Krasniqi is a historical
Albanian tribe and region in the
Accursed Mountains
The Accursed Mountains ( sq, Bjeshkët e Nemuna; sh-Cyrl-Latn, Проклетије, Prokletije, ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps ( sq, Alpet Shqiptare), are a mountain group in the western part of the B ...
in northeastern
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 ...
, bordering
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 ...
. The region lies within the
Tropojë District
Tropojë District () was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 newly created counties. It had a population of 28,154 in 2001, and an area of . It was in the north of the country, and its capital ...
and is part of a wider area between Albania and Kosovo that is historically known as ''
Malësia e Gjakovës'' (Highlands of
Gjakova
Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants.
Geographicall ...
). Krasniqi stretches from the
Valbonë river in the north to
Lake Fierza
The Fierza Reservoir ( sq, Liqeni i Fierzës) is a reservoir in Albania and Kosovo. The Drin River and parts of the White Drin and Black Drin also runs through the reservoir. The size of the lake is , of which 2.46 km2 belong to Kosovo. It ...
in the south and includes the town
Bajram Curri
Bajram Curri (16 January 1862 – 29 March 1925) was an Albanian chieftain, politician and activist who struggled for the independence of Albania, later struggling for Kosovo's incorporation into it following the 1913 Treaty of London. He wa ...
. Members of the Krasniqi tribe are also found in Kosovo and Northern Macedonia.
Geography
![Valbona](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Valbona.jpg)
The region is called Krasniqe (''Krasniqja'' in definite Albanian) and its people are called ''Krasniqë''. The Krasniqi region is situated in the
District of Tropoja
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
and stretches from the
Montenegrin border in the north to Lake
Fierza in the south, from the Mërturi region in the west to the
District of Has in the east, and includes most of the upper
Valbona valley. It borders on the traditional tribal regions of
Bugjoni to the south,
Gashi to the northeast,
Nikaj-Mërtur
Nikaj-Mërtur is a region of the Gjakova Highlands of Northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribes of Mërturi and Nikaj. The region of Nikaj-Mërtur is located in the south-east of the Albanian Alps, borderin ...
to the west, and
Bytyçi to the east.
The main settlements of the region are the town of Bajram Curri,
Bujan
Bujan is a village and a former municipality in the Kukës County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Tropojë. The population at the 2011 census was 2,550. , Shoshan, Kocanaj, Dragobia, Bradoshnicë, Degë, Llugaj, Murataj,
Margegaj
Margegaj is a village and a former municipality in the Kukës County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Tropojë. The population at the 2011 census was 2,346. , Lëkurtaj, Bunjaj.
Krasniqi has its roots in the highlands of Gjakova, but over the centuries has spread to neighbouring areas. Thus, today many descendants of the Krasniqi ''fis'' are found within present-day
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 ...
, especially in the western part (to the east of Krasniqi itself), having settled there since late 17th century. On the
Kumanovo
Kumanovo ( mk, Куманово ; also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in North Macedonia and the seat of Kumanovo Municipality, the List of municipalities in the Republic of Macedonia by population, largest municipali ...
Black Mountain, descendants of the Krasniqi ''fis'' were recorded in the villages of
Gošince
Gošince ( mk, Гошинце, sq, Goshincë) is a village in the municipality of Lipkovo, North Macedonia.
History
Descendants of the Krasniqi ''fis'' were recorded in the villages of Gošince, Slupčane, Alaševce and Runica in 1965. Demographi ...
,
Slupčane
Slupčane ( mk, Слупчане, sq, Sllupçan) is the largest village in the municipality of Lipkovo, North Macedonia.
History
Descendants of the Krasniqi ''fis'' were recorded in the villages of Gošince, Slupčane, Alaševce and Runica in 19 ...
,
Alaševce
Alaševce ( mk, Алашевце, sq, Allashec) is a village in the municipality of Lipkovo, North Macedonia.
History
Descendants of the Krasniqi ''fis'' were recorded in the villages of Gošince, Slupčane, Alaševce and Runica in 1965.
