Lower Kolašin
Lower Kolasin, (Donji Kolasin in Bosnian), also known as Vranes, is a geographic area in the present-day municipality of Bijelo Polje in the region of Sandzak. It is situated in a picturesque Vranes Valley formed around the river Ljubovidja. The most important local populated centers are Sahovici and Pavino Polje.
History
The area of Lower Kolasin is mentioned in medieval documents in the 13th century (1281) as Ljubovidja County. The name was derived from the river that cuts throught the Vranes Valley. The geography of Ljubovidja County was much broader, and it included an area from the river Tara in the West to, and beyond the river Lim, in the East, and also from Brodarevo in the North to south of Mojkovac in the South.
Ottoman Empire established its rule over a part of Vranes in 1396, and managed to occupy the entire area by 1463-1465, making it part of Herzegovina. The first Turkish censuses from 1468 and 1477 reveal that the local administrator at that time was one Herak Vranes, a member of the indigenous population that predates migration of Slavs from the North. Lower Kolasin remained a part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912.
In 1912, during the First Balkan War, Montenegro occupied Lower Kolasin on October 12, 1912, imposing a rule of terror and fear over the local prevalent Bosniak population. Shortly thereafter, the three local municipalities were formed in Lower Kolasin with centers in Sahovici, Pavino Polje, and Stozer. Mass killings of local Bosniak population led to their widespread migration to Turkey.
After the local Montenegrin administrator, Bosko Boskovic was murdered near Obod by his Montenegrin countrymen, the Montenegrin nationalists used that as an excuse to blame a local Bosniak Jusuf Mehonic for the killing, which would open a way for the complete expulsion of Bosniaks from Lower Kolasin. On November 9/10, 1924, armed hordes of Montenegrin peasents massacred up to 600-700 Bosniaks in Lower Kolasin, committing most atricious crimes. Following this event, all survived Bosniaks left Lower Kolasin moving to other parts of Sandzak, Bosnia, or Turkey. One family converted to Orthodox Christianity and saved itself from physical extermination.
Demographics
The present-day population of Lower Kolasin is 4300, all Serbs and Montenegrins.
Prior to the massacre in 1924, according to the census in 1912, Lower Kolasin had 14.838 inhabitants, with the following ethnic distribution:
- Mojkovac municipality: Bosniaks 1.581, Serbs 1.293;
- Ravna Rijeka municipality: Bosniaks 2.003, Serbs 679;
- Stozer municipality: Bosniaks 1.160, Serbs 1.971;
- Pavino Polje municipality: Bosniaks 3.230, Serbs 641;
- Sahovici municipality: Bosniaks 2.132, Serbs 119.
In percentages, the overall breakdown is:
- Bosniaks: 10.106 or 68.1%
- Serbs: 4.703 or 31.7%
- Others: 29 or 0.2%
List of Bosniak families who lived in Lower Kolasin before 1924 massacre
To be posted.
References
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External links
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