Lower Kolašin ( Montenegrin and sr-cyr, Доњи Колашин/Donji Kolašin) is a historical region in the present-day municipality of
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бијело Поље, ) is a town located in the Northern Montenegro, Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along Lim (river), Lim River. It has an urban population of 12,900 (2011 census). It is the ad ...
in northern
Montenegro
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, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
, towards
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
. It is situated in the picturesque Vraneš valley formed around the river Ljuboviđa. The most important local populated centers are Tomaševo and
Pavino Polje
Pavino Polje ( Montenegrin and Serbian Cyrillic: Павино Поље) is a village in the municipality of Bijelo Polje, Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro. ...
.
Geography
Lower Kolašin is a region situated in the northern part of Montenegro, at the border with Serbia. It is located between the rivers of Tara, Ljuboviđa, left tributary of
Lim river
The Lim (Serbian Cyrillic: Лим, ) or Vermosh River () is a river that flows through Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and is long. It is located at the left side of the
Lim river
The Lim (Serbian Cyrillic: Лим, ) or Vermosh River () is a river that flows through Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and is long.Vraneš river. To the south lies the region of Upper Kolašin, around
Mojkovac
Mojkovac ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Мојковац, ) is a town in Montenegro in the northern region. It has a population of 2,506 (2023 census). Mojkovac is the centre of Mojkovac Municipality, which has a population of 6,824.
Geography
The mu ...
. On the other side of the Lim is the region of Bihor.
History
Middle Ages
The Ljuboviđa ''
župa
A župa, or zhupa, is a historical type of administrative division in Southeast Europe and Central Europe, that originated in medieval South Slavs, South Slavic culture, commonly translated as "county" or "parish". It was mentioned for the first t ...
'' (county) was mentioned in medieval documents beginning in 1281. It was named after a river that passed through the Vraneš valley. The county included an area from the Tara in the west, beyond the Lim to the east, from
Brodarevo
Brodarevo ( sr-Cyrl, Бродарево) is a village located in the municipality of Prijepolje, southwestern Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 1,845 inhabitants. A border crossing between Serbia and Montenegro
...
in the north to south of
Mojkovac
Mojkovac ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Мојковац, ) is a town in Montenegro in the northern region. It has a population of 2,506 (2023 census). Mojkovac is the centre of Mojkovac Municipality, which has a population of 6,824.
Geography
The mu ...
.
19th century
According to the
Treaty of San Stefano
The 1878 Preliminary Treaty of San Stefano (; Peace of San-Stefano, ; Peace treaty of San-Stefano, or ) was a treaty between the Russian and Ottoman empires at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. It was signed at San Ste ...
(3 March 1878), the region was to be ceded to the
Principality of Montenegro
The Principality of Montenegro () was a principality in Southeastern Europe that existed from 13 March 1852 to 28 August 1910. It was then proclaimed a Kingdom of Montenegro, kingdom by Nikola I of Montenegro, Nikola I, who then became King of M ...
, however, it was never implemented. With the
Congress of Berlin
At the Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878), the major European powers revised the territorial and political terms imposed by the Russian Empire on the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of San Stefano (March 1878), which had ended the Rus ...
(13 July 1878), the Austro-Hungarians obtained the right to station garrisons in the
Sanjak of Novi Pazar
The Sanjak of Novi Pazar (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Novopazarski sandžak, Новопазарски санџак; ) was an Ottoman sanjak (second-level administrative unit) that was created in 1865. It was reorganized in 1880 and 1902. The Ottoman rule ...
. In 1880, the Sanjak of Sjenica (the new Sanjak of Novi Pazar) was established, which included the ''
kaza
A kaza (, "judgment" or "jurisdiction") was an administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire, administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. It is also discussed in English under the names district, subdistrict, and juridical district. Kazas co ...
'' (districts) of
Sjenica
Sjenica ( sr-cyr, Сјеница, ) is a town and municipality located in the Zlatibor District of southwestern Serbia, on the vast Sjenica- Pešter plateau and geographically located in the central part of Sandžak. The population of the municip ...