Demogra ...
(in
Lipkovo
Lipkovo ( mk, , sq, Likovë) is a village in North Macedonia. It is the seat of Lipkovo Municipality.
History
Lipkovo was a central strategic village during the 2001 armed conflict between the Albanian National Liberation Army and the Maced ...
) and
Ruđince (in
Staro Nagoričane
Staro Nagoričane ( mk, ) is a village in North Macedonia and the seat of the Staro Nagoričane municipality. The village is primarily known for its 11th century Church of St. George, first constructed in 1071 during Byzantine Macedonia, and rec ...
) in 1965.
Oral traditions
Oral traditions and fragmentary stories were collected and interpreted by writers who travelled in the region in the 19th century about the early history of Krasniqi.
Johann Georg von Hahn
Johann Georg von Hahn (11 July 1811 – 23 September 1869) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian and later Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian diplomat, Philology, philologist and specialist in History of Albania, Albanian history, Albanian language, lan ...
recorded the first oral tradition about Krasniqi's origins from a Catholic priest named Gabriel in Shkodra in 1850. According to this account, the first direct male ancestor of the Krasniqi was ''Kastër Keqi'', son of a Catholic Albanian named ''Keq'' who fleeing from Ottoman conquest settled in the Slavic-speaking area that would become the historical
Piperi tribal region in what is now Montenegro. His sons, the brothers ''Lazër Keqi'' (ancestor of
Hoti, ''Ban Keqi'' (ancestor of
Triepshi), ''Merkota Keqi'' (ancestor of
Mrkojevići) and ''Vas Keqi'' (ancestor 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 ...
) had to abandon the village after committing murder against the locals, but ''Keq'' and his younger son ''Piper Keqi'' remained there and ''Piper Keqi'' became the direct ancestor of the Piperi tribe.
The name of the first ancestor, ''Keq'', which means ''bad'' in Albanian, is given in
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 ...
to only children or to children from families with very few children (due to infant mortality). In those families, an "ugly" name (''i çudun'') was given as a spoken talisman to protect the child from the "
evil eye
The Evil Eye ( grc, ὀφθαλμὸς βάσκανος; grc-koi, ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός; el, (κακό) μάτι; he, עַיִן הָרָע, ; Romanian: ''Deochi''; it, malocchio; es, mal de ojo; pt, mau-olhado, olho gordo; ar ...
.
The name ''Kastër'' has also been recorded as ''Krasno'', ''Kras'' or ''Krasto''.
Edith Durham
Edith Durham, (8 December 1863 – 15 November 1944) was a British artist, anthropologist and writer who is best known for her anthropological accounts of life in Albania in the early 20th century. Her advocacy on behalf of the Albanian cause a ...
recorded a similar story from Marash Uci, elder of
Hoti. According the story, the ancestors of the Krasniqi are said to have stemmed from
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 ...
and migrated through Montenegro to the area of
Reç
Reç (also known as Reç i Poshtëm) is a settlement in the former Shkrel municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Malësi e Madhe.
Notable people
*Bekim Balaj, foot ...
, north of
Shkodra. Then, sometime after 1600, they moved inland to the area of Dushaj i Epërm, east of
Fierza, in what is broadly their present region. Here they took over land that had been settled by the
Gashi and gradually drove the latter tribe eastwards. In the process of establishing themselves as a tribal unit, they also drove the
Thaçi westwards across the
Drin River
The Drin (; sq, Drin or ; mk, Дрим, Drim ) is a river in Southern and Southeastern Europe with two distributaries one discharging into the Adriatic Sea and the other one into the Buna River. Its catchment area extends across Albania, K ...
. The reference to ''Bosnia'' might actually refer to the region of
Plav (eastern Montenegro), where the mountains of Hoti (''malet e Hotit'') are located.
The name ''Kastër'' and its variants correspond to a settlement that appears in the Decani chrysobulls of 1330 as ''Krastavljane'' and in the 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 1485 as ''Hrasto''. This toponym's etymology probably comes from the Slavic word ''
hrasto'' (oak).
It had ten households and its head household was that of ''Petri, son of
Gjonima''. One of the household heads, ''Nika Gjergj Bushati'' was related to the
Bushati
The Bushati family ( sq, Bushatllinjtë) was a prominent Ottoman Albanian family that ruled the Pashalik of Scutari from 1757 to 1831.
Origins
They are descendants of the medieval Bushati tribe, a pastoralist tribe (''fis'') in northern Albani ...
''fis''.
Villages that later were part of Krasniqi that appear in the defter of 1485 are Shoshan (20 households) and Dragobia (six households).
These villages were not part of the same community or the same administrative unit as other tribes of northern Albania and Montenegro like
Hoti or
Piperi which were in the process of their final formation at that time.
Most Krasniqi form a ''fis'' (tribe) in the sense that they are patrilineally descended from the same male progenitor. Most brotherhoods of Krasniqi come from Kolë Mekshi who lived in the mid 16th century. After 1550, he and his brother Nikë Mekshi are acknowledged as the first, historical, direct ancestors of the Krasniqi and
Nikaj tribes. To Kolë Mekshi trace their descend the Kolmekshaj brotherhoods and their branches. They form the population of Shoshan and Dragobia. They also founded Bradoshnicë, Degë, Kocanaj, Murataj and also form half of the village of
Margegaj
Margegaj is a village and a former municipality in the Kukës County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Tropojë. The population at the 2011 census was 2,346. . For the other half of Margegaj, there have been two oral stories. According to the first ''Mark Gega'' was a came from
Shkreli, while according to the second one he was a son of Kol Mekshi.
The inhabitants of Kolgecaj (renamed to Bajram Curri in 1957), Lëkurtaj and Bunjaj stem from other brotherhoods that were unrelated to the Kolmekshaj, but later were included in the tribe.
Genetics
Lauka et al. (2022) tested Krasniqi and Nikaj men to test the correlation of oral traditions with genetic data. The Krasniqi and Nikaj men have the same patrilineal ancestor. As such, they both belong to the same branch haplogroup J2b-M241>L283. J-L283 is a Paleo-Balkan lineage which has been found in samples throughout the region from coastal Dalmatia (Bronze Age) to eastern Dardania (Roman era) as well as in Iron Age
Daunians
The Daunians ( el, Δαύνιοι, Daúnioi; la, Daunii) were an Iapygian tribe that inhabited northern Apulia in classical antiquity. Two other Iapygian tribes, the Peucetians and the Messapians, inhabited central and southern Apulia respectivel ...
(Italy). It represents 14-18% of Albanian lineages. The oldest J-L283 sample in northern Albania is found in MBA
Shkrel
Shkrel is a former municipality in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Malësi e Madhe. The population at the 2011 census was 3,520. as early as the 19th century BCE. In northern Albania, IA Çinamak (
Kukës County
Kukës County (; sq, Qarku i Kukësit) is a landlocked county in northeastern Albania, with the capital in Kukës. The county spans and had a total population of 74,388 people as of 2021. The county borders on the counties of Dibër, Lezhë a ...
), half of them men carried J-L283.
The Krasniqi and Nikaj lineages diverge after 1500 CE which is consistent with their origin story from the two brothers Kolë and Nikë Mekshi. The Margegaj belong to the Krasniqi lineage which confirms the oral tradition which considers them descendants of Kolë Mekshi. The Krasniqi and the Nikaj share the same progenitor with a man from
Gashi from Luzhë,
Tropojë
Tropojë (; sq-definite, Tropoja) is a municipality in Kukës County, northeastern Albania, within the historical ethnographic region of the Gjakova Highlands. The municipality consists of the administrative units of Bajram Curri, Bujan, Bytyç, ...
ca. 1200 CE. Their connection indicates that their lineage was present in its present location (Tropojë) in the Middle Ages. The Krasniqi share no close patrilineal relation with all other ''fis'' which their traditions connect them with. This highlights that oral traditions don't necessarily reflect "real" kinship relations, but are complex social constructs which are influenced by many different factors.
