In 1821, the volume “Illyria and Dalmatia”, part of the series “The World in Miniature”, edited by Frederic Shoberl, was published in London. This book, equipped with colored engravings, attempted to present to the British reader the peoples, clothing, customs, beliefs, way of life and character of the inhabitants of Illyria, Dalmatia and the surrounding countries. The Internet Archive identifies the work as an 1821 edition, in English, with author/editor Frederic Shoberl and scans from the Newberry Library collection.

This is not just a costume book. It is a European window on the Balkans of the early 19th century, at a time when the Ottoman Empire was still the dominant power in many areas, when the Republic of Ragusa had lost its historical independence, when Montenegro (inhabited by Albanians yet to be slavicized) was maintaining its distinctive martial profile, and when the terms “Illyria,” “Dalmatia,” “Morlachia,” “Scutari,” and others were used by Western authors to describe a complex ethnic, religious, and political space.

Clothing as a historical document

The engravings that accompany the book are among its most valuable parts. They depict figures such as “A Montenegrin,” “A Morlachian Woman,” and “Morlachian Woman / A Married Morlachian.” In these depictions, the dress is not decoration. But, these drawings should be interpreted through an Albnaian lense; most Montenegrins back then were in fact Albanians.

The “Montenegrin” man is depicted with a weapon, a long scarf, a belt, traditional clothing and a fighting stance. The Morla woman is depicted with a headscarf, long clothing, a load on her head and a child on her back. The Morla couple is depicted in rich folk clothes, with ornaments and elements that indicate status, tradition and local identity.

In an era when photography had not yet become a means of mass documentation, such engravings were of great importance. They shaped the European imagination about the peoples of the Balkans. Through them, the London reader saw an old, harsh world, poor perhaps in material conditions, but rich in symbols, in clothing, in codes of honor and in traditions.

Scutari, Ragusa and the political geography of the time

In the pages presented, Scutari, that is, Shkodra, is mentioned as the center of the pashalik and as the point of Ottoman jurisdiction in the region. This is very important, because it shows the place that Shkodra occupied on the political map of the time. It was not a peripheral city, but a center of power, influence and territorial organization.

Ragusa, the historical name of Dubrovnik, is also mentioned, which in the text is also called by the “Illyrian” name Dubronich. The author places it near ancient Epidaurus and describes it as a trading city, with a Catholic majority, but with the presence of Greeks, Armenians and Turks. This proves the multi-religious and multicultural character of the Adriatic cities.

This is a crucial element: the Balkans are not presented as a simple space, divided by clean ethnic lines. Rather, they emerge as a mosaic where religion, trade, Ottoman power, local traditions, and regional identities are constantly intertwined.

Montenegro and the spirit of independence

In the text on page 121, the Montenegrins are described as problematic neighbors of the Republic of Ragusa and as a people who forcibly resisted the transfer of their country to France. The author emphasizes that they wear “Illyrian” (Albanian) military clothing, declare loyalty to the Turkish government, and are under the jurisdiction of the Pasha of Shkodra, but at the same time are too fond of independence to submit completely to any authority.

This sentence is of great historical value. It shows the classic tension of the mountainous Balkans: formal acceptance of a great power, but real resistance to complete subjugation. This was not only Montenegrin history. It was a familiar pattern in many Albanian areas, where tribes, provinces, and local communities often accepted an imperial order on paper, but maintained strong autonomy in practice.

The Morlaks: a borderline population between ethnography and history

The term “Morlachian” was used in Western sources for the pastoral and mountainous population of Dalmatia and the Adriatic hinterland. In the pages of the book, the Morlachs are described through their clothing, rural life, women’s work, long journeys, carrying burdens, and continuity of customs.

The Morla woman, in particular, emerges as a figure of hard work and endurance. The author writes that the Morla women, extremely hardworking, made long journeys carrying heavy burdens on their heads and children on their backs. This should not be read as romantic folklore, but as evidence of the living conditions of women in the mountainous areas of the Balkans: work, family, movement, subsistence economy and social burden.

Religion, coexistence and the contradictions of the Empire

An interesting section is found on pages 70–71, which discusses the relations between Christians and Turks in these areas. The text mentions mutual greetings and forms of coexistence between the communities. In one place, it is said that when Christians and Turks meet, they greet each other with kind words, while the difference is made in the manner of bowing and in the social hierarchy.

This shows a dual reality. On the one hand, there was daily coexistence, exchanges, friendship contracts, and practical relationships. On the other hand, there was an unequal political and religious order, where Ottoman power and its hierarchies influenced relations between people.

The historian should not embellish this world, but neither should he simplify it. The Ottoman Balkans was a space of oppression, taxation, dependence, and conflict, but also a space where people lived, traded, made alliances, cooperated, and preserved their local identities.

What importance does this work have for Albanian history?

For Albanian history, the value of this book lies in several points.

First, it shows the importance of Shkodra as a political and administrative center in the early 19th century. The mention of the Pasha of Shkodra in relation to the Montenegrins proves the regional importance of this center.

Second, the book shows that the term Illyria was still alive in European discourse. This does not automatically mean that every population mentioned in the book was Albanian in the modern sense. But it shows that Europe of the time associated this space with the Illyrian heritage and with a pre-Slavic, pre-Ottoman and Adriatic historical geography.

Third, the clothing, customs, and tribal structures described in the book have a close affinity with the Albanian and Balkan mountain world. This is especially important when we talk about the culture of honor, weapons as part of the dress, the scarf, the belt, codes of masculinity, women’s work, and local autonomy.

Fourth, the book proves that identities in the Balkans cannot be understood with modern maps alone. They are older, more complex, and often overlapping: Illyrian in historical designation, Ottoman in administration, local in customs, religious in affiliation, and national in development.