Gashi (tribe)
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Gashi is an
Geography
Gashi is one of the most widespread Albanian tribes in northern Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia. Their tribal territory corresponds to the
Origins
The Gashi are centred in the historical region of the
Nonetheless, the Gashi are thought to have been the first tribe in the region of
- The Luzha, mainly inhabitants of Botushë and Luzha who hail from the original Gashi of Pult that date back to the 16th century.
- The Bardhi/Bardhaj, who settled the Gjakova Highlandsin the early 17th century at the latest.
- The Shipshani, who settled the Gjakova highlands from the beginning of the 17th century.
According to local legend, the Gashi tribe took its current form when the Aga of the Gashi in Botushë united the Luzha with the bajrak of Bardhi and Shipshan as a protective measure against the surrounding tribes who were bigger in number.[12]
History
Gashi as a patronym is attested in the Ottoman defter of 1485 in the settlement of Bazari Lepoviça in the nahiye of Petrishpan-ili. The settlement had thirty households; amongst them were: Mrija, son of Gashi and Nikolla, son of Gashi.[13] In 1602, a certain Marin Gashi was mention as being the ruler of Mattia.[14] The first mention of Gashi tribe in historical documents is believed to be in the reports of Don Vincenti and Benedetto Orsini in the years 1628-1629, where it is stated: ″The region of Pult among the mountains above Shkodër, stretching in length from Mount Bishkazi in the west to Mount Gashi in the east″.[15] Robert Elsie emphasized that the Gashi were the first northern Albanian tribe that lived in the region of Tropojë.[1]
The Gashi tribe and their origins were documented during a visit from Frang Bardhi to the villages of Pult in 1638; Bardhi recorded the village of Gash as one of the largest villages in Pult, with 97 houses and 866 Christian inhabitants. He stated that every household belonged to the Gashi, and that 95 people held the surname of Gashi, all belonging to three brothers who were all alive and knew their descendants up to the fourth generation. He also described the Gashis as being tall, strong-bodied and handsome, as well as quite wealthy and proud. They had a leader named Mengu Kola, who had welcomed him into his home with great honor.[16]
The Gashi tribe were continuously documented throughout the 17th century, when Gashi was the centre of the
During the Austro-Turkish War of 1683-1699, the Gashi and the other Catholic tribes of the area supported the Austrians, and were therefore punished by the Ottomans after the defeat of the Austrians.[19] In the years 1690-1693, the village of Gash was burned down by the Pasha of Peja and its population was expelled to the Llap region in Kosovo.[20] Nonetheless, some families either returned to their original territories or escaped persecution, as in 1693-1697, the Gash villages of Luzhë and Botushë appear in documents.[21] In 1716, the Gashi tribe, along with the Kelmendi, Pult, Shala and Mirdita tribal regions, were targeted by a punitive operation carried out by Tahir Pasha of Dukagjin
In May 1845, following
Sulejman Aga Batusha of Botushë was a chieftain of the Gashi tribe, acting as their leader in the Gjakova region during the early 20th century and participating in many uprisings against the Ottoman Empire.[25][26]
During the Albanian uprising of 1912, the Gashi tribe joined the Krasniqi tribe (at this time led by Bajram Curri) as well as the Hasi and Bytyqi tribes in the battle of Prush Pass, near the Has region, where the Ottomans had left a garrison of four battalions. A bloody battle ensued, resulting in a heavy defeat for the Ottoman Turks. The rebels obtained much of the Ottoman ammunition, arms, machine guns and cannons. There were many casualties for the Turks; hundreds of casualties and prisoners of war. The Ottoman prisoners were disarmed and released, and were deceivingly told by their captors that the uprising was an attempt to free Albanian and Anatolian peasants from oppression - surprised and in belief of the falsehoods they were told, they had virtually demoralised Gjakova's entire garrison upon their return to the town. This battle improved the morale of the Albanians in their movement for independence.[27]
Gashi Brotherhoods
The Gashi were traditionally composed of three brotherhoods in the Highlands of Gjakova - the Luzha, Bardhi/Bardhajt and the Shipshani; the Luzha were not blood-related to the Bardhi and Shipshani upon their initial formation as the Gashi tribe.