History
![Overview of Albanian tribes, Franz Seiner, 1918](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Overview_of_Albanian_tribes%2C_Franz_Seiner%2C_1918.jpg)
As for much of its history Krasniqi was a Catholic community, its early history is traced through official reports of Catholic clergy to the Vatican. In the 1628 report of Benedetto Orsini, they are mentioned for the first time as ''Crastignichieia''. The tribe's name was recorded in 1634 as ''Crastenigeia'' in a report of the Catholic bishop
Gjergj Bardhi
Gjergj Bardhi or Giorgio Bianchi, shortly called Grili, (1575 – 16 October 1646) was an Albanian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.
Gjergj Bardhi was born in region of Zadrima, modern northern Albania in 1575. His family included several ...
and four years later, his nephew, bishop
Frang Bardhi
Frang Bardhi (Latin: ''Franciscus Blancus'', it, Francesco Bianchi, 1606–1643) was an Albanian Catholic bishop and writer. Bardhi is best known as an author of the early eras of Albanian literature. He served as Bishop of Sapë (1635–1644). ...
passed through Krasniqi territory and noted that they had their own church. These reports highlight that by the early 17th century, the Krasniqi community had been fully established. The settlement of Krasniqi at that point had 60 households with 475 people. He also remarked the extreme poverty that the Krasniqi were enduring.
In 1671, both Krasniqi and Nikaj are mentioned in the report of
Shtjefën Gaspari. In 1695-1696, Krasniqi brotherhoods Kolgecaj and Kolmekshaj are mentioned for the first time.
Heavy taxation against Catholics and Ottoman repression kickstarted the conversion of the population to Islam at the end of the 17th century. This process was mostly finished by the middle 19th century, but the Krasniqi community in and around the towns of
Gjakova
Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants.
Geographicall ...
and also
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 ...
remained Catholic. From these Krasniqi families stem Catholic archbishop
Matej Krasniqi Matej Krasniqi (1763 - 1827 or 1829 ), also referred as Matteo Granisch or Matthaeus Crasnich, was an Albanian Catholic cleric, who served as Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Skopje from 8 March 1816 to 1829.
He was born in Prizren on 1 ...
and apostolic vicar
Gaspër Krasniqi. The Catholics of Krasniqi were put under the Austrian ''kultursprotektorat'' in the late 1760s, which gave some religious freedom to Catholics in the Ottoman Empire under the state protection of the Austrian Empire. This allowed for the Catholic parishes of Gjakova and Prizren to rebuild their churches and schools.
Traditional customs
The tribe's (historical)
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
is St. George, whom they still revere after Islamization.
The Krasniqi tribe is known to follow the ''Kanuni i Malësisë së Madhë'', a variant of the
Kanun.
Notable people
*
Bajram Curri
Bajram Curri (16 January 1862 – 29 March 1925) was an Albanian chieftain, politician and activist who struggled for the independence of Albania, later struggling for Kosovo's incorporation into it following the 1913 Treaty of London. He wa ...
, politician
*
Shpend Dragobia
Shpend Dragobia (may also known as Zeqir Elezi of Krasniqi, Shpend Bali Bisheva, or Zeqir Halili) (b.1853, Margegaj, Tropojë - d. March 29, 1918, Dragobi, Tropojë) was an Albanian warrior during the pre-Albanian declaration of independence perio ...
, rebel
*
Rexhep Krasniqi, Albanian MP, Minister of Education, and anti-communist
*
Matej Krasniqi Matej Krasniqi (1763 - 1827 or 1829 ), also referred as Matteo Granisch or Matthaeus Crasnich, was an Albanian Catholic cleric, who served as Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Skopje from 8 March 1816 to 1829.
He was born in Prizren on 1 ...
