Mehmed-beg Kapetanović Ljubušak (19 December 1839 – 29 July 1902)[1] was a Bosnian writer and public official of Bosniak origin.[2]
Biography
He was born at the end of 1839 in the town of Vitina in Ljubuški, in a Bosniak noble family that gave birth to several other famous figures in the Bosniak national corps.[3]The origin of the Kapetanovići of Ljubuški is debatable, some say that they settled in after Bosnia lost its territories in Slavonia and Dalmatia and are from Gvozd, others that they are from Kozica (in todays Dalmatia), but it is known for certain that they came from Travnik during the time of Omer Pasha and became captains of the town of Ljubuški.[4]
Mehmed Kapetanović attended the madrasa in Ljubuški and studied oriental languages. Kapetanović arrived in Sarajevo in 1878, where he became the mayor in 1893, holding the office until declining health forced him to resign in 1899. He died in Sarajevo in 1902.
During the late 19th century, Kapetanović collected Bosniak folk treasures in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and neighbouring regions. He published several books, the most famous being Narodno blago (English: "The National Wealth") from 1887. In 1891, Kapetanović founded the influential political journal Bošnjak ("Bosniak"), which gathered several Bosniak intellectuals of its time.
Kapetanović became the mayor of Sarajevo in 1893 following the 1892 death of the first mayor Mustafa Fadilpašić. The most significant project during Kapetanović's governance was the delivery of electricity to the city. Specifically, on 1 May 1895, Sarajevo had electric lighting for the first time.[5][6][7] Until then, the street lights were oil lanterns. On that same day, Sarajevo became one of the first European cities to install electric tram-trains, replacing horse-drawn vehicles.
Kapetanović survived a stroke in July 1898. His health rapidly declined; by April 1899, he had stepped down as mayor. He died on 29 July 1902 at the age of 62. His son Riza-beg Kapetanović died 24 December 1931.
Main works
Risale-i ahlak (Treatise on Morals, 1883)
Sto misle muhamedanci u Bosni? (What Do Mohammedans in Bosnia Think?, 1886)
Narodno Blago (The National Wealth, 1887)
Boj pod Banjomlukom 1737 (The Banja Luka Battle, 1737, 1888)
Budućnost ili napredak muhamedanaca u Bosni i Hercegovini (Future or Progress of the Mohammedans in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1893)
Teinović, Bratislav (2019). Nacionalno-politički razvoj Bosne i Hercegovine u posljednjem vijeku turske vladavine (1800-1878) [The national-political development of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last century of the Turkish rule (1800-1878)] (in Serbian). Banja Luka: Faculty of Humanities, University of Banja Luka.
