Süleyman's invasions of Montenegro

Süleyman's invasions of Montenegro
Part of Great Turkish War in Albania

Map of the Scutari region and Old Montenegro by Vincenzo Coronelli (1610).
DateFirst invasion: 1685
Second invasion: 1692
Location
Montenegro
Result

Scutari victory

Belligerents
Sanjak of Scutari Montenegro
Republic of Venice
Commanders and leaders
Süleyman Pasha (WIA) Bajo Pivljanin †
Francesco Morosini
Units involved
Bushati family
Brđani tribes		 Montenegrin hajduks
Troops from the Bay of Kotor
Venetian troops and irregulars
Strength
Large Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Heavy

The Süleyman invasions of Montenegro were a series of military campaigns led by Süleyman Bushati, the sanjak-bey of the Sanjak of Scutari, against the Vilayet of Montenegro and the Republic of Venice. The campaign would be carried out in 2 invasions, with the first one happening in 1685 and the second in 1692.

Background

Süleyman's feud with the Venetians began before he achieved the position of sanjak-bey of Scutari. In 1683, they would attempt to assassinate him by using poision, however this failed.[1] The following year, in 1684, the Venetians led a campaign in Montenegro against the Ottomans, landing in Kotor and capturing the fortress of Budva which was guarded by a small garrison, before beginning a march to Shkoder. They were stopped by the Bushati in between Kotor and Tivar, where they were defeated. Upon sending the captured Venetian officers, flags and generals, to Istanbul he would be given the title of pasha.[2]

Timeline

Prelude

As soon as Süleyman Bushati was appointed Sanjak-bey of Scutari, he would pay close attention to the Montenegro Vilayet. This led to him discovering the relations between Montenegro and the Republic of Venice.[3] After hearing talks between Rufim Boljević and provveditore Antonio Zeno, Süleyman would make it his goal to separate the relations of the Montenegrins and Brđani with the Venetians.[4]

First invasion

Main article: Battle of Vrtijeljka

During the Great Turkish War, in 1685, Süleyman led his own contingent with the goal of attacking Montenegro and capturing the capital of Cetinje.[5] He would be stopped near the hill of Vrtijeljka by a group of 1,200 hajduks led by Bajo Pivljanin and Vuković the Arbanas, leading to a battle on 7 May 1685. The Montenegrin forces were also made up of troops from the Bay of Kotor together with Primorci and Mahine tribesmen. The battle resulted in a victory for the Sanjak of Scutari, with most of the Montenegrin troops being killed, including Bajo and Vuković.[6][7]

Afterwards, Süleyman recruited the Brđani tribes who were in a dispute with Montenegro. With their help, he would penetrate towards Cetinje, entering the city together with 500 heads of Montenegrin soldiers, with which he paraded around the city. He would also attack the Cetinje monastery and the palace of Ivan Crnojević. This campaign led to Süleyman asserting his control over the Montenegro Vilayet.[8][9]

Second invasion

In 1692, the Venetians had re-entered Montenegro. This led to Süleyman invading Montenegro again with the help of the Brđani, who at the time were raiders who plundered the regions of Plav and Gusinje and possibly Peja in some instances. The Scutari-Brđani forces entered Cetinje and drove away the Venetians after a short battle.[10]

Süleyman would make an agreement with the Venetians which included 11 terms and the total Venetian withdrawal from Montenegro. Before leaving, the Venetians rigged their former stronghold where Süleyman was located, which exploded, killing dozens of Scutari-Ottoman troops as well as wounding Süleyman himself.[11]

Result

After his success against the Montenegrins and Venetians, Süleyman would be given the title of beylerbey of Rumelia in 1694.[12] According to Eqrem Vlora, he would instead become the sanjak-bey of Elbasan between 1693–1695.[2]

References

  1. ^ Injac Zamputi, Selami Pulaha, ed. (1990). Dokumente të shekujve XVI-XVII për historinë e Shqipërisë (1675-1699). Tiranë: Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë: Instituti i Historisë. p. 527.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  2. ^ a b Vlora, Eqrem bej; Von Godin, Marie Amelie von Godin (2010) [1956]. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Türkenherrschaft in Albanien: eine historische Skizze [Contributions to the history of Turkish rule in Albania: a Historical Sketch]. Vol. I. Tiranë: Shtëpia Botuese "55". pp. 282–283. ISBN 978-99943-56-83-6.
  3. ^ Stanojević, Gligor; Vasić, Milan (1975). Istorija Crne Gore (3): od početka XVI do kraja XVIII vijeka. Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Crne Gore. p. 174. OCLC 799489791.
  4. ^ Velibor V. Džomić (2006). Pravoslavlje u Crnoj Gori. Svetigora. ISBN 9788676600311. Када је скадарски паша Сулејман Бушатлија дознао за преговоре владике Рувима и провидура Зена, свим средствима је покушао да разбије тај савез и да Црногорце и Брђане одвоји од Млечана. [When the Pasha of Skadar, Sulejman Bušatlija, learned about the negotiations between Bishop Ruvim and the Providor Zeno, he tried by all means to break up that alliance and separate the Montenegrins and the people of Brda from the Venetians.].
  5. ^ Zbornik za narodni život i običaje južnih slavena. 1930. p. 109.
  6. ^ Enciklopedija Jugoslavije: Bje-Crn. Jugoslavenski Leksikografski Zavod. 1980. p. 49. ISBN 9788670530133.
  7. ^ Istorijsko društvo SR Crne Gore (2007). "Bajo Pivljanin – prilozi za biografiju". Istorijski Zapisi. 80 (1–4). Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore.
  8. ^ The South Slav Journal. Dositey Obradovich Circle. 1983. p. 93.
  9. ^ Peter II (Prince-Bishop of Montenegro) (1905). Gorski vijenac, vladike crnogorskoga. Hrvatska knjižarnica. p. 61.
  10. ^ Karadžić. Vol. 2–4. Štamparija Mate Jovanovnića Beograd. 1900. p. 74. Дрногорци су пристали уз Турке против Клемената и њихових савезника Врћана20), а седамдесет и две године касније, 1685. год., СулеЈман паша Бушатлија успео је да продре на Цетиње само уз припо- моћ Брђана, који су били у завади с Црногорцима.*7! То исто догодило се 1692. год., кад је Сулејман-пагаа поново изишао на Цетиње, те одатле одагнао Млечиће и умирио Црну Гору, коЈ"а је била пристала под заштиту млетачке републике.*8) 0 вери Бр- ђани су мало водили рачуна, да не нападају на своје саплеме- нике, јер им је плен био главна сврха. Од клементашких пак напада нарочито највише су патили Плаво, Гусиње и православнн живаљ у тим крајевима. Горе сам напоменуо да су се ови спуштали и у пећки крај,и тамо су били толико силни, да су им поједина села и ... [The Drnogorci sided with the Turks against the Clements and their allies the Vrćans20), and seventy-two years later, in 1685, Suleiman Pasha Bušatlija managed to penetrate Cetinje only with the help of the Brđans, who were at odds with the Montenegrins.*7! The same thing happened in 1692, when Suleiman the Magnificent again marched on Cetinje, drove the Venetians from there and pacified Montenegro, which had come under the protection of the Venetian Republic.*8) The people of Brda took little care not to attack their fellow tribesmen, because their main goal was plunder. Plavo suffered the most from Clement's attacks, Gusinje and the Orthodox population in those areas. I mentioned above that they also descended into the Peć region, and they were so strong there that they took over individual villages and ...]
  11. ^ "MONTENEGRINA - digitalna biblioteka crnogorske kulture i nasljedja".
  12. ^ Bushati, Hamdi (2003). Bushatllinjtë. Shkodër: Idromeno. pp. 47–49. ISBN 99927-841-2-1.
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