Population of Macedonia and Adjacent Areas

[Carlin]

... Livy describes the settled barbarians in Macedon as 'a large population of Gauls and Illyrians, who are energetic farmers' (Liv. 45.29)

https://books.google.ca/books?id=cHx...armers&f=false

[Carlin]

- ... it was the influx (illegal) of ethnic Albanians from neighboring Albania into KosMet (and partially into Yugoslav Macedonia), both the migrant slow and steady and those termed as metanastatic movements. The first immigrant phenomenon appears slow and has effects which reveal along centuries, just like the high-rate natality effect. The second is noticeable and has profound psychological effects on the indigenous population, in this case, the Serbs and Montenegrins. It provokes massive moving out of the autochthonous inhabitants, mainly into Central Serbia.

- We should stress here that this effect hits not only Serbs but any non-Albanian ethnicity in KosMet. The latter have been moving from KosMet continuously, as well as from the western parts of North Macedonia. A typical example is the village of Janjina, very near to Priština and Gračanica, inhabited entirely by the Croats. The later have completely abandoned the village at the beginning of the Albanian (the Kosovo Liberation Army) rebellion (terrorism acts) in February 1998 and have moved to Croatia. The same applies to Roma and other “ethnic minorities”, like the so-called Egyptians, Ashkalias, Turks, and Muslim Bosniaks.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/kosovo...g-whom/5794125

[Carlin]

Božidar Vidoeski, 1998. Dijalektite na makedonskiot jazik. Vol. 1. Makedonska akademija na naukite i umetnostite.

- "Заедно со македонско христијанско население Торбеши живеат и во селата: Могорче, Требиште, Велебрдо, Ростуше, Јанче, Долно Косоврасти (во Река), Горенци, Житинени (во Жупа), Џепиште, Себишта, Пасинки, Големо и Мало Острени, Требишта, (во Голо Брдо)"

- "Во западна Македонија исламизирано македонско население живее во неколку географски региони на македонско-албанската пограничје:... Голо Брдо (Врмница, Владимирци, Гиновци, Клење, Лешничани, Љуболези, Големо и Мало Острени, Окштун, Отишани, Пасинки, Радовиште, Себишча, Српетово, Стеблево, Тучепи, Торбач, Џепишта)"

- "Во повеќето од спомнативе села живее население - со македонски и со албански мачин јазик. Албанското население доминира во северните голобрдски села (Себишта, Пасинки, Врмница, Големо и Мало Острени). Селата: Лешничани, Требиште, Српетово, Торбач, Љуболези, Владимирица и Тучепи се населени со Македонски муслимани (Торбеши), а во Себишта, Требиште, Г. и М. Острени живее мешано население - православни и Торбеши"

[Carlin]

A scene from Skopje from 1904.

Albanians and Turks are allowed to carry weapons, but Macedonians are not.

https://twitter.com/DiMithril/status...C8maz7nLgtAAAA

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Originally Posted by Carlin

A scene from Skopje from 1904.

Albanians and Turks are allowed to carry weapons, but Macedonians are not.

https://twitter.com/DiMithril/status...C8maz7nLgtAAAA

Only muslims were permitted to carry arms.

[Risto the Great]

It's why the Albanians converted en masse and had the ability to move freely.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

In theory, Macedonian Muslims should have also been allowed to carry arms but I am not sure that was a common case? When reading about where the MRO received their arms, Albanian gunsmiths in Tetovo and Ottoman Army reservists (probably Turks) are mentioned. Also, in Dr. Nick Anastasovski's book "The Contest for Macedonian National Identity 1870-1912", he writes that Macedonian Muslims were preyed upon by Albanian armed bands just as Macedonian Christians were.

[VMRO]

Originally Posted by Liberator of Makedonija

In theory, Macedonian Muslims should have also been allowed to carry arms but I am not sure that was a common case? When reading about where the MRO received their arms, Albanian gunsmiths in Tetovo and Ottoman Army reservists (probably Turks) are mentioned. Also, in Dr. Nick Anastasovski's book "The Contest for Macedonian National Identity 1870-1912", he writes that Macedonian Muslims were preyed upon by Albanian armed bands just as Macedonian Christians were.

