from the Serbian Orthodox church.