Peja dhe islamizimi i popullsisë në shekujt XV-XVI
Peja and islamization of population during XV-XVI centuries

Summary/Abstract: The research about the reasons of Albanian massive proselytizing to Islam was subject of study for many scholars. The data obtained from Albanian interdisciplinary researches show that this converting of Albanian people into Islam was of political, sociological, ethnocultural, philosophical, religious, linguistic, literary, educational, artistic, juridical etc. complex nature. Foreign historiography, which is approved by the major part of Albanian historiography, the converting of Albanians into Islam saw tightly: as an aspiration of noble Albanians for power and to keep the privileges from pre-Ottoman period, while converting of people as a necessity to avoid economic repression, Asian repression, as Turkizing and aculturing of Albanians. However, the interdisciplinary research in the field of Islam among Albanians shows in Albanian massive proselytizing into Islam the main role played primarily motives of political Albanian nature. Therefore, since the second half of XVI century, half of Albanian people in towns were islamised, in fact in XVII century Islam was predominant even in villages. Peja in 1485had 33 Muslim families, against 140 Christian houses (families) (104 pot-houses (roadhouses), 20… and 16 …). These families by all means were Albanian ones, which were the first to proselytize to a new religion Orthodox Albanians were the primarily element to proselytize to a new religion of the invader, and they were followed by the Catholics and at the end members of the other ethnic groups, who were minority in small quantity. At the end it could be said that for the time being we lack data to give a final judgment about the reasons for spreading of Islam among Albanian population and not the Slavic minority despite the fact they were living under the same historical conditions. Anyhow, it could be concluded, besides others, that it was the influence of Peja Patriarchate, which was stronger among Slavic Orthodox minority than Albanian Orthodox population; the fact that Albanians were lacking in religious unity, they were lacking in a common church etc.

• Details
• Contents