The "Greek Minority" in Albania are Orthodox Vlachs

[Carlin]

Turkish geographer Celebi (17th c.) describes the inhabitants of Pogoni as Albanians. Pogoni is a region divided between Greece & Albania and today all inhabitants, even on the Albanian side, are Greek-speaking (with few exceptions). The local Albanians, therefore, became Greeks.

[Carlin]

Sir Henry Holland indicates that after the 1798 war, Preveza was reduced to a population of 3-4,000 Albanian peasants.

Hammond places the foundation of Preveza at the end of the 14th century, possibly by Albanians.

[Carlin]

Edward Stanford (1827-1904) did not distinguish the Albanians from the Arvanites or Arnaoutes.

He wrote that the Albanian language was as closely related to Greek as any other and that many Albanians had taken part as leaders of the 1821 revolution.

He classified the Himariotes within the Albanian tribe of the Liapids, while the Souliotes as part of the Albanian tribe of the Tsamids.

[Carlin]

In 1321 a decree issued by the Byzantine Emperor recognized the special status of the village of Soucha (today Suhė) is mentioned while its Vlach population is exempted from military service. [Nicol, Donald M. (1984). The Despotate of Epirus 1267-1479: A Contribution to the History of Greece in the Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press. p. 88. ISBN 9780521261906. The document ends with the matter of a village called Soucha... were exempt from military service.]

At 1630-1653 the Vlach-speaking inhabitants of Saraqinisht were able to contribute to the foundation of several Orthodox monuments such as the churches of Saint Nicholas, Prophet Elija and the nearby monastery of Theotokos of Spilaio.

[Carlin]

URL to download PDF:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kosta_Giakoumis/publication/237149098_Giakoumis_K_2002_The_Monasteries_of_Jorgucat_and_Vanishte_in_Dropull_and_of_Spelaio_in_Lunxheri_as_Monuments_and_Institutions_During_the_Ottoman_Period_in_Albania_16th-19th_Centuries_Doctoral_thesis_s/links/5970774f4585158a480721a1/Giakoumis-K-2002-The-Monasteries-of-Jorgucat-and-Vanishte-in-Dropull-and-of-Spelaio-in-Lunxheri-as-Monuments-and-Institutions-During-the-Ottoman-Period-in-Albania-16th-19th-Centuries-Doctoral-thesis.pdf

[tchaiku]

Dhima is an Albanian name, just google for . You can find records of them in Arbereshe villages and in Himara (even though Pirro Dhima changed it for $$$ to Dimas)

