The ''bajrak'' (pronounced or , meaning "
banner
A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Als ...
" or "
flag") was an
Ottoman territorial unit, consisting of villages in mountainous frontier regions of the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, from which
military recruitment
Military recruitment refers to the activity of attracting people to, and selecting them for, military training and employment.
Demographics
Gender
Across the world, a large majority of recruits to state armed forces and non-state arme ...
was based. It was introduced in the late 17th century and continued its use until the end of Ottoman rule in
Rumelia. The bajrak included one or more
clans. It was especially implemented in northern
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
and in parts of
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
(
Sanjak of Prizren
The Sanjak of Prizren or Priştine ( tr, Prizren Sancağı, sq, Sanxhaku i Prizrenit, sr, Призренски санџак / ''Prizrenski sandžak'') was one of the sanjaks in the Ottoman Empire with Prizren as its administrative centre. It was ...
and
Sanjak of Scutari
The Sanjak of Scutari or Sanjak of Shkodra ( sq, Sanxhaku i Shkodrës; sr, Скадарски санџак; tr, İskenderiye Sancağı or ''İşkodra Sancağı'') was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire. It was established after the Otto ...
), where in the 19th century these regions constituted the
frontier with the
Principality of Serbia
The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation wa ...
and
Principality of Montenegro
The Principality of Montenegro ( sr, Књажевина Црна Горa, Knjaževina Crna Gora) was a principality in Southeastern Europe that existed from 13 March 1852 to 28 August 1910. It was then proclaimed a kingdom by Nikola I, who then ...
. These sanjaks had notable communities of
Gheg Albanians (
Muslims and
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
s),
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
and
Slavic Muslims. The Albanians adopted the system into their clan structure, and bajraks endured during the
Kingdom of Serbia (1882–1918) and
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
The People's Socialist Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë, links=no) was the Marxist–Leninist one party state that existed in Albania from 1946 to 1992 (the official name of the country was the People's R ...
(1944–1992).
Overview
The bajrak was a territorial unit of the Ottoman Empire, consisting of a group of villages,
from which military recruitment was organized – a "territorialized military organization."
The bajrak was composed of one or more clans. Several smaller clans could inhabit a single bajrak while larger clans occupied several bajrak; usually a ''bajraktar'' ("
standard-bearer
A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as a ...
") led a clan, while in some cases a bajraktar led several clans or a single clan had several bajraktars.
The Ottomans entrusted the bajraktar with providing soldiers from his bajrak in exchange for privileges, and sometimes he performed important administrative and judicial duties. The bajraktar was usually
hereditary position, via paternal ancestry appointed by the Ottoman government.
Bajraks formed loose tribal confederations; for example, the
Shala
Shala (Šala) was a Mesopotamian goddess of weather and grain and the wife of the weather god Adad. It is assumed that she originated in northern Mesopotamia and that her name might have Hurrian origin. She was worshiped especially in Karkar a ...
joined the
Shoshi.
The bajrak system existed in many mountainous ethnographic regions, such as
Lumë
Lumë (also called Lum and Lumi) is a village in the former Shtiqën Municipality, Kukës County, Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Kukës.
It is part of the Lumë region. According to Johann Georg v ...
.
Aftermath
In Albania
According to Enke (1955), the
Dukagjin highlands was inhabited by the "''six bajraks'',
Shala
Shala (Šala) was a Mesopotamian goddess of weather and grain and the wife of the weather god Adad. It is assumed that she originated in northern Mesopotamia and that her name might have Hurrian origin. She was worshiped especially in Karkar a ...
,
Shoshi,
Kir, Gjaj, Plan, and
Toplan,"
[Enke 1955, p. 129: "In den Bergen des Dukagjin: in Shala, Shoshi, Kir, Gjaj, Plan und Toplan."][Naval Intelligence Division 1945: "Shala and Shoshi are closely associated, have the same occupations and characteristics, and are sometimes called one bajrak. Shala is also declared part of the Dukagjin 'clan of the six bajraks'"] while according to Prothero (1973), it then included "
Pulati
Pult ( la, Pulati) is a former municipality in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania.
History
At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Shkodër
Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth- ...
, Shala and Shoshi,
Dushmani,
Toplana,
Nikai, and
Merturi."
[The Dukajin (in the Wider sense) include the six bairaks of the Pulati, Shala and Shoshi, Dushmani, Toplana, Nikai, and Merturi. Their territory lies between the Malzia e Mathe and the River Drin. 4. The seven bairaks of the Dukajin (in a stricter ...]
In Serbia and Yugoslavia
In Kosovo, after the conquest by
Kingdom of Serbia, the Albanians incorporated the ''bajrak'' into their clan system (known as ''fis'').
The
Yugoslav authorities tried to break up the feudal relations created through this system.
See also
*
Nahiyah
A nāḥiyah ( ar, , plural ''nawāḥī'' ), also nahiya or nahia, is a regional or local type of administrative division that usually consists of a number of villages or sometimes smaller towns. In Tajikistan, it is a second-level division w ...
*
Bajrak of Oštrozub
*
Bajrakli Mosque (disambiguation)
*
Albanian mafia
Albanian mafia or Albanian organized crime ( sq, Mafia Shqiptare) are the general terms used for criminal organizations based in Albania or composed of ethnic Albanians. Albanian organized crime is active in Europe, North America, South America ...
References
{{reflist
Turkish words and phrases
Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman period in the Balkans
Military of the Ottoman Empire
Military recruitment