The Bratonožići ( sr-Cyrl, Братоножићи, ) is a
historical tribe (''pleme'') of
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
origin in the
Brda region
Brda ( Montenegrin and Serbian Cyrillic: Брда, "Highlands" or "Hills"), is a historical and ethnographical region in Montenegro. The historical tribes of Brda: Vasojevići, Bjelopavlići, Piperi, Kuči, Bratonožići, Morača and Rovčani co ...
of
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
. It appeared during the Ottoman period and was a captaincy of the
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 ...
in the 19th century. Today, it forms part of northeastern
Podgorica Municipality
Podgorica Capital City ( Montenegrin: Glavni grad Podgorica / Главни град Подгорица) is one of the territorial subdivisions of Montenegro. The seat of municipality is the city of Podgorica. Podgorica municipality covers 10.4% o ...
. In Montenegro, the majority of people who trace their origin in Bratonožići identify as Christian Orthodox
Montenegrins
Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro.
Genetics
Accordin ...
and Christian Orthodox
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 ...
. Brotherhoods (''bratstvo'') from the historical tribe that settled in
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje ( cnr, Бијело Поље, ) is a town in northeastern Montenegro on the Lim (river), Lim River. It has an urban population of 15,400 (2011 census). It is the administrative, economic, cultural and educational centre of northern M ...
and became Muslims in the Ottoman period identify as
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
. In the 18th century, many families from the region settled in western Serbia. In
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 ...
, a part of the Serbs of western Kosovo come from Bratonožići.
Geography
The Bratonožići tribal region is a rugged, hilly area at an altitude which ranges from 400 to 450m. It is situated between the
Morača river
The Morača ( sr-cyrl, Морача, ) is a major river in Montenegro that originates in the northern region in Kolašin Municipality under Mount Rzača. It meanders southwards for before emptying into Lake Skadar. Its drainage basin covers . ...
,
Mala Rijeka and
Crna Planina; it borders the tribes of
Vasojevići
The Vasojevići ( sh, Васојевићи, ) is a historical highland tribe (''pleme'') and region of Montenegro, in the area of the Brda. It is the largest of the historical tribes, occupying the area between Lijeva Rijeka in the South up to ...
to the north,
Rovčani
The Rovčani ( sr-Cyrl, Ровчани, ) are a historical tribe of Montenegro and one of the seven highlander tribes of the Brda region, alongside the Bjelopavlići, Piperi, Kuči, Bratonožići, Moračani and Vasojevići. The historical r ...
to the northwest,
Kuči to the east and south, and
Piperi to the west. The region ends after Mala Rijeka pours into the Morača, near the settlement of Mrke, about 13 km to the northeast of Podgorica. With the exception of Mrke, most of the other settlements (Klopot, Pelev Brijeg, Duga) of Bratonožići are semi-deserted or completely abandoned as their inhabitants moved to Podgorica. As of 2011, Mrke had 207 residents. 118 identify as Montenegrins, 60 as Serbs, 25 chose not to declare any ethnicity.
Language
The Serbo-Croatian dialect spoken in Bratonožići forms a speech group with
Kuči and
Piperi. South Slavic in these three communities is marked by close contact with the northern
Albanian dialects
The Albanian language is composed of many dialects, divided into two major groups: Gheg Albanian, Gheg and Tosk Albanian, Tosk. The Shkumbin river is roughly the geographical dividing line, with Gheg spoken north of the Shkumbin and Tosk south of ...
of
Malësia
Malësia e Madhe ("Great Highlands"), known simply as Malësia ( sq, Malësia, cnr, / ), is a historical and ethnographic region in northern Albania and eastern central Montenegro corresponding to the highlands of the geographical subdivision ...
. The dialects of Bratonožići and Kuči which differ to a certain degree from that of Piperi, largely because of the historic bilingualism that was present in the area as a result of direct contact with Albanian.
Origins
The Bratonožići ( sq, Bratonishi)
were
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
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 ...
in the Middle Ages, but shifted to
Serbian Orthodoxy
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous ( ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches.
