Misplaced Pages

#367632

107-474: Various empires and kingdoms have ruled over the region. In the 12th century, Sandžak was part of the region of Raška under the medieval Serbian Kingdom . During the Ottoman territorial expansion into the western Balkans in a series of wars , the region became an important administrative district, with Novi Pazar as its administrative center. Sandžak was under Austro-Hungarian occupation between 1878 and 1909 as

214-693: A bodyguard division for the Sultan, under the command of the Silahdar Agha . Silahdars were chosen from the best warriors. Any Ottoman soldier who committed a significant deed on the battlefield could be promoted to the Silahdar division, although normally members of other mounted units, like Timarli Sipahis or one of the other less prestigious of the four divisions of Kapikulu Sipahis, were promoted this way. Infantry soldiers had to enlist as serdengecti (literally means giver of his head) and survive suicide missions to join

321-590: A branch of the azabs and were especially recruited among the homeless and criminals. They were fierce, undisciplined, and specialized in close combat. During the last quarter of the 16th century, the Azabs disappeared from the Ottoman documentary record. The Ottomans increased the use of Sekban (temporary infantry recruits) soldiers in the 17th century. They had a wartime strength of between 4,000 and 10,000 men. There were two levels of grouping, these were regiment and As

428-455: A department or any school of higher education. Sandžak saw a process of industrialisation, during which factories were opened in several cities, including Novi Pazar, Prijepolje, Priboj , Ivangrad , while the coal mines were opened in the Prijepolje area. The urbanisation caused a major social and economic shift. Many people left villages for towns. The national composition of the urban centres

535-464: A famed force in 1383. They were units that formed the infantry contingents of the Ottoman Sultan's household troops, recruited through the process of devshirme . For all practical purposes, Janissaries belonged to the Sultan, carrying the title kapıkulu (Subject of the gate) indicating their collective bond with the Sultan. Janissaries were taught to consider the corps as their home and family, and

642-416: A fully equipped conscript at the recruiting office created by the order of the Sultan. This new force of irregular infantrymen was called the azabs and they were used in many ways: to build roads and bridges for the army, to support the supplies for the front-line, and sometimes they were even used as cannon fodder to slow down enemy advance. The Başıbozuk , who were also called Delibaş ("crazy head"), were

749-762: A garrison, until an agreement between Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire resulted in the withdrawal of Austro-Hungarian troops from Sandžak in exchange for full control over Bosnia. In 1912, it was divided between the Kingdom of Montenegro and the Kingdom of Serbia . Novi Pazar serves as Sandžak's economic and cultural center and is the region's most populous city. Sandžak has a diverse and complex ethnic and religious composition, with significant Eastern Orthodox , Roman Catholic , and Sunni Muslim populations. Bosniaks comprise ethnic majority in this region. The Serbo-Croatian term Sandžak ( Serbian Cyrillic : Санџак )

856-660: A gathering point for the military units. The banner was occasionally carried into battles to encourage troops and ensure victory. The banner would be taken out of its box by the Sultan and affixed to a staff. He would carry it from the Chamber of the Holy Relics to the Throne Room while officials called out "God is great". After this, the banner was carried from the Throne Room to the Gate of Felicity and placed there. The grand vizier would receive

963-828: A great rift between the German army and Albanians and they were abandoned. In November 1941 as clashes continued Albanians defeated the Chetniks in the battle of Novi Pazar . The battle was followed by reprisals against the Serbs of Novi Pazar. In 1943, Chetnik forces based in Montenegro conducted a series of ethnic cleansing operations against Muslims in the Bihor region of modern-day Serbia. In May 1943, an estimated 5400 Albanian men, women and children in Bihor were massacred by Chetnik forces under Pavle Đurišić . In

1070-416: A group supplementing but not directly incorporated in a regular military. Dervendjis were the most important and largest Ottoman military auxiliary constabulary units usually responsible for guarding important roads, bridges, fords or mountain passes. Usually, the population of an entire village near some important pass would be assigned with derbendci status in exchange for tax exemptions. By rehabilitating

1177-480: A kind of metal, wood, and animal hair, which Ottoman military continued on their flag pools (tug). The Mongols applied these materials to the typical cloth flag (cloth flag is Chinese origin), their emblems and symbols. The nomadic signs, with horse—and yaktail standards, were adopted by the Chinese, and, vice versa, which makes hard to state the source some of these signs used in Ottoman flags. These signs carried over with

SECTION 10

#1732844268368

1284-465: A major rout in Wallachia they were dissolved by Grand Vezir Koca Sinan Paşa. In this section, the artillery corps ( Topçu Ocağı : literally the hearth of artillerymen), the armorer corps ( Cebeci Ocağı : literally the hearth of armourers), the artillery wagoners ( Top Arabacıları Ocağı : literally the hearth of artillery wagoners), the bombardiers ( Humbaracı Ocağı : literally the hearth of bombardiers),

1391-513: A reaction, the notables of the region then published a memorandum and declared themselves to be Albanians. The memorandum was sent to Prime Minister Ekrem Libohova whom they asked to intervene so the region could be united to the Albanian kingdom. It has been estimated that 9,000 Muslims were killed in total by the Chetniks and affiliated groups during the war in Sandžak. The Jewish community of Novi Pazar

