KuÄi
KuÄi (Serbian Cyrillic: Кучи; pronounced [kût͡ʃi]) is a region in eastern Montenegro and a historical tribe. The region is located north-east of Podgorica, and extends along the border with Albania. The majority of inhabitants are Orthodox Christian while a Muslim and Roman Catholic minority exists. Marko Miljanov (1833–1901) led the tribe against the Ottoman Empire in the wars of 1861–62 and 1876–78; he had unified KuÄi with Montenegro in 1874.
Etymology
Etymologically, the tribal name is of Albanian origin with kuÄ meaning "red".[1]
Geography
The region is located north-east of Podgorica, and extends along the border with Albania, with the Kelmend region on the other side of the border.
The unofficial centre is the Ubli village, which has about 1,500 residents and houses several institutions like a culture hall, the "Äoko Prelević" elementary school, a hospital, police station, and a former fabric factory. Ubli is situated in central KuÄi with the center and villages of Prelevići, Pavićevići, Živkovići, Kostrovići, etc. Other villages are: Medun, Orahovo, Fundina, Koći, Kržanja, Kosor, Vrbica, StravÄe, Zagreda, Raći in northern KuÄi and Doljani, Murtovina, Stara Zlatica, Zlatica in southern KuÄi.
The KuÄi region itself can be divided into three major historical sub-regions:
- Old KuÄi, Orthodox sub-tribe, which celebrates the slava of Mitrovdan (Saint Demetrius).
- Drekalovići, Orthodox sub-tribe, which celebrates the slava of Nikoljdan (Saint Nicholas).
- ZatrijebaÄ (Triesh in Albanian), also known as KuÄka krajina ("KuÄi frontier"), mixed Albanian (Catholic and Muslim) and Orthodox sub-region, which celebrates the Nativity of the Theotokos. Includes the settlements of Benkaj, Budza, Cijevna, Delaj, Korita, MužeÅ¡ka, NikmaraÅ¡, Rudine, Poprat and Stjepovo.
History
Middle Ages
The legendary progenitor of the KuÄi, Nenad, and his sons, were mentioned in the 1416–17 register of the Sanjak of Scutari.[2] Nenad descended from an Orthodox Serb noble family.[2] According to folklore, this family was the MrnjavÄević family; Nenad was the son of Gojko MrnjavÄević (fl. 1355).[3]
In the mid-15th century KuÄi is mentioned as a Serbian Orthodox tribe.[4] When the Ottoman Empire occupied the KuÄi area, the 1484 Ottoman defter (tax registry) registered 208 households in 11 villages. In the next one, 1497, it had had 338 households in 9 katuni (Pavlovići, Petrovići, LjeÅ¡ovići, Bitidosi, Lopari, Bankeći, Banjovići, Lazorce and Koći) and 2 villages.[5]
16th century
The Old KuÄi constantly were in conflict with the Old Gruda; the KuÄi were stronger, thus they stole livestock from Gruda, and even if only one KuÄi would be killed in conflicts, and several Gruda, they would still penalize the whole tribe.[6]
In a 1582/83 defter (Ottoman tax registry), the KuÄi nahiya had 13 villages, belonging to the Sanjak of Scutari.[7]
17th century
In 1610, the KuÄi (Cucci) are mentioned by Marino Bizzi as being half Orthodox and half Catholic.[8] In Venetian public servant Mariano Bolizza's report (1614) Chuzzi Albanesi ("Albanian KuÄi") was a village of 490 houses of predominantly Roman Catholic religion, led by Lale Drekalov and Niko Rajckov, with 1,500 men-in-arms, "a very warlike and brave people".[9] Bolizza's use of Albanian and calling them Catholics is deemed unacceptable, since it is known that Orthodoxy was the predominant religion of the tribe since their first mention, the Orthodox being the tribe's founders, and also the fact that Bizzi did not group them into the Albanians (the five tribes of Klimenti, Hoti, Gruda, Kastrati and Shkreli).