Banjani
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Banjani ( sr-cyrl, Бањани) was a
tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
in
Old Herzegovina Old Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Stara Hercegovina, Стара Херцеговина) is a historical region, covering the eastern parts of historical Herzegovina, outside the scope of modern Herzegovina. A large section of ''Old Herzegovina'' ...
, and historical region in western
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
. Its territory comprises , west of
Nikšić Nikšić (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Никшић, ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 32,046 (2023 census) located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot of Trebjesa ...
, in the centre between
Nikšić Nikšić (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Никшић, ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 32,046 (2023 census) located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot of Trebjesa ...
and
Bileća Bileća ( sr-cyrl, Билећа) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,476 inhabitants, while the municipality has 10,807 inhabitants. History The first traces of ci ...
, from the top of Njegoš mountain to the
Trebišnjica The Trebišnjica ( sr-cyrl, Требишњица) is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the right tributary of the Neretva. Before it was utilized for hydro exploitation via various hydrotechnical interventions and systems with different purp ...
river, and on to the
Bileća Lake Bileća ( sr-cyrl, Билећа) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,476 inhabitants, while the municipality has 10,807 inhabitants. History The first traces of ci ...
. All Banjani families have ''Jovanjdan'' ( St. John's feast day, January 20) as their '' slava'' (a Serbian Orthodox tradition).


History

The first written mention of the Banjani is in 1319. Some scholars argued that the name could derive from ''balnea'' (sr. ''banja''), which means "bath" or "spa". According to oral tradition, the tribal name comes from Banjska in
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
from where they migrated. The Novljani were a medieval Serb community, which became a component part of the Drobnjaci tribe in
Old Herzegovina Old Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Stara Hercegovina, Стара Херцеговина) is a historical region, covering the eastern parts of historical Herzegovina, outside the scope of modern Herzegovina. A large section of ''Old Herzegovina'' ...
(in
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
). According to folklore, the Novljani settled
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
at the time of the Serb settlement in the Balkans, then later crossed into the Banjani plateau in Old Herzegovina. From there, the Novljani and other Serb tribes pushed out the native population towards the Tara and source of Morača, and towards the south, Podgorica, and then settled and divided the conquered lands between themselves. The Novljani received the wide land that later encompassed the tribes of Banjani and Drobnjaci. Sir
Arthur Evans Sir Arthur John Evans (8 July 1851 – 11 July 1941) was a British archaeologist and pioneer in the study of Aegean civilization in the Bronze Age. The first excavations at the Minoan palace of Knossos on the List of islands of Greece, Gree ...
noted that the Banjani were mentioned as
Vlachs Vlach ( ), also Wallachian and many other variants, is a term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate speakers of Eastern Romance languages living in Southeast Europe—south of the Danube (the Balkan peninsula ...
in
Herzegovina Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical Regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia (reg ...
and Montenegro of the Middle Ages in Ragusan reports and Serbian
chrysobulls A golden bull or chrysobull was a decree issued by Byzantine emperors and monarchs in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Description A golden bull was a decree issued by Byzantine Emperors. It was later used by monarchs in Europe ...
. In Herzegovina were situated on the territory of Jezera and Piva. At the end of 14th century ''katunar'' (head of the tribe) was Jurek Junaković, later Herak Draženović of Radovan (1412), a certain Nenad (1432), and so on. Initially vassals of
Pavlović Pavlović (Serbo-Croatian) or Pavlovič (in Slovenian and Slovak) is a surname of South Slavic origin stemming from the male given name Pavao, Pavle or Pavel, which are all Slavic variants of Paul. It was formed using the patronymic suffix -o ...
(1430), in 1444 and 1463 they were recorded as vassals of
Stjepan Vukčić Kosača Stjepan Vukčić Kosača (1404–1466) was a powerful Bosnian Nobility, nobleman who was politically active from 1435 to 1466; the last three decades of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Middle Ages, Bosnian medieval history. During this period, ...
. They are mentioned in mid-15th century documents from the
Bay of Kotor The Bay of Kotor ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Boka kotorska, Бока которска, separator=" / ", ), also known as the Boka ( sh-Cyrl, Бока), is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated a ...
. At the time of the Ottoman occupation in 1466, the Banjani became part of southeastern
Sanjak of Herzegovina The Sanjak of Herzegovina (; ) was an Ottoman administrative unit established in 1470. The seat was in Foča until 1572 when it was moved to Taşlıca (Pljevlja). The sanjak was initially part of the Eyalet of Rumelia but was administrated int ...
. During occupation many Vlachs, including from Banjani, collaborated with the Ottomans as slave agents. In Jovan Radonjić's letter from 1789. to Queen Catherine II. in asking for support from Empress of Russia for the Serbs from different tribes and regions, Banjani were also included.Vukčević 1981, p. 46 Vujovic 1987, p. 172