The majority of the population in ...
and gradually became Slavic-speakers. A
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
report of the 17th century illustrates the final stages of their acculturation. Its author writes that the Bratonožići, Piperi, Bjelopavlići and Kuči:"'' nulla di meno essegno quasi tutti del rito serviano, e di lingua Illrica ponno piu presto dirsi Schiavoni, ch' Albanesi ''" (since almost all of them use the Serbian rite and the Illyric (Slavic) language, soon they should be called Slavs, rather than Albanians)
History
The first indirect reference to the Bratonožići comes from the 1416-17 Venetian cadaster of Shkodër. In it, a certain ''Marco Bratonese'' or ''Bratonesso'' was registered as living in
Koplik
Koplik (also known as Koplik i Poshtëm) is a town and former municipality in the northwestern tip of Albania. At the 2015 local government reform, it became a subdivision, and the seat of the municipality Malësi e Madhe. It was the seat of the ...
where he had probably moved from one of the Zeta ''katuns'' (villages).
In a Venetian document dating to 1455, ''Banovichi'' is mentioned as one of the villages of Upper Zeta; this may be an early reference to the settlements of Bratonožići. The first direct reference to the settlements that comprise Bratonožići today is found in the supplementary defter of the
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 ...
in 1497. They hadn't formed as a single community at that time.
Bratonožići is a tribe (''pleme'') of several patrilineal ancestries which formed it over time since the late 15th century. The name of the tribe comes from a ''Brato'', father of ''Nika'' and ancestor of a part of the brotherhoods of Bratonožići. He lived 14 generations before the time of the recording of the story around 1900. A ''Brato, son of Nika'' who lived with his brother ''Pali'' in the small hamlet of Moracića in 1497 may be a reference to this figure. The defter mentions that previously they lived in Hrasnića near
Podgorica
Podgorica (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; Literal translation, lit. 'under the hill') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd ...
.
Two other communities that lived in the same area were the Albanian Catholic
Bukumiri
Bukumiri (alternatively, ''Bukmiri'') was an Albanian tribe (''fis'') that lived in present-day central and south-eastern Montenegro. They were semi-nomadic pastoralists whose social organization was based on kinship around brotherhoods of common ...
and Bushati tribes and the Lutovci, who may have come from the
Pirot
Pirot ( sr-cyr, Пирот) is a city and the administrative center of the Pirot District in southeastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the urban area of the city has a population of 38,785, while the population of the city administrative area ...
region in the eastern Balkans or from
Pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
in northern Albania. Their origin is debated because no collective memory of their history has been retained except for a toponym which may be interpreted to refer to ''Pirot'' in eastern Serbia or ''Pilot'' in northern Albania. Their first historical ancestor in Bratonožići is a ''captain Gojko'' and their historical village was Lutovo. Archival records show that the Lutovci lived in 27 households of Luskozupa in 1497 in the
nahiye
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 ...
of Piperi, which included Bratonožići and the
Piperi tribe. Over the years, a few families from neighbouring tribes like Kuči, Bjelopavlići and Piperi also settled Bratonožići and became part of the community. Bratonožići was an area of
language contact
Language contact occurs when speakers of two or more languages or varieties interact and influence each other. The study of language contact is called contact linguistics. When speakers of different languages interact closely, it is typical for th ...
between Slavic and Albanian as well as religious contact between Slavic Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
Rufim Njeguš
Rufim Njeguš ( sr-Cyrl, Руфим Његуш; 1594–1631) was the Metropolitan of Cetinje between 1594 and 1636. He succeeded the Metropolitan duo of Nikanor and Stevan (s. 1591–93). Rufim Njeguš and Metropolitan Visarion of Trebinje (s. ...
in the first half of the 17th century is credited with converting the Bratonožići back to Orthodoxy from Catholicsm as well as making them take an oath that intermarriage with Catholic Albanians would take place only with women.