[8] The KuÄi, Bratonožići and part of Plava were under the soldiers of Medun, the spahee, but the commander was not named; and the highlanders would pay the Ottoman officials a portion of their income.[10] Under the leadership of Lale Drekalov (fl. 1608–14), the Catholics of KuÄi converted to Orthodoxy.[11] In the second half of 1614, the Bjelopavlići, KuÄi, Piperi, and Kelmend sent a letter to the kings of Spain and France claiming they were independent from Ottoman rule and did not pay tribute to the empire.[12] Between 1614 and 1621 the KuÄi were mentioned as Ottoman subjects.[13] In 1658, the seven tribes of KuÄi, Vasojevići, Bratonožići, Piperi, Klimenti, Hoti and Gruda allied themselves with the Republic of Venice, establishing the so-called "Seven-fold barjak" or "alaj-barjak", against the Ottomans.[11]
In 1688, the KuÄi, with help from Klimenti and Piperi, destroyed the army of Süleyman Pasha twice, took over Medun and got their hands of large quantities of weapons and equipment.[11] In 1689, an uprising broke out in Piperi, Rovca, Bjelopavlići, Bratonožići, KuÄi and Vasojevići, while at the same time an uprising broke out in Prizren, Peć, PriÅ¡tina and Skopje, and then in Kratovo and Kriva Palanka in October (Karposh's Rebellion).[14] In 1694 the KuÄi allied themselves with the Hoti in yet another uprising against the Ottomans. Throughout the 18th century, the KuÄi fought alongside the Vasojevići, Hoti, and Klimenti.
18th century
In 1774, in the same month of the death of Šćepan Mali,[15] Mehmed Pasha Bushati attacked the KuÄi and Bjelopavlići,[16] but was subsequently decisively defeated and returned to Scutari.[15] Bushati had broken into KuÄi and "destroyed" it; the RovÄani housed and protected some of the refugee families.[17]
In 1794, the KuÄi and RovÄani were devastated by the Ottomans.[17]
19th century

The Ottoman increase of taxes in October 1875 sparked the Great Eastern Crisis, which included a series of rebellions, firstly with the Herzegovina Uprising (1875–77), which prompted Serbia and Montenegro declaring war on the Ottoman Empire (see Serbian–Ottoman War and Montenegrin–Ottoman War) and culminated with the Russians following suit (Russo-Turkish War). In KuÄi, chieftain Marko Miljanov Popović organized resistance against the Ottomans and joined forces with the Montenegrins. The KuÄi, identifying as a Serb tribe, asked to be united with Montenegro.[18] After the Berlin Congress, KuÄi was included into the borders of the Principality of Montenegro.
At the Battle of NovÅ¡iće, following the Velika attacks (1879), the battalions of KuÄi, Vasojevići and Bratonožići fought the Albanian irregulars under the command of Ali Pasha of Gusinje, and were defeated.
Anthropology
Old KuÄi
The Old KuÄi (Stari kuÄi/Стари кучи, StarokuÄi/Старокучи) was a community of a larger number of clear and composite brotherhoods (clans), in relation to the Drekalovići who claimed ancestry from one ancestor.[19] J. Erdeljanović found, in the Old KuÄi, very noticeable instances of the merging of various diverse brotherhoods into one.[19] The merging was so finalized that it was hard for him to mark off the parts of those composite brotherhoods, "even the searching in that direction was also encountered in the sensitivity of individuals".[19] With the arrival of the Drekalovići, the old families called themselves "Old KuÄi".[20] Of the settled brotherhoods of the Old KuÄi, the MrnjavÄići are the most notable and the representatives of Old KuÄi.[20] The MrnjavÄići, the largest brotherhood of Old KuÄi, numbered 330 households in 1941.[21] All Old KuÄi have the slava of Mitrovdan (St. Demetrius).
