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The '''Torbeši''' ({{lang-mk|Торбеши}}) are a [[Islam|Muslim]] [[Macedonian language|Macedonian-speaking]] [[ethnoreligious]] group in North Macedonia and Albania.<ref name="db" /> They have been culturally distinct from the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christian]] Macedonian community for centuries, and are and linguistically distinct from the larger Muslim ethnic groups in the greater region of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]]: the [[Albanians in North Macedonia|Albanians]], [[Turks in North Macedonia|Turks]] and [[Romani people|Romanis]]. However, some Torbeši also still maintain a strong affiliation with [[Turkey|Turkish]] identity and with [[Macedonian Turks]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yXYKAgAAQBAJ&q=turks+western+thrace+50+000&pg=PA974 |title = Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities|isbn = 9781135193881|last1 = Skutsch|first1 = Carl|date = 2013-11-07}}</ref> The regions inhabited by these Macedonian-speaking Muslims are Debarska Župa, Dolni Drimkol, [[Reka (region)|Reka]], and [[Gollobordë|Golo Brdo]] (in Albania).
The '''Torbeši''' ({{lang-mk|Торбеши}}) are a [[Islam|Muslim]] [[Macedonian language|Macedonian-speaking]] [[ethnoreligious]] group in North Macedonia and Albania.<ref name="db" /> The Torbeši are also referred to as '''Macedonian Muslims''' ({{lang-mk|Македонци-муслимани|Makedonci-muslimani}}) or '''Muslim Macedonians'''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kowan |first=J. |year=2000 |title=Macedonia: The Politics of Identity and Difference |location=London |publisher=Pluto Press |isbn=0-7453-1594-1 |page=111 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Politics, Power and the Struggle for Democracy in South-East Europe |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Politics_Power_and_the_Struggle_for_Demo/bNvbHCUs3tUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=macedonian+muslims&pg=PA256&printsec=frontcover |page=256 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1997 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Anthropological Field on the Margins of Europe, 1945-1991 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Anthropological_Field_on_the_Margins/gPTYAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=macedonian+muslims&pg=PA287&printsec=frontcover |page=287 |publisher=LIT Verlag |year=2013 |isbn=9783643905079 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The New Macedonian Question |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_New_Macedonian_Question/_OggDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=macedonian+muslims&pg=PA115&printsec=frontcover |page=115 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=1999 |isbn=9780230535794 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title= |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Who_Are_the_Macedonians/8_zeaeTOz6YC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=macedonian+muslims&pg=PA124&printsec=frontcover |page=124 isbn=9780253213594 |author=Hugh Poulton |publisher=Indiana University Press}}</ref> They have been culturally distinct from the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christian]] Macedonian community for centuries, and are and linguistically distinct from the larger Muslim ethnic groups in the greater region of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]]: the [[Albanians in North Macedonia|Albanians]], [[Turks in North Macedonia|Turks]] and [[Romani people|Romanis]]. However, some Torbeši also still maintain a strong affiliation with [[Turkey|Turkish]] identity and with [[Macedonian Turks]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yXYKAgAAQBAJ&q=turks+western+thrace+50+000&pg=PA974 |title = Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities|isbn = 9781135193881|last1 = Skutsch|first1 = Carl|date = 2013-11-07}}</ref> The regions inhabited by these Macedonian-speaking Muslims are Debarska Župa, Dolni Drimkol, [[Reka (region)|Reka]], and [[Gollobordë|Golo Brdo]] (in Albania).


