Prekali

Prekali was an

Dukagjin highlands of northern Albania

. Since the 16th century, the Prekali tribe gradually became part of other communities in that region.

History

Prekali was a community based on kinship ties that can be traced back to one progenitor. In that sense, it was a bashkësi (union of brotherhoods), but not a fis, as for a tribe to be a fis it has to have exclusive communal property rights in a given territory, which is part of their hereditary community. Their name comes from the Albanian personal name Preka. In the cadaster of Venetian

Velipoja in the settlement of Malkolaj.^[1]

In the defter of the Sanjak of Scutari in 1485 Prekali appears spread throughout the lands north-east of Shkodër and Drisht. The village of Gur i Zi in which the tribe held property in 1416, appears as also having the name Prekal in 1485, an indication of their settlement there. A century later, in the defter of 1582, their village near the plains of the Buna river appears under two names Shul Prekala or Gjergj Bardhi.^[2]

A branch of Prekali was on the process of becoming a feudal family in the early 15th century. For example, in the 1416-17 cadaster one of them Petro Prekali appears as ducal citizen of

Shkodra. The Ottoman conquest of the country stopped this feudalization process and as many in northern Albania, their community underwent a retribalization of social relations.^[4] In this period, the village Prekal appears which still exists today on the banks of the river Kir in the municipal unit of Postribë. Of the five brotherhoods of this village, the Lekçaj (also known as Ulqaj) are descendants of the Prekali founders. The other four descend from Shoshi, which is about 20km north of Prekal.^[2]

Bibliography

^ Zamputi, Injac (1977). Regjistri i kadastrēs dhe i koncesioneve pēr rrethin e Shkodrës 1416-1417. Academy of Sciences of Albania. p. 121. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
^ ^a ^b Milani, Prelë (2011). Shoshi: gjeografia, gjenealogjia, historia. Dukagjini. p. 155. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
^ Malaj, Edmond (2016). "The Medieval Balezo and its diocese during the Middle Ages". Studime Historike. 3–4: 34. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
^ Pulaha, Selami (1975). "Kontribut për studimin e ngulitjes së katuneve dhe krijimin e fiseve në Shqipe ̈rine ̈ e veriut shekujt XV-XVI' [Contribution to the Study of Village Settlements and the Formation of the Tribes of Northern Albania in the 15th century]". Studime Historike. 12: 88. Retrieved 30 January 2020.

[Zamputi-1] Zamputi, Injac (1977). Regjistri i kadastrēs dhe i koncesioneve pēr rrethin e Shkodrës 1416-1417. Academy of Sciences of Albania. p. 121. Retrieved 29 January 2020.

[Milani-2] Milani, Prelë (2011). Shoshi: gjeografia, gjenealogjia, historia. Dukagjini. p. 155. Retrieved 12 March 2020.

[Malaj-3] Malaj, Edmond (2016). "The Medieval Balezo and its diocese during the Middle Ages". Studime Historike. 3–4: 34. Retrieved 12 March 2020.

[Pulaha2-4] Pulaha, Selami (1975). "Kontribut për studimin e ngulitjes së katuneve dhe krijimin e fiseve në Shqipe ̈rine ̈ e veriut shekujt XV-XVI' [Contribution to the Study of Village Settlements and the Formation of the Tribes of Northern Albania in the 15th century]". Studime Historike. 12: 88. Retrieved 30 January 2020.

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