Hoti (tribe)

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Albanian bayraks as of 1918. Hoti and Gruda on the far left side.

Hoti is a Northern Albanian tribe and a historical tribal region of Malësia, located in northern Albania and southern Montenegro.[1]

History

Middle Ages

The earliest known historical reference to the Hoti tribe was recorded in 1330, while in 1474 their region was mentioned in Latin sources as montanea ottanorum (English: Mountain of the Hotis).[2]

Before 1421, much of what is today known as "Malësia" was incorporated into the Lordship of Zeta ruled by the powerful Balšić family. According to the local oral history, in 1412-13, the Hoti tribe was engaged in a major dispute over the possession of grazing lands with the neighboring Mataguži tribe. Balša III was called to mediate the dispute. When he decided in favour of the Mataguži, the Hoti tribe attacked the Mataguži and took over the disputed areas. Shortly thereafter, a Mataguži counter-attack claimed the lives of four Hoti clansmen.[citation needed] After a long history of conflict with both the Ottomans and their (sometime) Venetian allies, the Balšići went extinct in 1421, after which the area came under control of Stefan Crnojević who fixed his capital at Žabljak on the north-eastern side of Lake Scutari and joined with his relative, the famous Scanderbeg, in many campaigns against the Turks.

In the second half of the 15th century (during the Ottoman conquest), Serbs of Bosnia were pushed southward by the Ottoman armies, eventually being pushed to Herzegovina by 1463.[citation needed] After the Ottoman conquest of Herzegovina in 1476, of Albania in 1478, and the surrender of Shkodër by the Venetians in 1479, according to legend, a man named Keq Preka and his four sons moved southward from the Herzegovinian highlands to escape the mass migration of Slavs.[citation needed] They and many of the other Albanian-speaking peoples in the Herzegovina area kept moving until they found an area where they found a population that spoke the same language as theirs (most likely a form of Gheg Albanian).[3]

Modern

In 1658, the seven tribes of Kuči, Vasojevići, Bratonožići, Piperi, Kelmendi, Hoti and Gruda allied themselves with the Republic of Venice, establishing the so-called "Seven-fold barjak" or "alaj-barjak", against the Ottomans.[4]

At the outset of the northern Albanian resistance against Ottoman rule, the tribe of Hoti was credited with being the first of the northern Albanian clans to initiate the war for Albanian Independence. Of particular renown was the commander of the Albanian guerilla campaign against Turkish occupying forces, Ded Gjo Luli, perhaps Hoti's most distinguished hero. At the victorious Battle of Deçiq, Ded Gjo Luli was able to raise the Albanian standard in symbolic defiance of Ottoman rule (the Albanian standard had not been raised since the late fifteenth century, during the military campaigns of Scanderbeg). Because of its instrumental role in the resistance, Hoti is commonly held as the head the Albanian tribes of Malësia, and members of the tribe are routinely given places of honor at feasts even to this day.

The nearby Triesh tribe is considered by locals as the "younger brother" of Hoti, as the tribes share Keq Preka as a common ancestor.[citation needed] Hoti does not consider nearby {Triesh} as a "younger brother" they do not share Keq Preka since Hoti does not marry within Hot.

Religion

The majority of the Hoti are followers of the Roman Catholic faith and celebrate St. John the Baptist (Albanian: Shën Gjoni or Shnjoni) as their "feast" day. The day (August 29) commemorates the martyrdom (beheading) of Saint John the Baptist. There is also a significant minority in the region that follow Islam.

Geography

Hoti is divided into two subdivisions: Traboin and Rrapshë.[5] Rrapshë is divided into two, with one part belonging to Montenegro, and the other to Albania.

  • Rrapshë / Rapša (Montenegrin side)
  • Rrapshë (Albanian side)
    • Brigjë
    • Dacaj
    • Dajç
    • Firkuqe
    • Goca
    • Grykë
    • Kolçekaj
    • Lecaj (Lacaj?)
    • Lulashpepaj
    • Lugu i Fikut
    • Mihaj
    • Nikpregaj
    • Peperan
    • Rrapshë
    • Starë
    • Shegzë

Anthropology

There are two main branches of Hoti: Traboina (who are descended from Pjeter Gega) and Rapsha.[6]

Hoti are divided into the following families:[7][8][9]

  • Camaj (Camovići)
  • Dedvukaj (Dedvukovići)
  • Drekaj
  • Dushaj (Dušaj, Duševići)
  • Gjelaj (Đeljaj, Đeljevići)
  • Gjonaj (Đonaj, Đonovići)
  • Gojçaj (Gojčaj, Gojčevići)
  • Junçaj (Junčaj, Junčevići)
    • Lucgjonaj (Ljucđonaj, Ljucđonovići) - descend from Ljuc Gjoni Junçaj[10]
      • Çunmulaj (Čunmuljaj, Čunmulići)- descend from Çun Mula Lucgjonaj[10]
    • Otovići - descend from Keka (Osman) Gojçaj [11]
  • Lajçaj (Ljajčaj, Ljajčevići)
  • Nicaj (Nicovići)
  • Prelvucaj

Notable tribesmen

Notable People

References

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  5. Jovićević 1923, pp. 24–25
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  9. Jovićević 1923, pp. 23–24
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