==Name==
==Name==

Revision as of 17:04, 30 April 2023

This article is about Muslim Macedonian-speaking ethnoreligious group. For other Muslim populations from the wider region of Macedonia, see Selânikli, Pomaks, Vallahades, Gorani.
Torbeši
Female folk dance of Torbeši in the village of Gorno Kosovrasti, near Debar
Total population
39,555[1][2] (1981)
5,816 (2021 census)[3][note 1]
Regions with significant populations
Western North Macedonia, Torbešija, Eastern Albania
Languages
Macedonian
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Macedonians, Pomaks, Macedonian Turks, Bulgarians
Part of a series on
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Other topics

The Torbeši (Macedonian: Торбеши) are a Muslim Macedonian-speaking ethnoreligious group in North Macedonia and Albania.[7] The Torbeši are also referred to as Macedonian Muslims (Macedonian: Македонци-муслимани, romanized: Makedonci-muslimani) or Muslim Macedonians.[8][9][10][11][12] They have been culturally distinct from the Orthodox Christian Macedonian community for centuries, and are and linguistically distinct from the larger Muslim ethnic groups in the greater region of Macedonia: the Albanians, Turks and Romanis. However, some Torbeši also still maintain a strong affiliation with Turkish identity and with Macedonian Turks.[13] The regions inhabited by these Macedonian-speaking Muslims are Debarska Župa, Dolni Drimkol, Reka, and Golo Brdo (in Albania).

Name

There are many ethnonyms which are used for the Macedonian-speaking Muslims. The most widespread ethnonym - which is also their endonym - is Torbeši.[14]

In some sources they are grouped together with Pomaks.[15][16][17][18] The Muslim Macedonian-speaking community of Gollobordë is known as Gollobordas[19][20] Among other names asribed to them are Macedonian-speaking Muslims, Nashintsi, Apovci, Poturi and Turci (Turks). [21] There are numerous theories on the origin of the term. Some link it to an old Slavic tribe Torbeachei, whereas other theories have suggested a derivation from the Persian torbekes meaning person with a bag. According to one theory, the Torbeši werer a group of public servants in the Ottoman Empire tasked to carry bags (Turkish: torba oglanlari). Some scholars have linked the term with the kutugeri, a group of Bogomil missionaries who carried bags.[22] Some other sources refer to them as Macedonian Muslims (Macedonian: Македонци-муслимани, romanized: Makedonci-muslimani) or Muslim Macedonians.[23]

Origins

The Torbeši are largely the descendants of Orthodox Christian Slavs from the region of Macedonia who were converted to Islam during the centuries when the Ottoman Empire ruled the Balkans.[24] The various Sufi orders (like the Khalwati, Rifa'is and Qadiris) all played a role in the conversion of the Slavic and Paulician population.[25]

Areas of settlement

North Macedonia

The largest concentration of Torbeš can be found in western North Macedonia and eastern Albania. Most of the villages in Debar regions are populated by Torbeš. The Struga municipality also holds a large number of Macedonian Muslims who are primarily concentrated in the large village of Labuništa. Further north in the Debar region many of the surrounding villages are inhabited by Torbeš. The Dolna Reka region is also primarily populated by Torbeš. Places such as Rostuša and also have large Torbeš populations. Another large concentration of Torbeš is in the so-called Torbešija which is just south of Skopje. There are also major concentrations in the central region of North Macedonia, surrounding the Plasnica municipality and the Dolneni municipality.

Albania

The Muslim Macedonian-speaking community of Gollobordë is known as Gollobordas and in Albania people from the community are considered Albanians instead of Macedonians, even by the Albanian state, and they are known to intermarry with Muslim Albanians and not with Orthodox Macedonians.[19][20]

In the late 90s, Macedonian linguist Božidar Vidoeski conducted a study on the Macedonian speaking population of Albania. During that time, he notes the existence of a Torbeš population in Gollobordë, on the Macedonian-Albanian border, specifically in the villages of Vërnicë, Trebisht Lladomericë, Gjinovec, Klenjë, Lejçan, Lubalesh, Ostren i Madh and Ostren i Vogël, Okshtun, Pasinkë, Radovesh, Sebisht, Sërpetovë, Stebleve, Tuçep, Tërbaç. An Albanian population dominated in the northern Gollobordë villages of Sebishtë, Pasinkë, Vërnicë, Ostren i Madh and Ostren i Vogël.[26]