Banjani society

According to
ethnologists Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Scien ...
, the basic cell for the development of the tribe was the ''katun''. The semi-nomadic people bred cattle in the summer on the mountain in the summer pasture and in the winter in the rural village on the bay. These cattle were inherited from
Vlachs Vlach ( ), also Wallachian and many other variants, is a term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate speakers of Eastern Romance languages living in Southeast Europe—south of the Danube (the Balkan peninsula ...
, Romans, Illyrians and other Balkan natives. One pasture would serve about 20 houses, and families were headed by ''katunar''.


Notable people

*
Novak Kilibarda Novak Kilibarda, PhD (Cyrillic: Новак Килибарда; 7 January 1934 – 23 May 2023) was a Montenegrin politician, professor, literary historian and writer. Early life and education Kilibarda was born on 7 January 1934 in the village ...
, Montenegrin politician and writer, born in Banjani * Mirko Kovač, Yugoslav writer, born in Petrovići *
Miljan Miljanić Miljan Miljanić ( sr-Cyrl, Миљан Миљанић; 4 May 1930 – 13 January 2012) was a Yugoslav and Serbian football administrator, coach and player who played as a defender. He was the all-powerful President of the Football Association ...
, Yugoslav footballer, coach and administrator, family from Banjani *
Jorge Capitanich Jorge Milton Capitanich (born November 28, 1964) is an Argentine politician, businessman, and accountant. He served as Governor of Chaco Province from 2007 to 2013, from February to December 2015, and later from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Jus ...
, Argentine politician, by paternal descent


See also

*
Grahovljani The Grahovo tribe ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, племе Грахово, pleme Grahovo, separator=" / ") or Grahovljani ( sr-Cyrl, Граховљани) is a historical Serbo-Montenegrin tribe and region of Old Herzegovina in Montenegro. The tribe was formed ...
, Historical region *
Vlachs in medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina Vlachs in medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina were a Western Balkans population descending from a mixture of Romanized pre-Slavic Romance-speaking peoples and the South Slavs. From the 14th century the ethnic meaning of term "Vlach" was replaced wit ...
*
Montenegrin clans The tribes of Montenegro ( Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, племена Црне Горе, plemena Crne Gore) or Montenegrin tribes (Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, црногорска племена, crnogorska plemena, link=no) are historical t ...


References


Sources

* * * * Momčilo S. Mićović: Mićovići iz Banjana u svom vremenu, Beograd, 2001. * Momčilo S. Mićović: Prigradina u vremenu i prostoru, Beograd 2007 * Svetozar Tomić: Banjani, Beograd, SANU, 1949. * Slobodan Raičević: Spomenici u staroj župi Onogošt, Beograd, 1992. *Dimitrije-Dimo Vujovic, Prilozi izucavanju crnogorskog nacionalnog pitanja /The Research of the Montenegrin Nationality/ (Niksic: Univerzitetska rijec, 1987), p. 172. {{Authority control Nikšić Regions of Montenegro Tribes of Montenegro