J. Erdeljanović wrote down data from all over KuÄi, the most intricate from Kržanj, Žikoviće, Kostroviće, Bezihovo, Kute, Podgrad and Lazorce. All of these narratives agree that the MrnjavÄići brotherhood descend from Gojko, the brother of King VukaÅ¡in.[20] Gojko's descendants were forced to flee Skadar with the Ottoman invasion, and settled in BrÅ¡tan.[20]
Drekalovići
The Drekalovići, also called "New KuÄi" (Novi kuÄi), descend from Drekale, who settled KuÄi in the second half of the 16th century. There are several stories on his origin: he was either a MrnjavÄić or the grandson of Skanderbeg. According to Mariano Bolizza (1614), Lale Drekalov and Niko RaiÄkov held 490 houses of the Chuzzi Albanesi ("Albanian KuÄi", a village of predominantly Roman Catholic religion), with 1,500 soldiers, described as "very war-like and courageous". The Drekalovići, the largest brotherhood of KuÄi, numbered close to 800 households in 1941, roughly half of all of KuÄi.[21]
ZatrijebaÄ
ZatrijebaÄ (Albanian: Triesh) is a sub-region of KuÄi, located in the "KuÄi frontier" (KuÄka Krajina), which also compose Orahovo, Koći and Fundina.[22] From Albanian point of view, ZatrijebaÄ is an extension of the northern Albanian Malësia region. The population is Roman Catholic by majority.
The historical tribe of ZatrijebaÄ, as well as Hot, claim descendance from a certain Keq Preka. The mythological founder of the other half of ZatrijebaÄ was Ban Keqi, who is said to have arrived some 100 years after Keq Preka. In Albanian, the inhabitants are called "Trieshjan" (males) and "Trieshjane".
Trieshi was known for starting an Albanian highlander uprising against the Ottomans in 1907 with the victory in the Battle of Lemaja, fought at the Cemi River, in which 150 Trieshjan participated. According to the locals, the only thing separating the two forces was a bridge over Cemi. Other battles that followed in the region include the Battle of Deçiq (1911).
Descendants of ZatrijebaÄ families mostly inhabit the town of Tuzi or the capital Podgorica, while many others have migrated to the United States.
Connections with other tribes
It is also believed through folk telling that GrÄa Nenadov of Old KuÄi had two brothers, Krsto and Å ako, who were the founding fathers of the Kastrati and Shaljani tribes. Many MrnjavÄevićs crossed over to Islam, among the most notable the Ganići in Rožaje and RadonjiÄići (today RadonÄić) in Gusinje.
In few old sources is pointed that the Kelmendi clan of Malësia are of Serb origin,[23][24][25] that the founder came from the MoraÄa[26] i.e. Piperi[25] i.e. Herzegovina.[27] A certain Klmen (or Amati) from KuÄi settled first in Hoti then re-settled in the present clan area.[25] Among some Kelmends, Nikola OÅ¡troumni Kolmendija (Nikola "Sharp-minded" Kolmendija) is the founding father.[28]
Folklore
Stories
A famous story about the KuÄi is one from the 18th century; the Turks advanced in Zeta towards KuÄi and the troops organized themselves at the village of Begović. The Vezir of Shkodër sat in the Begović tower. Soldiers where standing outside when the Vezir shouted to two Serbs from Oraovac who were in Ottoman service, Äulja Jovanov from PodgraÄ‘e and Iveza Vukov from KuÄ‘ani: â€Äulja, I will give you the Sultan's barjak (war flag) and you will carry it towards Kuci!", the Vezir ordered the flag to be taken by Djula. Djulja answered "My Pasha, my honour does not permit me carrying your flag towards my brothers" in which the Vezir lowered a rope from his window "Either you take the flag and carry it in front of the army, or you take this rope around your neck!". Djulja replied "God help me, for I will take the rope instead of the flag against KuÄi!" and he went up on the gallows, pushed the flag to the side and took the rope, tightening it around his neck and stood himself on the batten. The Vezir warned "I will tell you this only once again, take the flag or we will remove the batten that you stand on", Djulja "I will remove it myself so that you won't need to exert your Turks, I stand by my relatives and would proudly die for them." Then a Muslim Slav named Punan Dedin, himself from the same tribe, said "At whose house is the Crow shrieking today?" Djulja replied "At mine today and yours tomorrow!" and kicked the batten, hanging himself. The Vezir turned to Iveza: "What will you take, the flag or rope?" Iveza answered: "the same as Djulja, never the flag" and walked up towards the gallows, another Muslim Slav, Sulejman Kut, a close relative of Iveza, turns to Ali-paÅ¡a Osmanagić and begs "If you are a good Turk, don't let him die!", Ali-paÅ¡a stops Iveza and asks the Vezir "Honorable Pasha, can I pay for his life?" - "No" - "Can I give my son instead of him?" - "No" - "Then I will give money, my son, myself, everything for his sake, I will not let him die!". The Vezir looked carefully "Okay, I will give him to you", the soldiers cheered at the honorable gesture.