1498-647: A report in 1901-02. The five kazas (districts) of the sanjak of the Novi Pazar at that time were: Akova , Sjenica , Kolašin , Novi Pazar and Nova Varoš . According to the Bulgarian report, in the kaza of Akova there were 47 Albanian villages which had 1,266 households. Serbs lived in 11 villages which had 216 households. The town of Akova (Bijelo Polje) had 100 Albanian and Serb households. There were also mixed villages - inhabited by both Serbs and Albanians - which had 115 households with 575 inhabitants. The kaza of Sjenica

1605-499: A sort of noble class. The mercenaries became a tool for their rise to predominance over the sultan, who simply could not afford to hire so many mercenaries that they would outnumber his nobles'. Therefore, in the middle of the 14th century, Murad I built his own personal slave army called the kapikulu . The new force was based on the sultan's right to a fifth of the war booty, which he interpreted to include captives taken in battle. The captive slaves were converted to Islam and trained in

1712-414: A term Aghas were used for all level of commanders and all branches. It corresponds to a modern definition of an officer, which is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. This is like "azap agha" for the commanders of azaps, "besli agha" for the commanders of besli, "janissary agha" for the commanders of janissary. This is also true for instance the "bölük agha", and

1819-484: A total of 1,749 Serb and Albanian households with 8,745 inhabitants. The kaza of Kolašin had 27 Albanian villages with 732 households and 5 Serb villages with 75 households. The administrative centre of the kaza, Šahovići, had 25 Albanian households. The kaza of Novi Varoš, according the Bulgarian report, had 19 Serbian villages with 298 households and "one Bosnian village with 200 houses". Novi Varoš had 725 Serb and some Albanian households. The last official registration of

1926-424: A total population of 204,068. They were mostly counted as Orthodox Serbs or Montenegrins (56.48%) and Bosnian Muslims (43.09%). Most Bosniaks declared themselves ethnic Muslims in 1991 census. By the 2002-2003 census, however, most of them declared themselves Bosniaks. There is still a significant minority that identify as Muslims (by ethnicity). There are still some Albanian villages (Boroštica, Doliće and Ugao) in

2033-616: Is a geographical and historical region of Serbia . Initially a small borderline district between early medieval Serbia and Bulgaria (city/area of Ras ), since the mid-12th century became the center of the Grand Principality of Serbia and of the Serbian Kingdom . From that period the name of Raška became associated with the state of Serbia, eventually covering the south-western parts of modern Serbia, and historically also including north-eastern parts of modern Montenegro , and some of

2140-401: Is around 385,666. A plurality of people in Sandžak identify as Bosniaks . They form 52.05% (197,754) of the region's population. Serbs form 30.03% (114,121), Montenegrins 6.97% (26,494), ethnic Muslims 4.71% (17,879), and Albanians 1.06% (4,035). About 19,687 (5.18%) people belong to smaller communities or have chosen to not declare an ethnic identity. Religion in Sandžak is also as diverse as

2247-915: Is the transcription of Ottoman Turkish sancak ( sanjak , "province"); the Sanjak of Novi Pazar , known in Serbo-Croatian as Novopazarski sandžak . Historically, it is known as Raška by the Serbs . The region is known as Sanxhak in Albanian . Sandžak stretches from the southeastern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the borders with Kosovo and Albania at an area of around 8,500 square kilometers. Six municipalities of Sandžak are in Serbia ( Novi Pazar , Sjenica , Tutin , Prijepolje , Nova Varoš , and Priboj ), and seven in Montenegro ( Pljevlja , Bijelo Polje , Berane , Petnjica , Rožaje , Gusinje , and Plav ). Sometimes

SECTION 20

#1732844268368

2354-658: The Battle of Varna (1444) and more certainly used in the Second Battle of Kosovo (1448). Specialist 'topçu' or artillery units were formed mainly of Christians; units such as tayfa-i efreciye . In the siege of Baghdad where the Ottomans retook the city from the Persians (1638), gunners of European descent served on the lines. Exact foundation date of the Cebeci is not known, but it was in

2461-625: The British government for protection. About 450 local civilians were killed after the uprising was quelled. These events resulted in a large influx of Albanians migrating to the Principality of Albania . In World War II , Sandžak was the battleground of several factions. In 1941, the region was partitioned between the Italian governorate of Montenegro , the Italian protectorate over the Kingdom of Albania , and

2568-513: The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes . Its seat was in Novi Pazar . In 1922, a new administrative unit known as the Raška Oblast was formed with its seat in Čačak . In 1929, this administrative unit was abolished and its territory was divided among three newly formed provinces (banovinas). Within the borders of modern Serbia , post mid-12th century historical Raška region covers (approximately)

2675-591: The Muslim National Council of Sandžak (MNVS) which consisted of the Muslim Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and other Bosnian Muslim organizations and parties. It was declared illegal by Serbia. According to the SDA, 70.2% of the population participated in the referendum with 98.92% voting in favor of autonomy. With the democratic changes in Serbia in 2000, the ethnic Bosniaks were enabled to start participating in

2782-417: The Ottoman army , and jizya taxes. The Islamization of Sandžak was otherwise caused by a number of factors, mainly economic, as Muslims didn't pay the devşirme tributes and jizya taxes. The Muslims were also privileged compared to Christians, who were unable to work in the administration or testify in court against Muslims, as they were treated as dhimmi . The second factor that contributed to

