Sanjak of Dibra


Sanjak of Dibra, or Sanjak of Debar, was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire which county town was Debar in Macedonia. The western part of its territory today belongs to Albania and the east to the Republic of North Macedonia.

Territory and administration

Besides Debar the territory of this sanjak included part of territory of northern Albania, Krujë and areas between rivers Mat and Black Drin. In 1440 Skanderbeg was appointed as sanjakbey of Sanjak of Debar. Since mid-19th century the Sanjak of Dibra had two kazas: Debar and Reka. Before its disestablishment in 1912 it had four kazas: Debar, Reka, Mat and Lower Debar.

Scutari, Prizren, Kosovo and Monastir vilayets

In 1867, the Sanjak of Debar merged with the Sanjak of Prizren and Sanjak of Scutari and became the Scutari Vilayet. In 1871 Sanjak of Debar was joined with the Sanjak of Prizren, Sanjak of Skopje and Sanjak of Niš into one vilayet, Prizren Vilayet, which became part of the Kosovo Vilayet when it was established in 1877.
The Sanjak of Debar was separated from the Kosovo Vilayet and attached to the Monastir Vilayet after the Congress of Berlin in 1878. A half of the supplies of the sanjak of Dibra in period before its disestablishment came from Skopje and a quarter from Bitola.

Disestablishment

During the First Balkan War in 1912 and beginning of 1913 Sanjak of Debar was occupied by the Kingdom of Serbia. In 1914 the territory of Sanjak of Scutari became a part of Principality of Albania, established on the basis of peace contract signed during London Conference in 1913. On the basis of the Treaty of London signed during the London Conference in 1913, its territory was divided between Serbia and newly established Albania.

Demographics and social organisation

In the late Ottoman period the sanjak of Debre had a population 200,000 inhabitants. Debre was a town with 20,000 inhabitants, 420 shops, 9 mosques, 10 madrasas, 5 tekkes, 11 government run primary schools, 1 secondary school, 3 Christian primary schools and 1 church. An Ottoman army division was also stationed within the town. Within the sanjak Albanian tribes were known as the "Tigers of Dibra" and had dominance over the mountains and much of the valley with a reputation of intimidating landowners and peasants. These Malisors were mostly Muslim and governed themselves according to the tribal law of Skanderbeg with customs of upholding the besa and blood feuding. Mati was the largest tribe with 1,200 households and four Muslim families dominated the kaza of Mati such as the Zogolli who produced pashas and later Ahmet Zogu, future king of independent Albania. In the 1880s from an Albanian point of view the sanjak of Debre belonged to the region of Gegënia.

1897

According to Russian consul in the Manastir Vilayet, A. Rostkovski, finishing the statistical article in 1897, the total population was 82,644. Albanians were 52,144. In Upper Dibra and Reka there were 3,548 Albanian Christians; in Reka there were 3,518 Albanian Muslims, and 2,342 Albanian Christians. In Upper Dibra there were 12,355 Slavic Exarchists and 3,638 Slavic Patriarchists. In Reka there were 11,850 Slavic Exarchists and 172 Slavic Patriarchists. In Lower Dibra and Mat there were no Slavs. No Turks-Ottomans were recorded.

Governors