Mataguzi (alternatively, ''Matagushi'' or ''Mataguzhi'', sr-Cyrl, Матагужи, sr-Lat, Mataguži) was an

Albanian tribe The Albanian tribes () form a historical mode of social organization (''farefisní'') in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties and shared social ties. The ''fis'' ( sq-defini ...

in the Middle Ages in southern Montenegro, on the northern shores of

Lake Skadar Lake Skadar or Lake Scutari (, ; cnr-Cyrl-Latn, Скадарско језеро, Skadarsko jezero, )also called Lake Shkodra (and ''Lake Shkodër'')lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro, and is the largest lake in Southern Europe. It is n ...

. Their area of settlement included the modern village of

Mataguži Mataguži (, ) is a village in the new Zeta Municipality of Montenegro. Until 2022, it was part of Podgorica Municipality. Mataguži is located in the Upper Zeta region, just north of Lake Skadar Lake Skadar or Lake Scutari (, ; cnr-Cyrl-La ...

which takes its name from the tribe.

History

They appear in historical record for the first time in 1330 in the Dečani chrysobulls as part of the Albanian (''arbanas'') ''katun'' (pastoral community) of Llesh Tuzi, in an area stretching southwards from modern

Tuzi Municipality Tuzi Municipality ( / ; ) is one of the 25 Municipalities of Montenegro. The municipal seat is the town of Tuzi. The municipality is located about 10 km south of the capital Podgorica and consists of more than 40 distinct settlements. The mun ...

along the

to a village near modern Koplik. This katund included many communities that later formed their own separate communities: Matagushi and his brothers, Reçi and his sons, Bushati and his sons, Pjetër Suma (ancestor of Gruda) and Pjetër Kuçi, first known ancestor of Kuči. About a century later, the Mataguzi were nominally vassals of

Balša III Balša III ( sr-cyr, Балша III; ) or Balsha III (1387 – 28 April 1421, in Belgrade) was the fifth and last ruler of Zeta from the Balšić noble family, from April 1403 to April 1421. He was the son of Đurađ II and Jelena Lazarević. ...

. Their lands bordered those of Hoti with whom they were in dispute over pasture lands in the 1410s. Balša passed judgment against Hoti in the dispute with the Mataguzi, but despite his support to them, Hoti took over the disputed lands. Mataguzi retaliated by killing four Hoti tribesmen. As Balša III again sided with Mataguži and did not call for punishment for the killings, Hoti switched fealty to Venice in return for their support in 1416. People from this tribe appear twice in the Venetian cadaster of Scutari in 1416-7. One ''Lazër Matagulshi'' lived in the village of Grizhë, south of Koplik and an ''Andrea Matagulshi'' lived south of Gjadër in the village of Kakarriq. In 1455, they appear as one of the communities that swore fealty to Venice in an assembly on the island of Vranjina. The assembly was organized by Venetian vassal

Stefan Crnojević Stefan Crnojević ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Црнојевић), known as Stefanica (; 1426–1465) was the Zeta under the Crnojevići, Lord of Zeta between 1451 and 1465. Until 1441, as a knyaz he was one of many governors in Upper Zeta, whic ...

to whom their settlement, the modern village of Mataguzi paid taxes. The subject of the assembly was the re-affirmation of allegiance to Venice in the face of Ottoman expansion. The Mataguzi were a Christian Orthodox community. In 1468, their leaders donated to the Vranjina Monastery a land area between Rijeka Plavnica and Karabež on the shores of Lake Skadar. The village of Mataguži is named after them. As the lake expanded and land was lost to the increasing level of water they had to relocate to the modern settlement. Today, the families of the Grbavčević brotherhood (''bratstvo'') in the village may be descended from them.

Bibliography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mataguzi Tribes of Montenegro Tribes of Albania