2889-459: The Pešter plateau . The Slavic dialect of Gusinje and Plav (sometimes considered part of Sandžak) shows very high structural influence from Albanian. Its uniqueness in terms of language contact between Albanian and Slavic is explained by the fact that most Slavic-speakers in today's Plav and Gusinje are of Albanian origin. The total population of the municipalities of Sandžak in Serbia and Montenegro

2996-661: The Plav rebellion rose up in the Rožaje , Gusinje , and Plav districts, fighting against the inclusion of Sandžak in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes . As a result, during the Serbian army's second occupation of Rožaje, which took place in 1918-1919, seven hundred Albanian citizens were slaughtered in Rožaje. In 1919, Serb forces attacked Albanian populations in Plav and Gusinje, which had appealed to

3103-801: The Sandžak Muslim militia . At one point around 2,000 members of the SS regiment operated in Sjenica. Its leader was Sulejman Pačariz , an Islamic cleric of Albanian origin. The Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation of Sandžak (AVNOS) had been founded on 20 November 1943 in Pljevlja . In January 1944, the Land Assembly of Montenegro and the Bay of Kotor claimed Sandžak as part of a future Montenegrin federal unit. However, in March,

3210-515: The Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia . The Muslim population was in general anti-partisan. They were organized in small formations known in historiography as the Sandžak Muslim militia . These formations depending on their location and regional politics were affiliated to Albanian nationalist groups linked to Balli Kombëtar in central and south Sandžak or to Muslim Ustaše groups in

3317-592: The Zlatibor District . The Serbian Despotate was invaded by the Ottoman Empire in 1455. Apart from the effect of a lengthy period under Ottoman domination, many of the subject populations were periodically and forcefully converted to Islam as a result of a deliberate move by the Ottoman Turks as part of a policy of ensuring the loyalty of the population against a potential Venetian invasion. However, Islam

Sandžak - Misplaced Pages Continue

3424-520: The devşirme system of recruiting youths in the form of taxes from Christians in the empire. Murad used the strength of the kapikulus and played them off against the nobility, forcing them to pay taxes or land so that the treasury could obtain the money it needed to maintain the Kapikulu army. The janissaries comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguard. The first janissary units comprised war captives and slaves. After

3531-592: The Şeyhülislam . The capital Istanbul did not have any kazasker. Kazaskers attended the meetings at the Imperial Council . Through the timariot system (see conscription) Empire had "timariot Sipahi" throughout the Empire. Provincial units are: Timariot Sipahi, Akıncı, Derbendcis Military flags occupied an important position. Ottoman flags separated by divisions (such as types of fields—tripes, quarters, etc.), colors and charges (emblems, inscriptions, lettering), and

3638-463: The "ocak agha", the commanders of a "bölük" and an "ocak" (troops) respectively. Acemi (rookie) boys would be gathered to be trained at the Enderun acemi oğlan school in the capital city. At the school, young cadets would be selected for their talents in different areas to train as engineers, artisans, riflemen, clerics, archers, artillery, etc. Reserve units known as the redif formed in

3745-404: The 1380s Sultan Mehmed I filled their ranks with the results of taxation in human form called devshirme : the Sultan's men conscripted a number of non- Muslim , usually Christian, boys—at first at random, later, by strict selection—to be trained. Initially they favored Greeks , Albanians (who also supplied many gendarmes), usually selecting about one in five boys of ages seven to fourteen but

3852-492: The 15th century. Their commander was called Cebecibaşı . The unit was small and selected, numbering no more than 625 men in 1574. The Cebeci unit was in charge of maintenance and keeping the weaponry. They were also responsible in transporting weapons to where they were needed. During peace times, they kept the weaponry in arsenals ( cephane ). The Humbaracı Ocağı (Bombardiers) were in charge of manufacturing, transporting, and using cannons ( humbara ). Humbaraci Corps arose in

3959-578: The 16th century after an artillery commander Mustafa had cast the first bronze cannon. In the 18th century they became the most disciplined unit of the Ottoman Army. In 1826 during the Auspicious Incident Humbaracis supported the government. The Ottoman armies were distinguished from their contemporaries in the West not by numerical predominance of its military forces but by the thoroughness of

4066-486: The 18th and 19th centuries. The third factor of Islamization was the geographical location of Sandžak, which allowed it to become a trade centre, facilitating conversions amongst merchants. The tribal migrations to Sandžak had contributed a large role to its history and identity along with culture. The second half of the 19th century was very important in terms of shaping the current ethnic and political situation in Sandžak. Austria-Hungary supported Sandžak's separation from

4173-417: The 19th century the region also became part of the wider " Old Serbia " historiographical term. In 1912, central parts of the historical Raška region were liberated from the Ottoman rule, and divided between the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Montenegro , with eponymous medieval fortress of Stari Ras belonging to Serbia. Between 1918 and 1922, Raška District was one of the administrative units of

4280-632: The Bosnian Muslims of the Independent State of Croatia . Amonge these factions, the Yugoslavs, Slavic Muslims, Serbs, and Montenegrins adopted different strategies. Muslims wanted either unification with Bosnia under a federal Yugoslavia or the establishment of an autonomous Sandžak region. Serbs and Montenegrins wanted the area to either pass entirely to Serbia or Montenegro. The formal partition of Sandžak between Italian and German spheres of influence