, Catholic Archbishop of Skopje
*
Gaspër Krasniqi, Catholic priest
*
Binak Alia
Binak Alia (1805–1895) was an Albanian leader from the Highlands of Gjakova. He is remembered mainly for his participation in the Albanian Revolt of 1845, and as a wise old man who helped resolve blood feuds in the area.
Life
Alia was bor ...
, from Mulosmanaj clan of Krasniqi, guerrilla fighter of the
Albanian Revolt of 1845 and
League of Prizren
The League of Prizren ( sq, Besëlidhja e Prizrenit), officially the League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation ( sq, Lidhja për mbrojtjen e të drejtave te kombit Shqiptar), was an Albanian political organization which was offi ...
*
Mic Sokoli
Mic Sokoli (1839 – 20 April 1881) was an Albanian nationalist figure and guerrilla fighter from the Highlands of Gjakova. He was a noted guerrilla leader during the years of the League of Prizren and took part in the fighting in Yakova agai ...
, Guerrilla fighter
*
Haxhi Zeka
Haxhi Zekë Byberi mostly known as Haxhi Zeka ( tr, Haci Zeka; 20 December 1832 – 21 February 1902) was an Albanian nationalist leader, a member of the League of Prizren, while in 1899 he was part of the establishment and leadership of the Leag ...
, Member of the
League of Prizren
The League of Prizren ( sq, Besëlidhja e Prizrenit), officially the League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation ( sq, Lidhja për mbrojtjen e të drejtave te kombit Shqiptar), was an Albanian political organization which was offi ...
*
Behgjet Pacolli
Behgjet Isa Pacolli ; sh, Behđet Isa Pacoli. (born 30 August 1951) is a Kosovar Albanian politician and businessman who served as the first deputy prime minister of Kosovo and minister of foreign affairs from 2017 to 2019 under the Ramush Harad ...
, a former President of the Republic of Kosovo and is the President and CEO of Mabetex Group, a Swiss-based construction and civil-engineering company.
*
Dah Polloshka, rebel
*
Mark Krasniqi, Kosovar academic in ethnology and anthropology
*
Luan Krasniqi
Luan Krasniqi (born 10 May 1971) is a German actor and former professional boxer. He held the European heavyweight title and also challenged for the WBO world heavyweight title.
Background
Krasniqi is the youngest of eight children to Kosovar ...
Boxer
*
Shefqet Krasniqi Kosovar Muslim cleric
*
Distria Krasniqi
Distria Krasniqi (; born 10 December 1995) is a Kosovar judoka. She received a gold medal in the women's 48-kg judo competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In August 2021, she was awarded the Honor of the Nation Decoration of Albani ...
Is a Kosovan judoka and current Olympic champion in the extra-lightweight event
*
Memli Krasniqi
Memli Krasniqi (born 25 January 1980) is a Kosovar Albanian politician who has been the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo
The Democratic Party of Kosovo ( sq, Partia Demokratike e Kosovës; abbr. ''PDK'') is one of the largest politic ...
, Kosovo-Albanian politician
*
Zana Krasniqi
Zana Krasniqi (born September 17, 1988 in Pristina) is a Kosovar fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe Kosovo 2008. She represented Kosovo for the first time in Miss Universe and placed in the Top 10 of the Miss Unive ...
, Albanian model
*
Vanessa Krasniqi, German-Albanian singer
*
Olsi Krasniqi, Albanian professional rugby league footballer
See also
*
List of Albanian tribes
*
Krasniqi (surname)
References
Sources
*
*{{cite journal , author-last1= Lazaridis , author-first1= Iosif , author-last2= Alpaslan-Roodenberg , author-first2=Songül , display-authors = et al. , title = The genetic history of the Southern Arc: A bridge between West Asia and Europe , url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm4247 , journal = Science , volume = 377 , issue = 6609 , date = 26 August 2022 , pmid = 36007055 , pmc = , doi = 10.1126/science.abm4247 , bibcode =
Historical regions in Albania
Accursed Mountains
Geography of Kukës County
Scutari vilayet
Ottoman Albania
Albanian ethnographic regions
Tribes of Albania