This measure would prevent any further reconversions to Catholicism. The events of the conversion of Bratonožići are regarded as an important step for the reinforcement of what was termed as
Serbdom
Serbian nationalism asserts that Serbs are a nation and promotes the cultural and political unity of Serbs. It is an ethnic nationalism, originally arising in the context of the general rise of nationalism in the Balkans under Ottoman rule, und ...
(''Srbstvo'') and Orthodoxy in Montenegro by 19th century Serbian historiography.
The tribe was often in conflict with the Kuči over grazing lands. Bratonožići often attacked Rovca, who were always defended by the Moračani.
They also often fought with the Vasojevići.
Venetian public servant
Mariano Bolizza
Mariano Bolizza or Marin Bolica (1603 – 27 November 1643) was a nobleman and writer from Cattaro.
Biography
Bolizza was born in Kotor, at the time part of the Republic of Venice (now Montenegro). He studied at the University of Padua and, ha ...
's 1614 report that the villages of Kuči, Bratonožići and part of
Plav were under the soldiers of
Medun
Medun ( cnr, Медун) is a settlement located 13 km northeast of the capital Podgorica, Montenegro. The village houses the archaeological site of the ancient fortified city of ''Medeon''. It is situated in the tribal area of Upper Ku ...
, the spahee, but the commander was not named; and the highlanders would pay the Ottoman officials a portion of their income. The report registered the ''Bratanosich'' as an Orthodox village of Serbian or Greek rite with 87 houses, and 260 men in arms commanded by Stanoje Radonjin. In 1658, the seven tribes of Kuči,
Vasojevići
The Vasojevići ( sh, Васојевићи, ) is a historical highland tribe (''pleme'') and region of Montenegro, in the area of the Brda. It is the largest of the historical tribes, occupying the area between Lijeva Rijeka in the South up to ...
, Bratonožići,
Piperi,
Klimenti
Kelmendi is a historical Albanian tribe (''fis'') and region in Malësia ( Kelmend municipality) and eastern Montenegro (parts of Gusinje Municipality). It is located in the upper valley of the Cem river and its tributaries in the Accursed Mo ...
,
Hoti and
Gruda allied themselves with the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
, establishing the so-called "Seven-fold barjak" or "alaj-barjak", against the Ottomans.
According to Historians Simo Milutinović and
Dimitrije Milaković
Dimitrije Milaković ( sr, Димитрије Милаковић; October 6, 1805 – August 27, 1858) was a Serbian philologist and historian.
He served as the personal secretary of Prince-Bishop Petar II Petrović-Njegoš from 1831 until the Pri ...
, the Catholic Kuči, Bratonožići and Drekalovići tribe has converted to Orthodoxy by
Rufim Boljević
Rufim Boljević ( sr-cyr, Руфим Бољевић; 1673 – d. January 1685) was the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan (''vladika'') of Cetinje from 1662 or 1673 until his death in January 1685. He succeeded Mardarije Kornečanin ( fl. 1640–59 ...
. In 1689, an uprising broke out in Piperi, Rovca,
Bjelopavlići
Bjelopavlići ( cyrl, Бјелопавлићи; sq, Palabardhi), ) is a historical tribe (pleme) of Albanian origin and a valley in the Brda region of Montenegro, around the city of Danilovgrad.
Geography
The ''Bjelopavlići'' valley (also kn ...
, Bratonožići, Kuči and Vasojevići, while at the same time an uprising broke out in
Prizren
)
, settlement_type = Municipality and city
, image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg
, imagesize = 290px
, image_caption = View of Prizren
, image_alt = View of Prizren
, image_flag ...
,
Peć
Peja (Definiteness, Indefinite Albanian language, Albanian Albanian morphology#Nouns (declension), form: ''Pejë'' ) or Peć ( sr-Cyrl, Пећ ) is the fourth largest List of cities and towns in Kosovo, city of Kosovo and seat of Peja Municipali ...
,
Priština
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians an ...
and
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
, and then in
Kratovo and
Kriva Palanka
Kriva Palanka ( mk, Крива Паланка ) is a town located in the northeastern part of North Macedonia. It has 14,558 inhabitants. The town of Kriva Palanka is the seat of Kriva Palanka Municipality which has almost 21,000 inhabitants.
