The Bosnian militia was a military unit indigenous to

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

serving as a permanent frontier garrison and provincial army for the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

History

After the

Treaty of Karlowitz The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in Karlowitz, Military Frontier of Archduchy of Austria (present-day Sremski Karlovci, Serbia), on 26 January 1699, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the ...

, on 26 January 1699, the Ottoman-Habsburg frontier was fixed around the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

River. The Ottoman standing army corps was overstretched from constant campaigning and had lost its strategic offensive capability against the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

, therefore the Ottoman government had to rely on a defensive strategy. To man and garrison distant border fortresses it was decided to give the responsibility of defense and security of border provinces to their governors. The new policy gave them rights to create provincial

units Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (alb ...

. The soldiers were volunteers and villagers under the control of a provincial elite (). The provincial militias served as a chance of social mobility, though not open to

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

at first, they were also used by the governor internally to maintain or restore order during the numerous revolts about new taxes. Some historians have described the Bosnian militia during that time as a tool used by the local elite to consolidate their power. During the

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and second Serbian uprisings, Bosnia's Muslims had accepted primary responsibility for the suppression of the Christian revolt in the Belgrade province, Bosnian militia forces were sent across the

Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long Balkans river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps whic ...

in support of the Ottoman army fighting the Serbian insurgents. In 1864 the Ottoman Government introduced conscription and a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

of Bosnian militia was formed, consisting of two

regiments A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of four

battalions A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

with half of the officers being Bosniaks from the province. In 1869 the Bosnian contingent was assimilated into the Turkish army and a commission under the presidency of

Omar Pasha Omer Pasha, also known as Omer Pasha Latas ( tr, Ömer Lütfi Paşa, sr, Омер-паша Латас, Omer-paša Latas; 24 September 1806 – 18 April 1871) was an Ottoman field marshal and governor. Born in Austrian territory to Serbian Or ...

, a former Serbian Orthodox, decided that Christians could be included in the conscription. Eight battalions were formed, with half local officers and technically only serving within the province's borders.

Disbanding

The transfer under Austro-Hungarian rule in 1878 ended the Ottoman Bosnian militia. In 1881 all Bosnian males became liable for conscription in the Austro-Hungarian army, at the same time a new Bosnian militia force called was set up. During the Bosnian crisis of 1909 a border militia called was established, during the same period the notorious Bosnian militia , was raised by the Austro-Hungarians to act as a special paramilitary force, hunting down Serb guerillas.

References

Sources

* * * * * {{Mil-unit-stub Military history of the Ottoman Empire Military of the Ottoman Empire 15th century in Bosnia Military units and formations of the Early Modern period Military Frontier