Demographics
There are over 15,000 residents in KuÄi, with over 3,000 homes. Two major ethnic groups inhabit the region: ethnic Montenegrins and ethnic Serbs (see Montenegrin Serbs), though these may be regarded as one, as some families may politically be split between the two, i.e. with one brother opting for a Montenegrin identity and another a Serb. Most of the inhabitants are followers of the Serbian Orthodox Church, while a minority are Muslims by nationality. There is an enclave of Roman Catholic Albanians in the village of Koći (Koja in Albanian).
Christian Orthodox residents used to be split into two distinct groups: Old KuÄi ("StarokuÄi") and Drekalovićs/New KuÄi. The Old KuÄi is generally seen as being of Serb descent and are native or have settled in the area at the time of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. The New KuÄi (generally referred to as "Drekalovići") are a large group of clans (bratstva) that were formed after the 17th century and share a legendary ancestor - Drekale.
The Islamization of KuÄi has made a minority of inhabitants declaring as simply Montenegrins or Muslims by nationality and Bosniaks although they trace the same origin with that of their Christian brethren.
People
- born in KuÄi
- Drekale, chieftain of the tribe and progenitor of Drekalovići or NovokuÄi (New KuÄi)
- Lale Drekalov, chieftain of the KuÄi tribe, Drekale's son
- Iliko Lalev, chieftain of tribe, succeeded his father Lale
- Radonja Petrović, vojvoda (duke) of the KuÄi tribe.[29]
- Marko Miljanov (1833–1901), clan chief, Montenegrin general, and writer.
- Evgenije Popović
- Mihailo Ivanović
- Vasa Čarapić
- Novak Milošev Vujadinović, standard-bearer
- Mitar Laković, commander of the Montenegrin army at Shkodra
- Šćepo Spaić, Montenegrin army general
- pop Milisav Drakulović, priest
- pop Pero Ivanović, priest
- pop Božo Vujosević, priest
- Ana Ivanovic, famous Serbian tennis player
- Äoko Prelević, national hero
- Ljubica Popović, national hero[30]
- Bogdan Vujošević, national hero[31]
- Milija Rašović, national hero [32]
- Dr Dragiša Ivanović, national hero [33]
- Božina Ivanović, President of Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro
- Branimir Popović, actor
- Mladen Nelević, actor
- Branislav MilaÄić, football coach
- Dušan Perović, Assistant of finance ministry
- Duško Vujošević, a basketball coach
- Dejan Radonjić, former basketball player and current coach
- Branislav Prelević, former Serbian and Greek basketball player
- Aleksandar Vujošević, former basketball player and member of Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
- Djordje Bozovic "Giska", notable Serbian gangster and paramilitary leader
- Ratko Äokić "Cobra", Serbian-Swedish Mob boss
- Branko Rašović, former Montenegrin football player[34]
- Bogdan Milić, Montenegrin footballer
- Miroslav Vujadinović, Montenegrin footballer
- Ante MiroÄević, former Montenegrin footballer
- Vesna MilaÄić, Montenegrin singer and songwriter
- Marina KuÄ, Montenegrin swimmer
- Suzana Lazović, Montenegrin handball player
- by descent
- Pavle Delibašić, Serbian footballer
- Vuk Rašović, former Serbian football player and current manager of Partizan Belgrade, son of Branko Rašović
See also
- Kuç, an Albanian toponym
References
- ↑ Murvar, Vatro (1989). Nation and Religion in Central Europe and the Western Balkans: The Muslims in Bosna, Hercegovina, and Sandžak: a Sociological Analysis. FSSSN Colloquia and Symposia, University of Wisconsin. p. 103.