I believe Macedonian Muslims along with the Gypsies and Bosnians were the only Muslims in the Ottoman empire who didn't enjoy the privileges that being Muslim brought in the empire.

The Ottomans viewed them as untrustworthy and had the view that if another power would come tomorrow they would've changed allegiances within a heartbeat.

[Carlin]

It appears that Catholic Albanians could possess arms, to some extent.


Uskup (Skopia), August 11, 1883

The condition of the Catholic Albanians here, who are more or less under the aegis of Austria, is distinctly better than that of the Pravoslaves, but they still have to suffer endless vexations; and such is the present reckless temper of the Arnaout population here, that the Austrian Vice-Consul was himself shot at last autumn in the streets of Prisrend. Within the last few days, the chief entrance to the Roman Catholic churchyard here had been walled up by the native fanatics, acting through the Turkish authorities. The church bell cannot be rung. The women have to go about veiled, as if they were Mahommedans. Twenty Mirdites have recently been seized and imprisoned here for refusing to pay the military tax, the right of military service in lieu of this tax being, as is well known, one of their oldest privileges. Although the right of the Catholic Albanians to possess arms has hitherto been acknowledged, a Catholic here who had bought a gun of Austrian fabric was seized and thrown into prison, and has not since been allowed either to see his friends or to receive food or money from them. Don Marco (the hero of the well-known episode of the transportation of the Albanian Crypto-Catholics some thirty years ago) is at present the Catholic priest here, and, considering the martyrdom which he has himself endured, his opinion may be worth quoting: "Since the Treaty of Berlin, the state of the Christian population here has been worse than I can ever remember it. Bad, however, as the condition of the Catholics is, that of the Greeks (i.e., Orthodox Christians) is infinitely worse. The savagery with which they are treated is fearful; they are beaten and murdered with perfect impunity, and the forced labour that they have to undergo at the hands of the Arnaouts passes belief".

On my way from Ipek to Mitrovitza I passed the night in the small Serbian village of Banja. For six hours the road ran across a fertile and well-watered and formerly thickly-populated plain, which has been reduced to a desert entirely void of habitation or cultivation. At Banja I found the villagers debating whether they should fly the country at once. The whole neighbourhood is a scene of horrors. Three days since, a young Serb, Simo Lazaric, of the neighbouring village of Maidax, was bathing in the tepid spring from which Banja derives its name, when he was shot in cold blood and out of pure wantonness by an Arnaout from Derviševic. The day before, in the village of Djakorice, which is also near here, another young fellow, Josif Patakovic (aet. 20), was shot in the same way, and another Serb badly wounded. The church is in ruins. The inhabitants spent six months in trying to restore it, but the "Turks" destroyed it again. The school is also in ruins, and no schoolmaster dare stay. One old cripple asked me with tremulous eagerness if there was any chance of a war.

The day I arrived at Prisrend there were three cases of robbery with violence and murder in the immediate vicinity. From one village eighty sheep, together with the dogs and shepherds, were carried off by Arnaouts from Ljuma. A drove of horses was attacked on the road, three of the drivers more or less severely wounded, one of the marauders being killed. A Turk was waylaid and killed also by Arnaouts, with five desperate gashes. In no case were the offenders brought to justice.

~ 1883, Arthur Evans: Some Observations on the Present State of Dardania

https://mobile.twitter.com/DecaniMon...78006521696262

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Originally Posted by VMRO

I believe Macedonian Muslims along with the Gypsies and Bosnians were the only Muslims in the Ottoman empire who didn't enjoy the privileges that being Muslim brought in the empire.

The Ottomans viewed them as untrustworthy and had the view that if another power would come tomorrow they would've changed allegiances within a heartbeat.

Yeah this is the view I share as well.