Demographics

The exact numbers of Torbeš are not easy to establish. The historian Ivo Banac estimates that in the old Kingdom of Yugoslavia, before World War II, the Torbeš population stood at around 27,000.[27] Subsequent censuses have produced dramatically varying figures: 1,591 in 1953, 3,002 in 1961, 1,248 in 1971 and 39,355 in 1981. Commentators have suggested that the latter figure includes many who previously identified themselves as Turks. Meanwhile, the Association of Macedonian Muslims has claimed that since World War II more than 70,000 Macedonian Muslims have been assimilated by other Muslim groups, most notably the Albanians.[28]

Ethnic affiliation

There are some tensions with the Macedonian Christian community over the widespread association between Macedonian national identity and adherence to the Macedonian Orthodox Church.[29]

The 2021 North Macedonia census was the first to have a separate ethnic category for Torbeš; a total of 4,174 individuals in the country identified as such and a further 455 identified as "Muslim Macedonians". However, data at the municipal and settlement levels is not available for these groups. There were also 1,187 individuals who declared as Muslims.[3]

In municipalities containing the largest concentrations of Torbeš villages,[7] the 2021 census results were as follows for individuals who participated in the census:

Municipality Muslim (%)[30] Macedonian mother tongue (%)[31] Ethnic affiliations[32]
Centar Župa 99.4 28.6 Turk: 86.1%; Macedonian: 7.0%; Albanian 5.6%; Other 1.2%
Debar 97.9 32.1 Albanian: 60.7%; Turk: 19.7%; Macedonian: 8.3%; Other 3.1%
Mavrovo and Rostuša 79.2 88.9 Turk: 33.7%; Macedonian: 31.9%; Other: 23.2%; Albanian: 10.2%
Struga 67.9 46.7 Albanian: 54.4%; Macedonian: 31.4%; Turk: 7.3%; Other: 5.1%

Political activities

The principal outlet for Macedonian Muslim political activities has been the Association of Macedonian Muslims. It was established in 1970 with the support of the authorities, probably as a means of keeping Macedonian Muslim aspirations in control.[33]

A controversy broke out in 1995 when the Albanian-dominated Meshihat or council of the Islamic community in North Macedonia declared that Albanian was the official language of Muslims in Macedonia. The decision prompted protests from the leaders and members of the Macedonian Muslim community.[29]

Notable people

Gallery

After falling under Ottoman rule, many mosques and other Islamic buildings, such as the Isa Bey Mosque, sprang up all over cities like Skopje
  • Ottoman Bitola in the 1800s
    Ottoman Bitola in the 1800s
  • Prilep at the end of the 19th century
    Prilep at the end of the 19th century
  • Minarets in the Ottoman Skopje skyline
    Minarets in the Ottoman Skopje skyline
  • Ottoman Štip
    Ottoman Štip

See also

References

  1. ^ 4,174 declared as Torbeš, 1,187 as Muslims and 455 as Muslim Macedonians

Sources

  • Damjanovski, Ivan (2021). "Old Communities and New Controversies: the community of Macedonian-speaking Muslims between ethnicity and religion". Political Thought. 62.