Luzha
According to legend, there are two villages (Luzha and
Bardhi/Bardhaj
The Bardhi/Bardhaj who populated the area between the Gashi River and the Tropoja River are considered to be the descendants of an Albanian called Bardh Aga, who had three sons - Brahim, Ali and Memi Bardhi. These three brothers - who according to generational calculations may have lived about 400 years ago - were Muslims. In a report of 1698, the Bardhaj are already mentioned as a tribe and distributed amongst 68 households in 4 villages on the Valbona river. They consisted of many Catholic women, but the men were all Muslim.[31] They were initially a distinct tribe separate from the Gashi tribe, both in name and religion (as the Gashi were still mainly Catholic at this time). There are several different legends about their origin, but the one collected by Rrok Zojzi is one of the main theories; this legend states that Bardh Aga came from Kuçi, an originally-Albanian tribe in Montenegro who have since been assimilated by the Slavs, and another one states that the Bardhi came from Kosovo. Bardh Aga was said to have settled with his sons in the area of Gosturan, which is where the Bardhi/Bardhajt still live today.[32]
Shipshani
The Shipshani are a component of the Gashi tribe that live in the area between the Tropoja River and the Morina Pass. According to legend, the Shipshani are descendants of the Albanian Kall Kamberi, who had 3 sons - Gegë, Buçë and Papë Kalla - who lived about 14-15 generations ago.[33] The geographical origin of the three brothers is not completely certain, but it is known that Gegaj, Buçaj and Papaj are settlements of the Shipshani, and that the first two generations of the tribe were of the Catholic faith. Based on the calculation of generations, it can be assumed that the spread of the Shipshani in today's territory began in the 17th century.
Genetics
The ancestral lineage of the old Gashi tribe is identified as J2b-L283>Y126399>Y252971, whereas the newer Bardhaj and Shipshani branches are under E-V13>PH2180.
Through a wgs test of a member of the Gashi tribe from the village of Bajçinë in Llap, a distinct branch of the old Gashi also known as Gashi i Gurit in Kosovo was discovered. The result from Llap forms a new branch with a family from the village of Luzhë in Tropojë.[34]
Historical records from the 17th century indicate that most residents of the Gashi village in
Genetic linkage confirms the common origin of the Gashi brotherhood of Bajçinë and the brotherhoods of Luzhë from the old Gashi village. The newly emerged branch on the YFull tree is approximately 650 years old,[37] while many others with STR tests almost certainly belong to this lineage too.[38] The Gashi tribe also shares a common ancestor with the Krasniqi and Nikaj tribes around 1200 CE,[39] indicating their presence in the Tropojë region in the Middle Ages. Meanwhile, up to now, all families from Bardhet and Shipshan brotherhoods are under E-V13>PH2180.[40]
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 (Italy).[41] It represents 14-18% of Albanian lineages. The oldest J-L283 sample in northern Albania is found in MBA Shkrel as early as the 19th century BCE. In northern Albania, IA Çinamak (Kukës County), half of the men carried J-L283.[42]
E-V13, the most common European sub-clade of
Distribution
Apart from their nucleus in
Relations with other tribes
Settlements
- Ahmataj (Shushicë-Ahmataj)
- Babina
- Begaj
- Berbat (Shkëlzen)
- Botushë
- Bukovë
- Buçin
- Degë
- Dushaj
- Gegaj
- Gri
- Jaho Salihi
- Kernaja
- Kovaç
- Luzha
- Mejdan
- Papaj
- Rajë
- Selimaj (Gegëhysen)
- Tropoja
Notable People
- Vjosa Osmani, current President of Kosovo[51]
- Shote Galica, guerilla fighter
- Sulejman Aga Batusha, resistance fighter and revolutionary leader of the Albanian National Awakening
- Sylejman Selimi, commander of KLA, politician
- Hero of Kosovorecipient, Albanian diplomat, activist and general
- Ibrahim Gashi, Kosovar Albanian academic and philosopher
- Shkelzen Gashi, professional footballer
- Gashi, Albanian-American rapper
References
- ^ a b Elsie 2015, p. 6.
- ^ Fishta & Elsie 2005, p. 420.
- ISBN 9789048137497.
- ^ Elsie 2015, p. 170.
- ^ Elsie 2015, pp. 166–167.
- ^ a b c Elsie 2015, p. 168.
- ^ Elsie 2015, pp. 133, 145, 168.
- ^ "High Albania".
- ^ Elsie 2015, p. 133.
- ^ a b Elsie 2015, p. 169.
- ^ "Fisi Gashi". Rrenjet.
- ^ Malaj, Ibrahim (2004). Tropoja ne breza. Tirane: Dardania.
- ^ "Cadastral register of the Shkodra sanjak 1485".