The Himara names in 16th century:
.Lirbo? Mujo - 2. Todor Kudhes?- 3. Gjoka Boga - 4. Andrea Musica - 5. Balsh Dhima - 6. Komin Voja, Doja?- 7. Gjoka Dhamo - 8. Petri Gjoni - 9. Todor Brati, Perlin?- 10. Mitri...- 11. Mark Gjoni - 12. Gjika Gjoni - 13. Todor Lumadhi - 14. Dhimo Papa - 15. Kondi Petri - 16.- Andon Ajas - 17. Todor Kondavik?- 18. Meksi Palloshi - 19. Gjon Palloshi - 20 - Dede Kola - 21. Dhuman Gjipali, Gjikalli?- 22. Nikola Gjin Miri? 23. Gjek Leka - 24.- Gjoka Nika - 25. Mark Suvari?- 26. Gjon Palloshi - 27. Kondi Camije?- 28.- Petri Gjini - 29. Petri Petri - 30. Todor Gjinok?- 31. Pteri Gjoni - 32. Gjik Llanka - 33.- Gjin Gjon Aleksi - 34.- Mihran? Levendari?- 35. Kond Martini - 36. Dembllar? Dimitrie - 37. Nike Martini - 38. Gjok Alemdari - 39. Gjok Dhim Gjini - 40. Dole Mandashi - 41. Martin Zylkader?- 42. Kondaramo Muka - 43. Si i pari - 44. Aleks Peci - 45. Gjini Gjorzaj - 46. Gjika Llazari - 47 Dhimo Tanushi - 48. Pali Dhjako - 49. Martin Tanushi, Janushi?- 50 Gjika Mehilli - 51. Emeklu? Dhjako - 52. Gjon Pavllari Mehilli - 53. Dhimo Gjon Vllasi - 54. Petri Dhima - 55. Dhima Emelkuri?- 56. Thanas Jorgonllu?- 57. Nika Kallandori - 58. Aleks Menko, Nenko?- 59. Dhimo Dermali - 60. Leka Dermali - 61. Kuka Leondari - 62. Selka Ulmi, Almi?- 63 Todor Gjini - 64. Gjok Gjini - 65. Simon Nika - 66. Dhimo Mamija?- 67. Meks Mamija - 68. gjon Leondari - 69. Kond Andredo?- 70 Gjin Todori - 71. Pal Melani - 72. Meks Mitrije - 73. Andrea Gjomija?- 74. Pali Panajoti - 75. Kont Lela, Della?- 76. Gjurka Kondi - 77. Gjika Dhima - 78. Dhima Gjon Meshi - 79. Nika Dhima - 80. Kont Gjoni - 81. Dhima Mihallo? Limarho?- 82. Andrea Zota, Voja?- 83. Dhima Nika - 84. Papa Thanasi - 85. Todor Nika - 86. Kond Todori - 87. Gjoka Jorgo - 88. Papa Aleksi - 89. Andrea Petri - 90. Leondar Meksi - 91. Todor Meksi - 92. Nika Plaku - 93. Gjon Menika, Mnika?- 94. Gjin Meksi - 95. Meks Mnika, Menika?- 96. Gjok Pali - 97. Kond Papa - 98. Dhimo Papa - 99. Muji...- 100. Gjin Pali - 101. Todor Gjin Gjoni - 102. Dhimo Gjin Dhima - 103. Nika Leka - 104. Dhimo Andrea - 105. Andrea Menkuli - 106. Gjok Menkuli - 107. Bardho? Ali Kopalli?- 108. Gjin Jorga - 109. Gjok Gjin Pjetri - 110. Nikolla Gjoni - 111. Kont Premti - 112. Papa Nikolla - 113. Kont Gjoni - 114. Nika Gjin 115.... Zoto - 116. Gjok Jorgo - 117. Dhimo Pelikani - 118. Menkul Gjoni - 119. Kont Panomllu - 120. Andrea Jorgo - 121. Kond Andrea - 122. Petri ...- 123. Todor Mirdemko - 124. Dhimo Andrea - 125. Todor ...- 126. Aleksi Papa - 127. Zot Gjoni - 128. Niko Mirini?- 129. Dhimo Kondi - 130.... Bardhi - 131. Dhimo Leka - 132. Gjoka Dhimo - 133. Lika Kondi - 134. Petri Todori - 135. Jorgo Andrea - 136.......- 137. Martin Gjini
adela

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/regional/countries/topics/greece/6490/

[Carlin]

Ok.


"Both the Suliotes and Hydriotes were Albanians in blood, language, and customs. ... The Suliotes were a predatory tribe, rather better organised and more homogeneous than most Albanian septs, and their manners had not been softened by their nominal Christianity. The Hydriotes were simply pirates. The heroism and tenacity which both displayed as their normal opposition to the Turks deepened under Greek influence into a struggle for political liberty, have cast a lustre and a glory upon the whole war which ought by every law of historical justice to modify the judgment which civilisation has passed upon the Albanians. As the Christian Albanians have worked for the greater glory of the Hellenic idea, so the Mohamedan Albanians have contributed to such sympathy as the Turks can still command in the West. The word "Turk" in our language has a racial rather than a religious connotation. But in the languages of the East it is simply a synonym for Mohamedan."

-- Macedonia: Its Races and Their Future, H. Brailsford

[Amphipolis]

Culturally, I am 100% Orthodox Christian but I am not sure how this is relevant to this discussion.

LOL, Sorry for asking. For (God knows what) reason I thought this was posted by tchaiku!!!

[Carlin]

Could you provide a brief, accurate summary of what it says?

Do you somehow challenge or deny the explicit the historical testimony which states that The inhabitants all speak Albanian and do not know Greek.

I also found out that in an ecclesiastical entry of 1730, the Codex of the church of Delvino noted that some of the Christian Greek clergy had linguistic difficulties in administrating to their congregation since the Christian villagers living within the region of Delvinė/Delvino were Albanian speaking.

Xhufi, Pėllumb (2006). Dilemat e Arbėrit[Arbėria's Dilemma]. Pegi. pp. 464-465. "Gjurmėt e kėsaj politike “informale” tė realizuar nėn hijen dhe nėn mbrojtjen e Portės sė Lartė, i gjejmė edhe njė shėnim tė harruar tė Kodikut tė Delvinės tė vitit 1730, i cili tregon se si peshkopi grek Genadhi e braktisi detyrėn e bariut tė tė krishterėve tė atyre trevave, “pasi nuk mund tė duronte qė banorėt e tyre tė flisnin gjuhėn shqipe”. [Th. Bamichas, Kodiks tou naou tes poleos Delvinous, nė: “Epeirotika Chronika” 5 (1930), f. 60 e vijim.]"

