Banjani - History

History

At the time of Ottoman occupation in 1466 was part of the Sanjak of Herzegovina, now a modern Montenegro in the composition of which they returned a negligible part of 1860, a final 1878. It is known that Banjani, before the Ottoman arrival, belonged to early Montenegrin state - Kingdom of Doclea, than belonged for two centuries to Nemanjić Serbia, and after the fall of the Serbian Empire was part of the second Montenegrin state - Principality of Zeta and of the Kingdom of Bosnia. Banjani are in central area between Nikšić and Bileća - from the tops of Njegoš mountain, where the ancestors of the Dynasty of Petrović-Njegoš lived in underhill in Muževice village, who as a merchant family came from Zenica in Bosnia, to Trebišnjica and Bileća lake area. The surface is, at the discretion of about 380 square kilometers. Contiguous with other Montenegrin tribes: Golija the north, the east Trepačke Rudine, Grahovo in the south and west to the state border of the Republic of Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Oputne Rudine region). In the past, Banjani borders to the south and east have been different. At this direction tribe bordering on Riđani, a Vlach clan that assimilated or migrated to the end of the 17th century, and on its territory form two new clans - Grahovo and Trepačke Rudine. The newly formed tribes, therefore, extended to the territory of the Banjani. Mountain ranges and Mt. Njegoš and Mt. Somina makes Banjani natural border to the north, and from the northwest to the southwest border and go a little more open tops Brekovac, Bratogošt, Tisovac and comes down on Trebišnjica and Bilećko lake. Southern and eastern boundaries of Banjani are going over hilly surface, with no major natural barriers.

The Banjani are first mentioned in written records in 1319, in documents of the Serbian Kingdom, during the rule of King Stefan Milutin. The name likely derived from banja, which means "bath" or "spa". It could also derive from the word ban - the duke. Some newer sources claim that the Banjani derive their name from the "Vlach Banjani" (Aromanian) who as nomads came from Banjane in Republic of Macedonia.

Tribe saint-day of Banjani is St. John the Baptist day (Jovanjdan), January 20, although there are clans who do not celebrate it. The meeting place was Kruška, where they held the clan assembly and made important decisions. Some words are kept in the monastery Kosijerevo, mostly those who had a wider significance.