Nikaj
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The Nikaj are an historical
Geography
Nikaj tribal territory is positioned north of the
Hydrology
Nikaj-Mërtur is a valley trespassed by two rivers: Lumi i Nikajve (English: "Nikaj River") and Lumi i Mërturit (English: "Mërturi River"). The Nikaj River starts in Ndërmanjë valley as Lumi i Zi (English: "Black river"), passes through the Kapiti, Gjonpepaj, and Lekbibaj villages and joins the Mërtur River south-west of Curraj i Poshtëm village. The Mërturi River itself starts in Curraj i Epërm, passes along Mali i Theposur (English: "Sharp mountain") between the villages Shëngjergj and Curraj i Poshtëm, and, after joining the Nikaj River, continues through the villages of Rajë and Tetaj, with the Drin River being its final destination.[2] Both rivers are relatively short.
Oral traditions
The ancestral father of the Nikaj was a herdsman of the
Genetics
Lauka et al. (2022) tested Nikaj and Krasniqi men to test the correlation of oral traditions with genetic data. The Nikaj and Krasniqi men have the same patrilineal ancestor. As such, they both belong to the same branch haplogroup J2b-M241>L283.
The Nikaj and Krasniqi lineages diverge after 1500 CE which is consistent with their origin story from the two brothers Kolë and Nikë Mekshi. The Margegaj belong to the Krasniqi lineage which confirms the oral tradition which considers them descendants of Kolë Mekshi. The Krasniqi and the Nikaj share the same progenitor with a man from Gashi from Luzhë, Tropojë ca. 1200 CE. Their connection indicates that their lineage was present in its present location (Tropojë) in the Middle Ages. The Krasniqi share no close patrilineal relation with all other fis which their traditions connect them with. This highlights that oral traditions don't necessarily reflect "real" kinship relations, but are complex social constructs which are influenced by many different factors.[7]
History
The Nikaj were first recorded as the Nicagni in 1671 as members of the
Upon their arrival to their current region, the Nikaj - and in particular the Curraj - were said to have replaced the Mavriqi, a population that originally hailed from Vajush near Shkodër and settled in what constitutes current Nikaj territory at around 1416-1500. Most of the older populations would eventually emigrate to Guci in Montenegro or were expelled such as the Mavriqi when the Curraj branch extended into Curraj i Epërm, but some families would remain behind and become assimilated. The settlement of Kapit is associated with these older populations, and so some of the families of Kapit are therefore anas. In 1870, the Ottoman government official within the region was killed, and no further Ottoman government officials dared to set foot in the region. Documents in 1890 and 1894 indicate that the Nikaj functioned as an autonomous tribe, and they were a bajrak (military administrative unit) since at least 1881. Traditionally, the Nikaj formed a common bajrak with the Krasniqi tribe for defensive purposes, but after the Battle of Cernica, in which the Nikaj tribesmen managed to capture a banner from their enemy, they earned their right declare themselves as a bajrak on their own. The banner of the Nikaj consisted of a black hand on a white background. During the first half of the 20th century, the Nikaj consisted of a voyvoda, a bajraktar and three tribal elders - the voyvoda was the main leading figure of the tribe and resided in Lekbibaj, whereas the bajraktar was a military chief in times of war and conflict. Sokol Delia, the last bajraktar of the Nikaj who died in 1945, was buried with the banner of the Nikaj.[10][11]
The Nikaj, along with the
The Nikaj tribe was known for being so warlike among other Albanian tribes that they were feared by them, and they also had a reputation of not following the
In 1862, the Ottomans sent Maxharr Pasha with 12 divisions to implement the Tanzimat Reforms in the Highlands of Gjakova. Under the leadership of Mic Sokoli and Binak Alia, the tribes of Krasniqi, Gashi, Bytyçi and Mërturi alongside the Nikaj organized a resistance near Bujan. The rebels were reinforced by the forces of Shala, led by Mark Lula. After heavy fighting, they managed to defeat the Ottoman force and expel them from the highlands.[15]
Relations with other tribes
The Nikaj are directly related to the
Religion
The Nikaj are a primarily Catholic tribe, and their patron saint is Saint Sebastian (Shën Mastjan/Shën Mashjan/Shmashjan). His feast day, known as Nata e Shmashjanit (Night of Saint Sebastian) or Shmashjani i Nikajve (Saint Sebastian of the Nikaj), is observed on 19-20 January. The local parish of Nikaj dates from 1827 but the church and parsonage burned down in 1867. The Franciscans then built a new church. Some Catholic Nikaj tribespeople had Muslim names, and it was not uncommon for both Muslims and Catholics to be part of the same family within the Nikaj tribe.[17]
Notable people
- Asllan Curri - Albanian Revolutionary
- Bajram Curri - Albanian Revolutionary
- Hysni Curri - Albanian Revolutionary
- Shoqnia Bashkimi
See also
References
- ISBN 9780857725868.
- ISBN 9781903616208.
- ISBN 9780857725868.
- ^ Lauka, Muhaj & Bojaxhi 2021, p. 86.
- ^ Lauka, Muhaj & Bojaxhi 2021, p. 93.
- ^ Lazaridis & Alpaslan-Roodenberg 2022: Supplementary Files, Table S1
- ^ Lauka, Muhaj & Bojaxhi 2021, p. 92.
- ISBN 9780857725868.
- ^ Valentini, Giuseppe (1956). Il Diritto delle Comunità - Nella Tradizione Giuridica Albanese. Florence: Vallecchi Editore. pp. 326–328.
- ISBN 9780857725868.
- ^ Valentini, Giuseppe (1956). Il Diritto delle Comunità - Nella Tradizione Giuridica Albanese. Florence: Vallecchi Editore. pp. 326–328.
- ISBN 9780857725868.
- ^ Valentini, Giuseppe (1956). Il Diritto delle Comunità - Nella Tradizione Giuridica Albanese. Florence: Vallecchi Editore. pp. 326–328.
- ISBN 9781845112875.
- ^ Malaj, 2003, p.72
- ISBN 9780857725868.
- ISBN 9780857725868.
Sources
- 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.