4387-615: The Communist Party opposed this, insisting that Sandžak's representatives at AVNOJ should decide on the matter. In February 1945, the Presidency of the AVNOJ made a decision to oppose the Sandžak's autonomy. The AVNOJ explained that the Sandžak did not have a national basis for an autonomy and opposed crumbling of the Serbian and Montenegrin totality. On 29 March 1945 in Novi Pazar , the AVNOS accepted

Sandžak - Misplaced Pages Continue

4494-496: The Derbendcis, the Ottomans released conventional military units from routine internal duties, such as guarding and repairing roads, bridges. The units were organized in twofold system. The Sultan's units that is called Kapi Kulu and provincial units. The title "kapikulu" (Subject of the gate) indicating their collective bond with the Sultan. Kapikulu was commanded and paid by some important land-holders who gained power and became

4601-650: The Eastern Orthodox Serbs. Sandzak was an administrative part of the Sanjak of Bosnia until 1790, when it become a separated Sanjak of Novi Pazar . However, in 1867, it become a part of the Bosnia Vilayet that consisted of seven sanjaks, including the Sanjak of Novi Pazar. This led to Sandžak Muslims identifying themselves with other Slavic Muslims in Bosnia . Albanian speakers gradually migrated or were relocated to

4708-448: The Empire and in return was granted a fief called a timar. The timariots had to assemble with the army when at war, and had to take care of the land entrusted to him in times of peace. When at war, the timariot had to bring his own equipment and in addition a number of armed retainers (cebelu). Apart from the janissaries, in 1389 the Ottoman army introduced a system of conscription: when needed, every town and village were obliged to provide

4815-640: The Islamization were migrations; a large demographic shift occurred after the Great Turkish War (1683–1699). Part of the Slavic-speaking Orthodox Christian population was expelled northwards, while other Christians and Muslims were driven to the Ottoman territory. The land abandoned by the Eastern Orthodox Serbs was settled by populations from neighbouring areas who either were or became Muslim in Sandžak. Large migrations occurred throughout

4922-518: The Montenegrin municipality of Andrijevica is also regarded as part of Sandžak. The most populated municipality in the region is Novi Pazar (100,410), while other large municipalities are: Pljevlja (31,060), and Priboj (27,133). In Serbia, the municipalities of Novi Pazar and Tutin are part of the Raška District , while the municipalities of Sjenica, Prijepolje, Nova Varoš, and Priboj, are part of

5029-575: The Ottoman Empire, or at least its autonomy within it. The reason was to prevent the kingdoms of Montenegro and Serbia from unifying, and allow Austria-Hungary's further expansion into the Balkans. Per these plans, Sandžak was seen as part of the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina , while its Muslim population played a significant role, giving Austrian-Hungarians a pretext of protecting the Muslim minority from

5136-425: The Ottoman army. The word was used almost synonymously with cavalry. Akıncı were irregular light cavalry, scout divisions and advance troops. They were one of the first divisions to face the opposing military and were known for their prowess in battle. Unpaid they lived and operated as raiders on the frontiers of the Ottoman Empire, subsisting totally on plunder. The Akıncıs continued to serve until 1595 when after

5243-661: The Ottoman military power became outdated, but when the Janissaries felt their privileges were being threatened, or outsiders wanted to modernize them, or they might be superseded by their cavalry rivals, they rose in rebellion. The history of Yaya goes to the early Ottoman military forces consisted of irregular nomadic cavalry and volunteer light infantry. These units were efficient against local Byzantine feudal lords but were unable to capture fortified castles by direct assault. Established by Sultan Orhan during Alaeddin Pasha's reorganization

5350-495: The Ottoman military the loss of military signs (flags, etc.) in battle was considered a disaster. Some of the signs (flags) were deliberately thrown off into the enemy's direction which signaled for attack and/or recapture. Military flags were not all equal. There was an order of importance. Every larger detachment of the army was honored with a flag (sancak). Smaller units had banners called bayrak, with various emblems used mainly as recognition signals. In battle they were carried in

5457-555: The Ottoman provinces of Kosovo and North Macedonia , leaving a primarily Slavic-speaking population in the rest of the region (except in a southeastern corner of Sandžak that ended up as a part of Kosovo). Some members of the Albanian Shkreli and Kelmendi tribes began migrating into the lower Pešter and Sandžak regions at around 1700. The Kelmendi chief had converted to Islam, and promised to convert his people to. A total of 251 Kelmendi households (1,987 people) were resettled in

SECTION 50

#1732844268368

5564-509: The Pešter area on that occasion, however five years later part the exiled Kelmendi managed to fight their way back to their homeland, and in 1711 they sent out a large raiding force to bring back some other from Pešter too. The remaining Kelmendi and Shkreli converted to Islam and became Slavophones by the 20th century, and as of today they now self-identify as part of the Bosniak ethnicity , although in

5671-588: The Pešter plateau they partly utilized the Albanian language until the middle of the 20th century, particuarily in the villages of Ugao , Boroštica , Doliće , and Gradac . Since the 18th century, many people originating from the Hoti tribe have migrated to and live in Sandžak, mainly in the Tutin area, but also in Sjenica. In October 1912, during the First Balkan War , Serbian and Montenegrin troops seized Sandžak, which