- ^ Valentini, Giuseppe (1956). PARTE SECONDA - Il Diritto delle Comunità - Nella Tradizione Giuridica Albanese. Florence: Vallecchi Editore. p. 260.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark (2020). Palnikaj, M. (2022). Dioqeza e Pultit në dokumentat e arkivave të Vatikatit (in Albanian). Tiranë. p. 32.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Zamputi, Injac (1963). Reports on the situation of northern and central Albania in the XVII century. Tiranë: State University, Institute of History and Linguistics.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark (2020). Klerikë atdhetarë. Tiranë. p. 32.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Bartl, P; Camaj, M (1967). Ein Brief in albanischer Sprache aus Gashi vom Jahre 1689. München.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Historia e popullit shqiptar. Tiranë: Akademia e Shkencave të Shqipërisë. 2002.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark (2020). Relacione për gjendjen e Shqipërisë në shek. XVII-XVIII. p. 69.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark (2022). Dioqeza e Pultit në dokumentat e arkivave të Vatikatit. Relacion i Misionit Françeskan në Pult, f.193, 1693/1694. Tiranë: Arte Graphic. p. 193.
- ^ Theodor Ippen (1916), Robert Elsie (ed.), Nineteenth-Century Albanian History, translated by Robert Elsie, archived from the original on 2013-01-08
- ISBN 978-1848854772
- ^ Malaj, 2003, p.72
- ^ Schmitt, Oliver Jens; Frantz, Anne (2020). Politik und Gesellschaft im Vilayet Kosovo und im serbisch beherrschten Kosovo 1870–1914. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences. pp. 292, 50, 233, 410, 411.
- ^ Bello, Hasan (2018). "KRYENGRITJA E VITIT 1910 SIPAS DISA RAPORTEVEKONSULLORE". KOSOVA. 43: 78.
- ISBN 9781838600037.
- ^ Malaj, Ibrahim (2004). Tropoja ne breza. Tiranë: Dardania. pp. 207–214.
- ^ Qorraj, B (2017). Fisi si lidhje sociale në zonën e Dukagjinit: Rasti i fisit Gash në të dy anët e kufirit shtetëror Kosovë-Shqipëri.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark. Relacioni i Fra Egidio D'Armento,1967. p. 69.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark (2022). Dioqeza e Pultit në dokumentat e arkivave të Vatikatit. Tirane. p. 193.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Malaj, Ibrahim (2004). Tropoja ne breza. Tiranë: Dardani. pp. 265–270.
- ^ Malaj, Ibrahim (2004). Tropoja ne breza. Tiranë: Dardania.
- ^ "Linja atërore e Gashit të vjetër: J2b-L283>Y126399>Y252971". Projekti Rrenjet.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark (2020). Relacione për gjendjen e Shqipërisë në shek. XVII-XVIII.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark. Relacioni i Fra Egidio D'Armento,1967. p. 69.
- ^ "J-Y252971". YFull.
- ^ "Fisi i Gashit në hapësiren shqiptare".
- ^ "J-Y126399". YFull.
- ^ "E-PH2180". Rrenjet.com.
- ^ Lauka, Muhaj & Bojaxhi 2021, p. 93.
- ^ Lazaridis & Alpaslan-Roodenberg 2022: Supplementary Files, Table S1
- PMID 19107149.
- PMID 15944443.
- ^ Bird, Steve (2007). "Haplogroup E3b1a2 as a possible indicator of settlement in Roman Britain by soldiers of Balkan origin". Journal of Genetic Genealogy. 3 (2): 26–46.
- PMID 11073453.
- PMID 15042509.
- ^ Palnikaj, Mark (2020). Relacione për gjendjen e Shqipërisë në shek. XVII-XVIII.
- ^ "Fisi Gashi". Rrenjet.
- ISBN 9788670250772. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ Vjosa Osmani (2019) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp0M18nGxg4&ab_channel=PodujevaPRESS. Her origin is from village Llapashtica of Podujevo. All the villagers of both Llapashticas are blood relatives and belong to the Gashi tribe. https://www.poreklo.rs/2020/04/11/poreklo-prezimena-selo-gornja-lapastica-podujevo/ https://www.poreklo.rs/2020/04/09/poreklo-prezimena-selo-donja-lapastica-podujevo/
Sources
- Elsie, Robert (30 May 2015). The Tribes of Albania: History, Society and Culture. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-78453-401-1.
- Fishta, Gjergj; Elsie, Robert (2005). The Highland Lute. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-118-2.
- Kaser, Karl (2012). Household and Family in the Balkans: Two Decades of Historical Family Research at University of Graz. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 978-3-643-50406-7.
- Lauka, Alban; Muhaj, Ardian; Bojaxhi, Gjergj (2021). "Prejardhja e fiseve Krasniqe Nikaj nën dritën e të dhënave gjenetike, historike dhe traditës burimore [The origin of North Albanian tribes of Krasniqe and Nikaj based on Y-DNA phylogeny, historical data and oral tradition]" (PDF). Studime Historike. 3–4.
- Lazaridis, Iosif; Alpaslan-Roodenberg, Songül; et al. (26 August 2022). "The genetic history of the Southern Arc: A bridge between West Asia and Europe". Science. 377 (6609): eabm4247. PMID 36007055.