Culturally, I am 100% Orthodox Christian but I am not sure how this is relevant to this discussion.



Year 1869: The following is about Suliotes a body of Christian Albanians and a Toskish tribe.

[Amphipolis]

1878 - DELVINO district all residents are Albanians: 38,700 inhabitants all Albanians, Christians and Muslims

That's not what it says. It just says that the Muslims are Albanians (not Turks).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epirus_Revolt_of_1878

The Turkish traveler Evliya Ēelebi visited Delvinė/Delvino around 1670 and gave some information about the city in his travel book. He reported that in the Middle Ages Delvinė was in the hands of the Spanish and later the Venetians. Ēelebi also observed that during this time, all the inhabitants of Delvinė spoke the Albanian language while having no knowledge of the Greek language. (Dankoff & Elsie. Evliya Ēelebi in Albania and Adjacent Regions. 2000. p. 61. "The inhabitants all speak Albanian and do not know Greek.")

Chelebi visited the town in a period when (30 years earlier) all Christians had been thrown out and churches were converted to mosques.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delvin%C3%AB

Are you Christian or Muslim?

[Carlin]

1878 - DELVINO district all residents are Albanians: 38,700 inhabitants all Albanians, Christians and Muslims



The Turkish traveler Evliya Ēelebi visited Delvinė/Delvino around 1670 and gave some information about the city in his travel book. He reported that in the Middle Ages Delvinė was in the hands of the Spanish and later the Venetians. Ēelebi also observed that during this time, all the inhabitants of Delvinė spoke the Albanian language while having no knowledge of the Greek language. (Dankoff & Elsie. Evliya Ēelebi in Albania and Adjacent Regions. 2000. p. 61. "The inhabitants all speak Albanian and do not know Greek.")

[Carlin]

[Carlin]

"The Hellenes (if we were to say that they are mainly Albanians but also Christians - the well-known Arvanites - we would be even more apt in historical terms) are brothers with the Muslim Albanians and differ only in religion. All Albanians were Christians and Ali Pasha's own great-grandfather would certainly have a Christian name. There are many examples in Epirus where the son is called Hassan and the father Nikola (Nikolaos)."

[Carlin]

Kolonjė Area



- Prior to the 14th century Albanian migrations the area was inhabited by Aromanians. One of the two main waves of Albanian movements coming from the north reached Kolonjė, as well as nearby Dangėllia.

- Hammond, Nicholas Geoffrey Lempričre (1967). Epirus: the geography, the ancient remains, the history and topography of Epirus and adjacent areas. Clarendon P. p. 27. "One wave has filled Danglli and Kolonje (pronounced Colonia, probably a Vlach word, dating from the time when the area was occupied only by Vlachs)."

[Carlin]

"Tensions grew between pro-Greeks and pro-Romanians. In 1905 the Greeks sent a band of guerillas led by a pro-Greek Vlach named Gouda to Pliassa to discourage the use of a Romanian liturgy in the church named Saint Mary (in Vlach, S'ta Maria); he burned the liturgy books, but worship in Romanian continued. In 1906, the Greek Bishop of Korēė, Fotios, decided to visit Pliassa and personally change the language of the liturgy from Romanian to Greek. He was warned not to go and was stoned when he arrived, which so enraged him that he excommunicated Papa Lambru and all of his supporters. Papa Lambru went directly to Pliassa and held a service in Romanian to rally his people and then he bought a house in Korēė and started his own Romanian school there. In retaliation, Fotios barred all pro-Romanian Vlachs from the Greek church in Korēė; Papa Lambru promptly began holding services in the house, in Romanian, galling Fotios still more.

Later that year, Fotios was assassinated by a Vlach named Thanas Nastu, who escaped to Romania. Turkish authorities rounded up several Balamacis and put them in jail but were unable to link them to the crime. In 1908 the new Greek bishop of Korēė repeated the rite of excommunication, but the victory of the Young Turks in the same year and their repression of all Balkan ethnic groups alike led those groups to unite in a final revolution against Turkish rule in the peninsula. The Balkan Wars of 1912-13 prised most of Turkey in Europe away from the Ottomans but although the Greeks won much of Macedonia, they also desired southern Albania ("Northern Epirus"). Greek troops occupied the region and the local pro-Greek faction was ecstatic, fully expecting union with Greece. But the mysterious ways of Great Power politics defied their expectations, and in the middle of March 1914 they learned that Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos had concluded an agreement with the Powers wherein Greece gave up its claim to southern Albania and instead received the Aegean Islands (Chios, Mytilene, and others). Greek troops were to withdraw from Albania by March 31st."

-- by Nicholas S. Balamaci