5778-409: The Pešter region. There were a larger presence of Albanians in Sandžak in the past, however due to various factors such as migration, assimilation, along with mixing, many identify as Bosniaks instead. Catholic Albanian groups which settled in Tutin and Pešter in the early 18th century were converted to Islam in that period. Their descendants make up the large majority of the population of Tutin and

5885-543: The Safavid flags and according to him they differed from Ottoman flags of the same period. Arab flags were of basic importance to followers Islam, including Ottoman Military. The first caliphs tried to maintain an original simplicity in their signs, appropriate to an ascetic and fighting religion, but soon, under Persian influence, the style evolved into one using more representative and pompous images. Like in Arabic flags, sophisticated abstract decoration, and lines of Koranic inscriptions were found on Ottoman military flags. In

5992-409: The Serbian rulers remained in place and Ras was burnt again by the Serbian army in 1127–1129. Its last commander was a Kritoplos who was then punished by the Emperor for the fall of the fortress. In 1149, Manuel I Comnenus recovered the fortress of Ras and Galič, and next year continued to successfully fight off Serbians and Hungarians, with the Serbs swearing loyalty to the Byzantines. Somewhere in

6099-434: The Silahdar division. If a janissary ever became a silahdar, other members of the division with cavalry backgrounds despised him and former comrade janissaries considered him a traitor, but because the position and wealth of a silahdar was so attractive, janissaries and other soldiers still enlisted for suicide missions. (Persian: "soldier") Sipahi refers to all freeborn heavy cavalry other than akıncıs and tribal horsemen in

6206-479: The Slavic Muslims of Sandžak suffered economic decline due to the defeat and collapse of the Ottoman Empire , which had been their primary source of economic stability. Additionally, the agrarian reform implemented in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia worsened their economic situation, leading to the emigration of Muslims from Sandžak to the Ottoman Empire. During World War I, Sandžak was occupied by Austria-Hungary. In 1919, an Albanian revolt, which later came to be known as

6313-443: The Sultan as their de facto father. The janissary corps was significant in a number of ways. The janissaries wore uniforms , were paid in cash as regular soldiers, and marched to distinctive music, by the mehter . The Janissaries were a formidable military unit in the early centuries, but as Western Europe modernized its military organization and technology, the Janissaries became a reactionary force that resisted all change. Steadily

6420-587: The Sultan, which this number corresponded to the number of iklims (climates or spheres of the earth) that were to be subdued by the victorious armies of Islam. These are flags of the high-ranking officials and dignitaries. Viziers, beylerbeys, and sancakbeys. They were partially imitation of the flag of the Sultan, as a sign to be part of the Sultan's people. Grand Vizers used green, lower Viziers crimson, and Beylerbeys used red in their flag." These were in many, but not lasted to our time. There are multiple of them, up to 162 count of signals. We know that right wing of

6527-537: The administrative backup and general support that maintained them in the field. The auxiliary support system also set the Classical Army apart from their contemporaries. The janissaries waged war as one part of a well-organized military machine. The Ottoman army had a corps to prepare the road, a corps to pitch the tents ahead, a corps to bake the bread. The cebeci corps carried and distributed weapons and ammunition. The janissary corps had its own internal medical auxiliaries: Muslim and Jewish surgeons who would travel with

SECTION 60

#1732844268368

6634-402: The army marked with red banners and left wing with yellow. We also know that they are tactical importance to hide the exact number of soldiers. Cavalry, infantry, and artillery had their own flags. This were symbol of military junta of Ottoman Empire to kill Mehmed VI. The Ottoman armies used the horse-tail standard or tugh rather than flags. In order to man the force, Murad II developed

6741-404: The banner and won the Siege of Eger in 1596, the banner became a victory symbol for the Ottoman forces. Sancak-I Serif arouses great interest and emotion. Yet, misunderstanding and confusion surround it, as in the belief, for instance, that it was captured by Christians at the Battle of' Vienna on September 12, 1683. The deceleration of war included the Sancak-i Serif. Sancak-i Serif is used as

6848-684: The banner from the sultan in a ceremony in the Throne Room. While the grand vizier and the şeyhülislâm stood in attendance, the sultan would kiss the Holy Banner and entrust it to his grand vizier with the words: "I entrust the Sacred Standard to you and you to God. May He be your helper (a better translation: "May He become your Defender and Supporter" )!" Sultan's Flag is second in the hierarchy. Sultan flags were private to Sultan and were ranked according to their owners' names, titles, and authority. Their Turkish names were Alem-i padisahi (Padisah's standard), alem-i Osmani (Ottoman standard), or liwãj-i Sultani (sultan's standard). Seven such flags attributed to

6955-498: The central and capital part of medieval Serbia, but as a separate small domain within Serbia. In the modern sense, Raška region would be an area situated in the southwestern modern Serbia (including Stari Vlah , see below). The 10th-century De Administrando Imperio mentions Rasa ( Stari Ras ) as a border area between Bulgaria and Serbia at the end of the 9th century. It was not mentioned among inhabited cities of early medieval Serbia, and there's no general consensus whether Ras

7062-464: The colors of charges and their propositions. There were many Ottoman flags, each with specific meaning. Contrary to Latin script, Ottoman flags (in Arabic script inscriptions are always read from right to left), are described from the opposite point of view—that is, with the flag fluttering to the left. Ottoman flags come in various shapes and are of different proportions, however they are predominantly rectangular and in some triangular. The Ottoman form of