(its seat),
Nova Varoš
Nova Varoš ( sr-cyr, Нова Варош, ) is a town and municipality located in the Zlatibor District of southwestern Serbia. The municipality of Nova Varoš has a population of 13,507, while the town of Nova Varoš itself has a population of ...
,
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бијело Поље, ) is a town located in the Northern Montenegro, Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along Lim (river), Lim River. It has an urban population of 12,900 (2011 census). It is the ad ...
and Lower Kolašin (part of modern
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бијело Поље, ) is a town located in the Northern Montenegro, Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along Lim (river), Lim River. It has an urban population of 12,900 (2011 census). It is the ad ...
and
Mojkovac
Mojkovac ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Мојковац, ) is a town in Montenegro in the northern region. It has a population of 2,506 (2023 census). Mojkovac is the centre of Mojkovac Municipality, which has a population of 6,824.
Geography
The mu ...
municipalities).
In 1886, Lower Kolašin was ceded to Montenegro. That same year, all Muslim families emigrated to Turkey. The abandoned land was settled by rebels from this area and neighbouring ones, by Prince
Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš
Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-Cyrl, Никола I Петровић-Његош; – 1 March 1921) was the last monarch of Montenegro from 1860 to 1918, reigning as prince from 1860 to 1910 and as the country's first and only king from 1910 to ...
.
20th century
In 1912, during the
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...
,
Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
occupied Lower Kolašin on 12 October 1912. Shortly thereafter, the three local municipalities were formed in Lower Kolašin with centers in Tomaševo,
Pavino Polje
Pavino Polje ( Montenegrin and Serbian Cyrillic: Павино Поље) is a village in the municipality of Bijelo Polje, Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro. ...
, and Stozer.
After the local Montenegrin administrator,
Boško Bošković Boško (Cyrillic script: Бошко) is a Slavic male given name. It may refer to:
* Boško Abramović (1951–2021), Serbian chess grandmaster
* Boško Anić (born 1968), retired Croatian footballer
* Boško Antić (1944–2007), Bosnian Serb foo ...
was murdered near Obod by his countrymen, the Montenegrin nationalists used that as an excuse to blame a local Muslim, Jusuf Mehonić, for the murder, which would open a way for the complete expulsion of Muslims from Lower Kolašin. On 9–10 November 1924, armed hordes of Montenegrin peasants massacred up to 600–700 Muslims in Lower Kolašin, committing the most atrocious crimes. Following this event, all surviving Muslims left Lower Kolašin, relocating to other parts of
Sandžak
Sandžak (Serbian Cyrillic: ; ) is a historical and geo-political region in the Balkans, located in the southwestern part of Serbia and the eastern part of Montenegro. The Bosnian/ Serbian term ''Sandžak'' derives from the Sanjak of Novi Paza ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
or
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. One family converted to Orthodox Christianity, saving itself from physical extermination.
Demographics
The present-day population of Lower Kolašin is 4,300, all
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
and
Montenegrins
Montenegrins (, or ) are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common ancestry, culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro.
Montenegrins are mostly Orthodox Christians; however, the population also includes ...
.
Prior to the massacre in 1924, according to the census in 1912, Lower Kolašin had 14,838 inhabitants, with the following ethnic distribution:
* Mojkovac municipality: Muslims 1,581, Serbs 1,293
* Ravna Rijeka municipality: Muslims 2,003, Serbs 679
* Stozer municipality: Muslims 1,160, Serbs 1,971
* Pavino Polje municipality: Muslims 3,230, Serbs 641;
* Tomaševo municipality: Muslims 2,132, Serbs 119
In percentages, the overall breakdown is:
* Muslims: 10,106 or 68.1%
*
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
: 4,703 or 31.7%
* Others: 29 or 0.2%
Anthropology
Muslim families that left after the 1924 massacre were the Hadžović, Kaljić and Kolić, among others.
Ibarski Kolašin
North Kosovo (, ); also known as the Ibar Kolašin (, or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''); earlier Old Kolašin, (, or ''Kollashini i Vjetër'') and colloquially known as the North (, ) is a region in the northern part of Kosovo, generally understood ...