- 1 2 Petrović 1981, p. 23.
- ↑ Život i djelo Marka Miljanova Popovića: zbornik radova. Kulturno-prosvjetna zajednica. 1992.
а оÑтали Кучи потичу, по Ðœ. Миљанову, од Мрњавчевића.1 Грча Ðенадин (Ðенад Гојков а Гојко Мрњавчевић) доÑелио је Ñматра војвода,
- ↑ Erdeljanović 1907, pp. 164–165
- ↑ Radovan Samardžić (1892). Istorija srpskog naroda: Doba borbi za oÄuvanje i obnovu države 1371-1537 (in Serbian). Srpska knjiiževna zadruga. p. 426.
- ↑ Srpski etnografski zbornik. 27-28. Akademija. 1923. p. 51.
Стари Кучи Ñу Ñе чеÑто тукли Ñа Ñтарим Грудама. Кучи Ñу били јачи, па Ñу их пљачкали и отимали им Ñтоку. Ðко би у Ñукобу погинуо макар Ñамо један'\'Куч, а Грудама колико, Кучи Ñу долазили, па их пљачкали и цијело племе кажњавали.
- ↑ M. Vasić (1990), EtniÄki odnosi u jugoslovensko-albanskom graniÄnom podruÄju prema popisnom defteru sandžaka Skadar iz 1582/83. godine
- 1 2 Petrović 1981, p. 24.
- ↑ Elsie, Robert. Early Albania: A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries. p. 155.
- ↑ Elsie, p. 152
- 1 2 3 Mitološki zbornik. Centar za mitološki studije Srbije. 2004. pp. 24, 41–45.
- ↑ Kulišić, Špiro (1980). O etnogenezi Crnogoraca (in Montenegrin). Pobjeda. p. 41. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
- ↑ Марко Миљанов (1904). Племе Кучи у народној причи и пјеÑми.
а Кучи Ñу Ñе, јамачно под повољнијем уÑловима, измирили између 1614. и
- ↑ Belgrade (Serbia). Vojni muzej Jugoslovenske narodne armije (1968). Fourteen centuries of struggle for freedom. The Military Museum. p. xxviii.
- 1 2 Zapisi. Cetinjsko istorijsko društvo. 1939.
ИÑтога мјеÑеца кад је Шћепан погинуо удари на Куче везир ÑкадарÑки Мехмед - паша Бушатлија , но Ñ Ð²ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐ¾Ð¼ погибијом би Ñузбијен и врати Ñе у Скадар .
- ↑ Ð›ÐµÑ‚Ð¾Ð¿Ð¸Ñ ÐœÐ°Ñ‚Ð¸Ñ†Ðµ ÑрпÑке. У СрпÑкој народној задружној штампарији. 1898.
Године 1774. везир ÑкадарÑки Мехмед паша Бушатлија ударио је на Куче и Бјелопавлиће, који позваше у помоћ Црногорце те произиђе због овога међу Црном Гором и Ðрбанијом велики бој и ÐрбанаÑи Ñу Ñе повукли ...
- 1 2 Mirko R. Barjaktarović (1984). Rovca: (etnološka monografija. Akad. p. 28.
- ↑ Zapisi; Glasnik cetinjskog istorijskog društva. 1935.