7169-445: The common regional name. Under Stefan Nemanja (1166–1196), the region was finally conquered by the Serbs and fortress of Ras was re-generated as the state capital, and as such it became eponymous name for the Grand Principality of Serbia . The first attested use of the term Raška ( Latin : Rascia or Rassia ) as a designation for the Serbian state was made in a charter issued in Kotor in 1186, mentioning Stefan Nemanja as

7276-407: The communist authorities and the mistrust with the Serbs and Montenegrins, but also due to the nationalisation and expropriation of property. Serbs from Sandžak also moved to the wealthier regions of the central Serbia or to Belgrade or Vojvodina , while the Muslims moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. Between 25 and 27 October 1991, a referendum on Sandžak's autonomy was held, organized by

7383-421: The corps during campaigns and had organized methods of moving the wounded and the sick to traveling hospitals behind the lines. Ottoman military bands are thought to be the oldest variety of military marching band in the world. Though they are often known by the Persian-derived word mehter in the West, that word, properly speaking, refers only to a single musician in the band. Ottomans have forces organized as

7490-432: The decision of the AVNOJ and divided itself between Serbia and Montenegro. Sandžak was divided based on the 1912 demarcation line. Economically, Sandžak remained undeveloped. It had a small amount of crude and low-revenue industry. Freight was transported by trucks over poor roads. Schools for business students, which remained poor in general education, were opened for working-class youth. The Sandžak had no faculty, not even

7597-427: The end of the 12th century and the Serb feudal rulers of the region were often under Byzantine suzerainty. The full independence of Serbia including Raška's region was recognized by the Byzantines in 1190 after an indecisive war between Isaac II Angelos and Stefan Nemanja . However, the Bulgarian-Serbian border in the late 12th and early 13th century probably was still "very fluid". The town which had developed near

7704-451: The ethnic composition, most of the Bosniaks being Muslim while a majority of the Serbs being Orthodox Christian. However, because of the prolonged Ottoman rule, Sandžak is more Muslim orientated. 43°09′47″N 19°46′30″E  /  43.16306°N 19.77500°E  / 43.16306; 19.77500 Ra%C5%A1ka (region) Raška ( Serbian Cyrillic : Рашка ; Latin : Rascia )

7811-545: The first country to maintain a standing army in Europe since the days of the Roman Empire . The force originated in the 14th century. The Ottoman army may have also the been the first to equip with firearms, which they acquired during the reign of Murad II ( r.  1421–1451 ). The Janissaries were elite infantry units created by Sultan Murad I . They formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and bodyguards and became

7918-498: The fly is substantial, and it is descate. The Ottoman (most are) rectangular flags have a triangular fly, and usually have a border. Flags exhibited a determined state ideology to Ottomans. Ottoman military flags were to the highest standards. Some of the best traits of Asian flags were used by the Ottoman military in combination and often with elaboration. Arab flags influenced the Turks in a fundamental way, but pre-Muslim Turkish tradition

8025-670: The fort, as attested by the work De Administrando Imperio , written by Constantine Porphyrogenitus , and also by the Byzantine seal of John, governor of Ras (c. 971–976). In the same time, Ras became the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Eparchy of Ras , centered in the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul . The name of the eparchy eventually started to denote the entire area under its jurisdiction and later, thus becoming

8132-548: The fortress of Ras and the territory which comprised its bishopric were the first significant administrative unit which Serb rulers acquired from the Byzantine Empire. As it was made the seat of the Serbian state in Latin sources of the era Serb rulers began to be named Rasciani and their state as Rascia. The name was used among Hungarians and Germans up until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In 1833, some northern parts of

8239-570: The front lines. During rest trusted into the ground placed front of the tent or on top. The Sacred Standard of Muhammad (Sancak-ı Şerif, literally translates as the Noble Banner) is said to be the banner of Muhammad himself or at least to originate from his era. The banner was first used in a battle against the Austrian Habsburgs in 1593 and again for a war in Hungary in 1594. After Mehmed III took

8346-470: The historical Raška region, around modern Andrijevica , were liberated from the Ottoman rule and incorporated into the Principality of Montenegro . In order to mark the occasion, prince Nikola of Montenegro (1860–1918) decided to name the newly formed Eastern Orthodox diocese as the Eparchy of Zahumlje and Raška ( Serbian : Епархија захумско-рашка , romanized :  Eparhija zahumsko-raška ). In

8453-426: The historical Raška region, up to the confluence of rivers Raška and Ibar , were detached from the Ottoman rule and incorporated into the Principality of Serbia . In order to mark the occasion, prince Miloš Obrenović (1815–1839) founded a new town, that was also called Raška, situated at the very confluence of Raška river and Ibar, right at the border with Ottoman territory. In 1878, some southwestern parts of

8560-516: The military in the mid 1320s. Yaya and Musellem over time lost their original martial qualities. The Six Divisions of Cavalry , also known as the Kapıkulu Süvarileri ("Household Cavalry of Gate Slaves"), was a corps of elite cavalry soldiers in the army of the Ottoman Empire. There were not really six, but four, divisions in the corps. Two of the six were sub-divisions. The Silahdars (From Persian, translated roughly as "men at arms") were

