Nikšići (tribe)

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The Nikšići (Serbian Cyrillic: Никшићи) was one of the historical tribes in the Ottoman Sanjak of Herzegovina, constituting the Nikšić nahija. It was part of Old Herzegovina, that in 1858 was de facto incorporated into the Principality of Montenegro.

Origins

The Nikšići are mentioned alongside numerous Montenegrin and Herzegovinian tribes in the 14th and 15th century archives from Dubrovnik and Kotor. While most of them are only described as katuns, the Nikšići themselves are explicitly referred to as Vlachs.[1][2]

The name Nikšići is a form of the Christian name Nicolaus (Nikollë), shaped by the Albanian diminutive suffix -sh, combined with the Slavic suffix -ić. Demonstrated by Norbert Jokl, these names were formed by Albanian speakers and continue to be used in modern times, as seen in the Nikshi (Nikçi) brotherhood of Kelmendi. Jokl also linked this with similar Albanian linguistic patterns, such as gogsh (meaning son of a Vlach). His explanation has been supported by I. Popović and S. Gashi.[3]

History

The first mention of the tribe Nikšići comes from a Ragusan letter to Jelena Balšić dated 1399. In the same year they are mentioned as "Nikšić of Zeta" (Nichsich de Zenta) in Kotoran documents. In 1447 it was recorded that they had captured a Ragusan messenger and sold him to the Turks. In 1455 they are listed among tribes and villages in Zeta who signed an agreement with Venetians in Vranjina.[1]

The tribe was led by the vojvoda, which had been established after conflicts within the tribe as a compromise.[4] They simultaneously used the name Onogošti until 17th century and further.[5]

The burning of Saint Sava's remains after the Banat Uprising provoked Serbs to revolt in other regions against the Ottomans.[6] Grdan, the vojvoda of Nikšić, organized revolt with Serbian Patriarch Jovan Kantul. In 1596, an uprising broke out in Bjelopavlići, then spread to Drobnjaci, Nikšići, Piva and Gacko (see: Serb Uprising of 1596–97). It was suppressed due to lack of foreign support.[7]

Legacy

According to oral tradition, collected by the Serbian historian Petar Šobajić, the tribe dates back to the 14th century[1] and is named after Nikša, who was the son of Ilijan, the ban of Grbalj, and who was maternally a Nemanjić.[8] Expanding on this, Risto Kovijanić said that Nikša may have moved from lands around the Morača monastery to the župa of Onogošt after the death of the Serbian prince Stefan Vukanović Nemanjić (fl. 1252), his relative.[8] It is considered that the tribe was not founded by a single individual, but by several related families led by Nikša.[1] The Nikšići found native tribes in their new territory: in the west were the Riđani (the strongest tribe), in the župa itself were the Lužani, while in the north, by the mountains Vojnik and Durmitor were the Drobnjaci.[8] The Nikšići were a very strong tribe, having successfully conquered the Lužani and pushed back the border of the Drobnjaci territory, while tradition speaks of many conflicts between them and the Riđani.[1] In the 16th century, the Nikšići and the Riđani were the only tribes still present in the area.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Kovijanić 1974, p. 142.
  2. ^ Šekularac 2015, p. 20.
  3. ^ Gashi 2015, p. 245-246.
  4. ^ Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti 1971, p. 225

    Тако је војвода Грдан Никшић био њихов за- једнички војвода и даље његови потомци и рођаци насљеђивали су војводство кроз читави XVII внјек: Јован, Гаврило, Петар и Вука- шин. Сама та чињеница говори да су Никшићи ...
  5. ^ Kovijanić 1974, p. 143.
  6. ^ Bataković 1996, p. 33.
  7. ^ Ćorović, Vladimir (2001) [1997]. "Преокрет у држању Срба". Историја српског народа (in Serbian). Belgrade: Јанус.
  8. ^ a b c Kovijanić 1974, p. 141.

Sources