КомиÑија је била деÑет дана у Кучима и добила увјерење, да Ñу Ñви Кучи једно, ÑрпÑко племе, да Ñу њима, као једној породици измијешане земље и куће, да Ñви Кучи од Мораче до Цијевне имају Ñвоје комунице, заједничке пашњаке, једном ријечи, да је Куче немогуће подијелити. Кучи из Кучке крајине молили Ñу Ñами комиÑију, иÑто као и Мркојевићи, да их не цијепају на двоје, но на једно придруже Црној Гори. Према Ñвој овој јаÑноÑти, комиÑија је била везана изричним наређењем берлинÑког уговора, да Ñе Кучка крајина оÑтави ТурÑкој, на што је ÐºÐ¾Ð½Ð³Ñ€ÐµÑ Ð½ÐµÐ¿Ð¾Ð·Ð½Ð°Ð²Ð°ÑšÐµÐ¼ одношаја био заведен. ЦрногорÑки комеÑари из разлога, што Ñу Кучи ÑрпÑко племе, што их је немогућно раздијелити, што је Ñам ÐºÐ¾Ð½Ð³Ñ€ÐµÑ Ð¸Ñтакао начело, да Ñе новом границом ÑрпÑко од арбанашкога племена одвоји — предложили Ñу комиÑији линију, ...
- 1 2 3 Mihailo Konstantinović (1953). Ðнали правног факултета у Београду: тромеÑечни чаÑÐ¾Ð¿Ð¸Ñ Ð·Ð° правне и друштвене науке 1–2. p. 67.
- 1 2 3 4 Etnografski institut (1907). Srpski etnografski zbornik 8. Akademija. p. 125–126.
- 1 2 Mihailo Petrović (1941). Äerdapski ribolovi u proÅ¡losti i u sadaÅ¡njosti 48. Izd. Zadužbine Mikh. R. RadivojeviÄa. p. 4.
- ↑ Sabrana djela, Volume 5. GrafiÄki zavod. 1967. p. 30.
... дана позваће Марко, раније Ñпомену- тога, ЈуÑа Мучина из Подгорице, који је поÑлије био поглавар над Кучком Крајином (Орахово, За- тријебач, Коће и Фундина). ЈуÑо дође у Дољане. Ту је Марко тражио да му ваљадне Кучима,
- ↑ Hyacinthe Hecquard, Histoire et description de la HauteAlbanie ou Ghégarie, Paris 1859
- ↑ Miloš Velimirović, Na Komovima, Bratstvo 5, Beograd 1892, 24
- 1 2 3 A. Jovićević, Malesija
- ↑ Jovan N. Tomić, O Arnautima u Staroj Srbiji i Sandžaku /About the Albanians in the Old Serbia and Sanjak/ (Belgrade: Geca Kon. 1913)
- ↑ Andrija Luburić, Vojvoda Jovan Mrkšić Klimenta Karađorđev ded i plavski Turci, Beograd 1937. 17.
- ↑ Milan Šufflay, Povijest sjev. Arb., Arhiv za arbanašku stranu II, 2, Beograd 1924, 197 (Croatian)
- ↑ Vladimir Ćorović (13 January 2014). Istorija srpskog naroda. eBook Portal. pp. 562–. GGKEY:XPENWQLDTZF.
- ↑ Љубица Поповић
- ↑ Богдан Вујошевић
- ↑ Милија Рашовић
- ↑ Драгиша Ивановић
- ↑ Бранко Рашовић
Sources
- Petrović, Rastislav V. (1981). Pleme KuÄi: 1684-1796. Narodna knjiga.
- Miljanov, Marko (1904). Племе Кучи у народној причи и пјеÑми.
- DuÄić, Stevan (1931). Pleme KuÄi - život i obiÄaji. CID.
- RaÅ¡ović, Marko B. (1963). Pleme KuÄi : etnografsko-istorijski pregled. Å tampa zavod za izradu novÄanica Narodne banke.
- Erdeljanović, Jovan (1907). Кучи, племе у Црној Гори: етнолошка Ñтудија. СрпÑка краљевÑка академија.
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