8667-515: The miners ( Lağımcı Ocağı : literally the hearth of miners). The Topçu Ocağı (artillery corps) was responsible for the use of artillery pieces. It is not clear when artillery was first used by the Ottoman Army. Although some argue that the Ottomans used cannons in the Battles of Kosovo (1389) and Nicopolis (1396), it is certain that artillery was routinely used by the 1420s. However the other argument states that field guns entered service shortly after

8774-424: The most eastern parts of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina , and its southern part also corresponds to the modern region of Sandžak . The name is derived from the name of the region's most important fort of Ras , which first appears in the 6th century sources as Arsa , recorded under that name in the work De aedificiis of Byzantine historian Procopius . By the 10th century, the variant Ras became common name for

8881-446: The next decades, Serbians conquered and started to fully control Ras, with Stefan Nemanja in celebration building the monastery of Đurđevi stupovi , with an inscription showing that the end of the construction was in 1170-1171. It became a royal residence, but it was not permanent residence or that of his successors as the ruling dynasty also ruled over other such palatial centres in its territory. Byzantine intervention continued until

8988-483: The north at Čačak . In 971, the Byzantine Catepanate of Ras was established, but in 976 Bulgarian control was restored. Basil II recaptured it in 1018, and by 1032 overall commander of the region was strategoi and doukes Constantine Diogenes , as part of a defensive line of Byzantine watchtowers alongside Lipjan , Zvečan , Galič , Jeleč south of Ras and Brvenik north of Ras, watching to

9095-791: The north. Many Orthodox Serbs organized in the Serbian nationalist Chetniks . The stance of these factions towards the Nazi forces ranged from armed resistance to open collaboration. Smaller groups of both Orthodox Serbs and Muslims organized after 1943 in the Yugoslav Partisan Anti-Fascist Council of the People's Liberation of Sandžak. Each faction sought the inclusion of Sandžak in the post-war period into separate states. Albanian militia fought for inclusion in Greater Albania , while Ustaše formations wanted at least part of Sandžak to join

9202-490: The numbers could be changed to correspond with the need for soldiers. Next the devshirme was extended to also include Serbs , Bosnians and other Balkan countries, later especially Ukraine and southern Russia. The Janissaries started accepting enrollment from outside the devshirme system first during the reign of Sultan Murad III and completely stopped enrolling devshirme in the 17th century. After this period, volunteers were enrolled. A timariot or 'Timarli Sipahi' served

9309-447: The period of the rise of the Ottoman Empire (1299 to 1453). The organization introduced by Mehmed II was twofold, central ( Ottoman Turkish : Kapıkulu , the household division) and peripheral ( Ottoman Turkish : Eyalet , province-level). Sultan Mahmud II forced this army to disband on 15 June 1826 in what is known as Auspicious Incident , which followed a century-long reform effort. The medieval Ottoman Empire had become

9416-621: The political life in Serbia and Montenegro, including Rasim Ljajić , an ethnic Bosniak, who was a minister in the verious governments of Serbia , and Rifat Rastoder , who was the Deputy President of the Parliament of Montenegro. Census data shows a general emigration of all ethnicities from this underdeveloped region. The population of the sanjak of Novi Pazar was ethnically and religiously diverse. In 1878-81, Muslim Slav muhacirs (refugees) from areas which became part of Montenegro, settled in

9523-526: The population of the sanjak of Novi Pazar before the Balkan Wars was conducted in 1910. The 1910 Ottoman census recorded 52,833 Muslims and 27,814 Orthodox Serbs. About 65% of the population were Muslims and 35% Serbian Orthodox. The majority of the Muslim population were Albanians. The last Yugoslav pre-war census of 1931 counted in Bijelo Polje, Prijepolje , Nova Varoš, Pljevlja, Priboj, Sjenica and Štavica

9630-565: The ruler of Rascia . Without any evidence and support in the historical sources, the early historical region of Raška is commonly misidentified and misunderstood as a synonym for Serbian state before the mid-12th century (influenced by semi-mythical 14th century Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja which anachronistically calls the Principality of Serbia as Raška). The high medieval chronicle's also give an impression that Raška wasn't considered as

9737-515: The sanjak. As Ottoman institutions only registered religious affiliation, official Ottoman statistics about ethnicity do not exist. Austrian, Bulgarian and Serbian consulates in the area produced their own ethnographic estimations about the sanjak. In general, three main groups lived in the region: Orthodox Serbs, Muslim and Catholic Albanians and Muslim Slavs (noted in contemporary sources as Bosniaks). Small communities of Romani, Turks and Jews lived mainly in towns. The Bulgarian foreign ministry compiled

9844-486: The special envoy of Germany to Sandžak mentioned in his correspondence that up to 100,000 Albanians from Sandžak wanted to be moved from Serbia under the jurisdiction of Albania. The Italian and German forces considered to enact population exchange from Sandžak to Kosovo to stop interethnic violence between Serbs and Albanians. Peter Pfeiffer, diplomat of the Foreign Office of Germany warned that relocation plans would cause

9951-509: The subsequent migrations of the Mongols and the Turks. For the same period, very little is known about old Iranian flags (signs). Traces of ancient Mesopotamian culture, charged with typical motifs of mythical, astral, and magic origin could be in them. There are Persian flags in miniature paintings. These flags are usually small, come in various shapes and colors, and bear Koranic inscriptions. A French traveler Jean Chardin left some descriptions of