External links

  1. ^ Hugh, Poulton (2000). Who Are the Macedonians?. Hurst & Company, London. p. 124. ISBN 9781850655343.
  2. ^ Pettifer, James (1999). The new Macedonian Question. Macmillan Press Ltd. p. 115. ISBN 9780230535794.
  3. ^ a b "Вкупно резидентно население во Република Северна Македонија според изјаснувањето за етничката припадност, по пол, Попис 2021". State Statistical office.
  4. ^ Gallagher, Tom (2005). The Balkans In The New Millennium: In the Shadow of War and Peace. London: Routledge. p. 85. ISBN 0-415-34940-0.
  5. ^ Kappeler, Andreas; Edward Allworth; Gerhard Simon; Georg Brunner (1994). Muslim communities reemerge: historical perspectives on nationality, politics, and opposition in the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Duke University Press. p. 331. ISBN 0-8223-1490-8.
  6. ^ Poulton, Hugh (2000). Who are the Macedonians?. C. Hurst & Co. p. 124. ISBN 1-85065-534-0.
  7. ^ a b Dimitar Bechev (2019). Historical Dictionary of North Macedonia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 291.
  8. ^ Kowan, J. (2000). Macedonia: The Politics of Identity and Difference. London: Pluto Press. p. 111. ISBN 0-7453-1594-1.
  9. ^ Politics, Power and the Struggle for Democracy in South-East Europe. Cambridge University Press. 1997. p. 256.
  10. ^ The Anthropological Field on the Margins of Europe, 1945-1991. LIT Verlag. 2013. p. 287. ISBN 9783643905079.
  11. ^ The New Macedonian Question. Palgrave Macmillan. 1999. p. 115. ISBN 9780230535794.
  12. ^ Hugh Poulton. Indiana University Press. p. 124 isbn=9780253213594 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Who_Are_the_Macedonians/8_zeaeTOz6YC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=macedonian+muslims&pg=PA124&printsec=frontcover. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing pipe in: |page= (help)
  13. ^ Skutsch, Carl (2013-11-07). Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. ISBN 9781135193881.
  14. ^ Damjanovski 2021, p. 29.
  15. ^ Report of the International Commission to Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars, published by the Endowment Washington, D.C. 1914, p.28, 155, 288, 317, Лабаури, Дмитрий Олегович. Болгарское национальное движение в Македонии и Фракии в 1894-1908 гг: Идеология, программа, практика политической борьбы, София 2008, с. 184-186, Поп Антов, Христо. Спомени, Скопje 2006, с. 22-23, 28-29, Дедиjeр, Jевто, Нова Србија, Београд 1913, с. 229, Петров Гьорче, Материали по изучаванието на Македония, София 1896, с. 475 (Petrov, Giorche. Materials on the Study of Macedonia, Sofia, 1896, p. 475)
  16. ^ Center for Documentation and Information on Minorities in Europe - Southeast Europe (CEDIME-SE). Muslims of Macedonia. p. 2, 11
  17. ^ Лабаури, Дмитрий Олегович. Болгарское национальное движение в Македонии и Фракии в 1894-1908 гг: Идеология, программа, практика политической борьбы, София 2008, с. 184, Кънчов, Васил. Македония. Етнография и статистика, с. 39-53 (Kanchov, Vasil. Macedonia — ethnography and statistics Sofia, 1900, p. 39-53),Leonhard Schultze Jena. «Makedonien, Landschafts- und Kulturbilder», Jena, G. Fischer, 1927
  18. ^ Fikret Adanir, Die Makedonische Frage: Ihre Entstehung und Entwicklung bis 1908, Wiesbaden 1979 (in Bulgarian: Аданър, Фикрет. Македонският въпрос, София2002, с. 20)
  19. ^ a b De Rapper, Gilles (14–16 June 2001). "The son of three fathers has no hat on his head. Life and social representations in a Macedonian village of Albania". University College London: 6. Retrieved 29 July 2016. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  20. ^ a b Pieroni, Andrea; Cianfaglione, Kevin; Nedelcheva, Anely; Hajdari, Avni; Mustafa, Behxhet; Quave, Cassandra (2014). "Resilience at the border: traditional botanical knowledge among Macedonians and Albanians living in Gollobordo, Eastern Albania". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 10 (31): 2. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-10-31. PMC 3998745. PMID 24685013.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  21. ^ *Damjanovski, Ivan (2021) Old Communities and New Controversies: the community of Macedonian-speaking Muslims between ethnicity and religion, Political Thought 62: {{tquote|Also there is a big number of ethnonyms ascribed to the Macedonian speaking Muslims. Amongst others, most notable ethnonyms that are used in different regional contexts in Macedona are: Nashintsi, Pomaks, Apovci, Poturi and Turks. However the most widespread ethnonym (which is also accepted in the academic and political circles) is Torbesh, although the term has polarizing effects on some parts of the Macedonian speaking Muslim community