...
in October (
Karposh's Rebellion).
During the
Velika attacks (1879)
During the implementation of the Congress of Berlin, when the Principality of Montenegro had received Plav and Gusinje (along with other places), the surrounding Albanian populace under the guise of the Ottomans attacked the Montenegrin forces ...
, the battalions of the Moračani and Bratonožići fought off the Albanians.
At the subsequent
Battle of Novšiće
The Battle of Novšiće ( sr, Boj na Novšiću/Бој на Новшићу; Bitka na Novšićima/Битка на Новшићима, sq, Beteja e Nokshiqit) was a battle for control over Plav and Gusinje fought on 4 December 1879 between the for ...
, the battalions of
Kuči,
Vasojevići
The Vasojevići ( sh, Васојевићи, ) is a historical highland tribe (''pleme'') and region of Montenegro, in the area of the Brda. It is the largest of the historical tribes, occupying the area between Lijeva Rijeka in the South up to ...
and Bratonožići fought the Albanian irregulars under the command of
Ali Pasha of Gusinje
Ali Pasha Shabanagaj (Serbian: Али-паша Шабанагић, Ali-paša Šabanagić; 1828 – 5 March 1888), was an Albanian Muslim military commander and one of the leaders of the League of Prizren. He governed, as an Ottoman ''kaymaka ...
, and were defeated. Soon after
Battle of Novšiće
The Battle of Novšiće ( sr, Boj na Novšiću/Бој на Новшићу; Bitka na Novšićima/Битка на Новшићима, sq, Beteja e Nokshiqit) was a battle for control over Plav and Gusinje fought on 4 December 1879 between the for ...
in the same area, the
Battle of Murino
The Battle of Murino took place on January 8, 1880, between the Principality of Montenegro and the League of Prizren. It was part of the battles about the sovereignty over Plav and Gusinje. According to the treaty of Berlin, the Ottoman Empi ...
broke out in which Ottomans with Albanian irregulars attacked again less numerous forces of
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 ...
and were heavily defeated by battalions of Bratonožići,
Vasojevići
The Vasojevići ( sh, Васојевићи, ) is a historical highland tribe (''pleme'') and region of Montenegro, in the area of the Brda. It is the largest of the historical tribes, occupying the area between Lijeva Rijeka in the South up to ...
and
Moračani.
[ At the beginning of the 20th century, the region had ca. 400 houses.
]
Brotherhoods and families
All brotherhoods of the tribe have as ''Slava
Slava may refer to:
Ships
* ''Slava'' class cruiser, a modern Russian warship
** Soviet cruiser Slava (1979), now Russian cruiser ''Moskva'', a ''Slava'' class guided missile cruiser sunk during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
* Russian ba ...
'' (patron saints) Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...
(''Sveti Nikola'') and Saint John (''Sveti Jovan).
The families of Bratonožići are: Avramović, Bajović, Baljević, Balević, Baličević, Barjaktarović, Baržić, Biljurić, Bismiljak, Bošković, Branković, Butrić, Caričić, Cmiljanić,
Četković, Čađenović, Čubranović, Čolić, Ćeklić, Darmanović, Dmitrović, Dokić, Đelević, Đukić, Đurđević, Đurić, Femić, Garić, Gilić, Gogić, Grujić, Gudović, Ilić, Janković, Jelavić, Jovanović, Jovović, Kaluđerović, Keljanović, Keković, Korać, Krkelić, Lajkovič, Lainović, Lalović, Lašević, Liković, Lukić, Lutovac, Ljajinović, Ljajković, Ljaljović, Ljaković, Ljašović, Malević, Marnić, Macura, Mijailović, Miajlović, Milovanović, Mirković, Muratović, Novović, Nedovic, Obrenović, Pavićević, Pavličić, Pejušković, Perović, Praščević, Prelevčanin, Premović, Progonovići, Radojević, Radosević, Radunović, Raketić, Rakić, Ratković, Sekulović, Stanišić, Stanković, Strahinjić, Šćepančević, Šajinović, Šaković, Šoškić, Toljević, Todorović, Tomašević, Tošković, Trimojević, Ugričić, Veljić, Veljović, Velimirović, Vesković, Vidić, Vujović, Vujotić, Vukajlović, Vuković, Vukorepović, Vulić, Vučelić, Vučinić, Živković, Žmikić. The Muslim Bratonožići of Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje ( cnr, Бијело Поље, ) is a town in northeastern Montenegro on the Lim (river), Lim River. It has an urban population of 15,400 (2011 census). It is the administrative, economic, cultural and educational centre of northern M ...