10058-428: The sultan's personal service. Kapi Kulu Units are : Infantry (Janissary, Yaya) Cavalry (Silahtar, Sipahi) Artillery (Topçu, Cebeci, Humbaracı) Non-Combatant (Military band) A kazasker was a chief judge over the cases involving soldiers. Two kazaskers were appointed. They were named based on the region of their jurisdiction. They were called Rumeli Kazaskeri and Anadolu Kazaskeri . They were subordinated to

10165-522: The territorial span of three districts: Raška , Zlatibor and Moravica . Some of the churches in western Serbia and eastern Bosnia were built by masters from Raška, who belonged to the Raška architectural school . They include: Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Stari Ras, and monasteries of Gradac and Stara Pavlica . Ottoman army in the 15th%E2%80%9319th centuries The Ottoman army

10272-400: The watchtowers was a countermeasure against their commanders who ravaged Serbian eastern frontiers. The Byzantine border fort of Ras was most likely burnt c.  1120-1122 , and this is probably the reason why John II Komnenos undertook a punitive campaign against the Serbs, during which many Serbs from the region of Raška were deported to Asia Minor . The alliance between Hungary and

10379-453: The west over a "no-man's-land" named Zygos mountains beyond which was Serbia. Recent archaeological research supports the notion that the Byzantines held control of Ras during Alexios I Komnenos 's reign (1048–1118), but possibly not continuously. In the time of Alexios, Ras was one of the northern border military strongholds which was fortified. His seal which dates to the period 1081–1092

10486-497: Was also important, as were influences from Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Persia. The flags in general is a product of Asia, so is Ottoman flags, but in this period European influences cannot be ignored when looking at Ottoman military flag design. As the flags were/are part of signaling system, it is important to analyze every part. The nomadic Mongols, close neighbors of the Turkish tribes, had from antiquity used totemic standards that were

10593-471: Was changed to the disadvantage of the Muslims, as most of those who inhabited the cities were Serbs. The Muslims continued to lose their economic status, continuing the trend inherited from the time of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the agrarian reform in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The emigration of the Muslims to Turkey also continued, caused by the general underdevelopment of the region, disagreement with

10700-428: Was found in 2018 near the site. It is possible that Vukan may have temporarily taken Ras and other watchtowers in the early 1090s, but although John Ducas regained most of them, in 1093 Vukan "ravaged the neighbouring towns and districts. He even got as far as Lipjan, which he deliberately burnt down", but when Alexios came close, Vukan escaped to Zvečan and started peace negotiations, and reportedly his attack on

10807-486: Was inhabited mainly by Orthodox Serbs (69 villages with 624 households) and Bosnian Muslims (46 villages with 655 households). Seventeen villages had a population of both Orthodox Serbs and Bosnian Muslims. Albanians (505 households) lived exclusively in the town of Sjenica . The kaza of Novi Pazar had 1,749 households in 244 Serb villages and 896 households in 81 Albanian villages. Nine villages inhabited by both Serbs and Albanians had 173 households. The town of Novi Pazar had

10914-605: Was initially not harassed because the city didn't have any considerable concentration of German forces, but on March 2, 1942 the city's Jews were rounded up by the German army and killed in extermination camps (the men in Bubanj and the women and children in Sajmište ). 1943 year saw the creation of the SS-Police "Self-Defence" Regiment Sandžak , being formed by joining three battalions of Albanian collaborationist troops with one battalion of

11021-618: Was largely ignored as local politics shaped control over the area. Prijepolje which formally was within the Italian area of rule in Montenegro was in fact under the NDH -affiliated Sulejman Pačariz , while Novi Pazar in the German sphere was led by the Albanian nationalist Aqif Bluta . Clashes between Albanians and Serbs in south Sandžak began in April 1941. In other cities of Sandžak similar battles between different factions played out. Otto von Erdmannsdorf ,

11128-577: Was on the Serbian or Bulgarian side of the border, as well whether in DAI was meant a fortress or an area. The consideration that the Serbian border was further to the Southeast of Ras is poorly substantiated. Newer research indicates that the principal settlement of Ras and its region in the 9th and 10th century was part of the First Bulgarian Empire . Bulgarian borderline was at Pešter plateau and to

11235-464: Was spread by force in the areas under the control of the Ottoman sultan through the devşirme system of child levy enslavement, by which indigenous European Christian boys from the Balkans (predominantly Albanians , Bulgarians , Croats , Greeks , Romanians , Serbs , and Ukrainians ) were taken, levied, subjected to forced circumcision and forced conversion to Islam , and incorporated into

11342-426: Was the military structure established by Mehmed II ( r.  1451–1481 ) during his reorganization of the Ottoman state and its military. It resulted from a major reorganization of the standing army dating from the time of Sultan Orhan ( r.  1323/4–1362 ), which had centred on janissaries who were paid by salary rather than rewarded with booty or fiefs . The army built by Orhan had operated during

11449-502: Was then divided between the two countries. This led to the displacement of many Slavic Muslims and Albanians, who migrated to Ottoman Turkey as muhajir . After the war, Sandžak became a part of the newly formed State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs . The region acted as a bridge between the Muslims in the West in Bosnia and Herzegovina and those in the East in Kosovo and North Macedonia. However,

#367632