  22. ^ *Damjanovski, Ivan (2021) Old Communities and New Controversies: the community of Macedonian-speaking Muslims between ethnicity and religion, Political Thought 62: {{tquote|The term itself is etymologically problematic since there are numerous assumptions on its origin and meaning. Thus, in some accounts the ethnonym is linked with the name of an old Slavic tribe Torbachei, whilst other explanations relate the word with the Persian word torbekes which signifies a person ‘with a bag’. Other accounts correlate the word Torbesh with a specific cluster of public servants in the Turkish army that used to carry bags (torba oglanlari), whilst some scholars link the term with the Bogomil missionaries that carried bags (kutugeri)
  23. ^ Kowan, J. (2000). Macedonia: The Politics of Identity and Difference. London: Pluto Press. p. 111. ISBN 0-7453-1594-1.
  24. ^ Andrew Rossos, Macedonia and the Macedonians: a history, Hoover Institution Press, 2008, ISBN 0817948813, p. 52.
  25. ^ Hugh Poulton, Who are the Macedonians?, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 1995, ISBN 1850652384, pp. 29-31.
  26. ^ Vidoeski, Božidar (1998). Dijalektite na makedonskiot jazik. Vol. 1. Makedonska akademija na naukite i umetnostite. ISBN 978-9989-649-50-9. p. 214. "Заедно со македонско христијанско население Торбеши живеат и во селата: Могорче, Требиште, Велебрдо, Ростуше, Јанче, Долно Косоврасти (во Река), Горенци, Житинени (во Жупа), Џепиште, Себишта, Пасинки, Големо и Мало Острени, Требишта, (во Голо Брдо),"; p. 309. "Во западна Македонија исламизирано македонско население живее во неколку географски региони на македонско-албанската пограничје:... Голо Брдо (Врмница, Владимирци, Гиновци, Клење, Лешничани, Љуболези, Големо и Мало Острени, Окштун, Отишани, Пасинки, Радовиште, Себишча, Српетово, Стеблево, Тучепи, Торбач, Џепишта)"; p. 339. "Во повеќето од спомнативе села живее население - со македонски и со албански мачин јазик. Албанското население доминира во северните голобрдски села (Себишта, Пасинки, Врмница, Големо и Мало Острени). Селата: Лешничани, Требиште, Српетово, Торбач, Љуболези, Владимирица и Тучепи се населени со Македонски муслимани (Торбеши), а во Себишта, Требиште, Г. и М. Острени живее мешано население - православни и Торбеши."
  27. ^ Banac, Ivo (1989). The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics. Cornell University Press. p. 50. ISBN 0-8014-9493-1.
  28. ^ Poulton, Hugh (1995). Who Are the Macedonians?. C. Hurst & Co. p. 124.
  29. ^ a b Duncan M. Perry, "The Republic of Macedonia: finding its way", in Politics, Power and the Struggle for Democracy in South-East Europe, ed. Karen Dawisha, Bruce Parrott, p. 256. (Cambridge University Press, 1997)
  30. ^ "Вкупно резидентно население во Република Северна Македонија според изјаснувањето за религиската припадност, по пол, по општини, Попис 2021". State Statistical Office.
  31. ^ "Вкупно резидентно население во Република Северна Македонија според мајчиниот јазик, по пол, по општини, Попис 2021". State Statistical Office.
  32. ^ "Вкупно резидентно население во Република Северна Македонија според изјаснувањето за етничката припадност, по пол, по општини, Попис 2021". State Statistical Office.
  33. ^ Hugh Poulton, "Changing Notions of National Identity among Muslims", in Muslim Identity and the Balkan States, ed. Hugh Poulton, Suha Taji-Farouki (C. Hurst & Co, 1997)
  34. ^ "Selmin Sakiri: Lebenslauf, Bücher und Rezensionen bei LovelyBooks". LovelyBooks. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
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