include Huremovići, Koraći, Ljaljevići, Polumente, Uremovići.
Notable people
* Miloš Obrenović I of Serbia, Prince of Serbia
This is an archontological list of Serbian monarchs, containing monarchs of the medieval principalities, to heads of state of modern Serbia.
The Serbian monarchy dates back to the Early Middle Ages. The Serbian royal titles used include Knyaz ...
and founder of the House of Obrenović
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
.
* Mihailo Obrenović III of Serbia, Prince of Serbia
This is an archontological list of Serbian monarchs, containing monarchs of the medieval principalities, to heads of state of modern Serbia.
The Serbian monarchy dates back to the Early Middle Ages. The Serbian royal titles used include Knyaz ...
(1839–42, 1860–68), considered modern Serbia’s most enlightened ruler.
* Uroš Tošković, painter
*Niša Saveljić
Niša Saveljić (; born 27 March 1970) is a Montenegrin former footballer who played as a defender.
At international level, Saveljić represented FR Yugoslavia in one World Cup (1998) and one European Championship (2000).
Club career
Born in ...
, Montenegrin former professional footballer, by paternal descent.
*Esteban Saveljich
Esteban Ariel Saveljich ( cnr, Естебан Савељић, Esteban Saveljić; born 20 May 1991) is a professional association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for Spanish club Burgos CF. Born in Argentina, he represents the Mont ...
, Montenegrin professional footballer, by paternal descent
*Nemanja Bešović
Nemanja Bešović (; born June 8, 1992) is a Serbian professional basketball player who last played for Academic Plovdiv of the National Basketball League. At , he plays at the center position.
Professional career
Bešović started playing baske ...
, Serbian professional basketball player.
*Milorad Vučelić
Milorad Vučelić ( sr-Cyrl, Милорад Вучелић; born 17 June 1948) is a Serbian journalist and businessman.
He is the president of FK Partizan, editor-in-chief of '' Večernje novosti'', president of the Partizan Sports Society and ...
, Serbian journalist and businessman.
*Žarko Korać
Professor Žarko Korać ( sr-Cyrl, Жарко Кораћ), Ph.D. (born 9 March 1947 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia) is a Serbian psychologist and politician.
He teaches psychology at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy and i ...
, former Prime Minister of Serbia.
*Radivoj Korać
Radivoj Korać ( sr-cyrl, Радивој Кораћ; 5 November 1938 – 2 June 1969) was a Serbian and Yugoslav professional basketball player. He represented the Yugoslavia national basketball team internationally. Korać is well-known f ...
, Serbian and Yugoslav professional basketball player.
*Dado Polumenta
Damir "Dado" Polumenta (born 29 August 1982) is a Montenegrin and Serbian pop-folk recording artist.
Life and career
Polumenta was born into a Muslim family in Bijelo Polje, in northern Montenegro. His uncle Šako Polumenta is also a singer. I ...
, Montenegrin pop-folk recording artist.
*Šako Polumenta
Sakib "Šako" Polumenta (born 27 March 1968) is a Montenegrin pop-folk singer popular throughout the former Yugoslav republics.
Personal and early life
Polumenta was born into a Bosniak family in Bijelo Polje, a municipality of northern Montene ...
, Montenegrin pop-folk singer.
References
Sources
*
*
**
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bratonozici
Historical regions in Montenegro
Tribes of Montenegro
Montenegrin people of Albanian descent