Scutari Vilayet

Vilâyet-i İşkodra Vilajeti i Shkodrës
Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire
← 1867–1913 →   →
Flag
Scutari Vilayet in 1900
Capital		Scutari (present-day Shkodër)
History
•	Established	1867
•	Treaty of London	1913
Population
•	1911	349,455
Today part of		Montenegro Albania

The Vilayet of Scutari, Shkoder or Shkodra (Turkish: İşkodra Vilayeti or Vilayet-i İşkodra; Albanian: Vilajeti i Shkodrës; was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire that existed from 1867 to 1913, located in parts of what today is Montenegro and Albania. In the late 19th century it reportedly had an area of 5,310 square miles (13,800 km²).

History

Main article: Sanjak of Scutari

The Scutari Vilayet was established in 1867 by merging the Sanjaks of Shkodra and Debar. The Sanjak of Scutari was established when Ottoman Empire acquired Shkodra after the Siege of Shkodra in 1478-9. A big part of Principality of Zeta was added to territory of Sanjak of Scutari in 1499. In 1514 this territory was separated from the Sanjak of Scutari and established as separate Sanjak of Montenegro, under the rule of Skenderbeg Crnojević. When he died in 1528, the Sanjak of Montenegro was merged with Sanjak of Scutari, as unique administrative unit with certain degree of autonomy.

In 1867, the Sanjak of Scutari merged with the Sanjak of Skopje and became the Scutari Vilayet. Its sanjaks were Sanjak of Scutari, Prizren, and Sanjak of Dibra. In 1877, Prizren passed to the Kosovo Vilayet and Debar passed to the Monastir Vilayet, while Durrës (Dıraç) township became Durrës Sanjak. In 1878 after the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) Bar and Podgorica townships were ceded to Montenegro.

In 1912 and beginning of 1913 it was occupied by members of Balkan League during the First Balkan War. In 1914 the territory of Scutari Vilayet became a part of Principality of Albania, established on the basis of peace contract signed during London Conference in 1913.

Administrative divisions

Sanjaks of the Vilayet:

1. Sanjak of Scutari (Shkodër, Lezhë, Orosh, Pukë)
2. Sanjak of Diraç (Durrës, Tirana, Krujë, Kavajë)

Demographics

1874 estimation

According to Russian consulate Ivan Yastrebov's estimations, there were 80.000 Catholic males, 20.000 Orthodox males, and 9.500 Muslim males in the Sanjak of Scutari. The majority of the population spoke the Albanian language. He asserted that the Orthodox, and a number of Catholics and Muslims spoke the Serbian language.

1912 estimation

A publication from December 21, 1912 in the Belgian magazine Ons Volk Ontwaakt (Our Nation Awakes) estimated 185,200 inhabitants:

• Muslim Albanians - 80,000
• Muslim Serbs - 40,000
• Christian Serbs - 30,000
• Catholic Albanians - 14,000
• Orthodox Vlachs - 10,000
• Jews - 5,000
• Muslim Gypsies - 5,000
• Muslim Turks - 1,200

See also

• Vilayets of the Ottoman Empire

External links

 

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons