Five documents from the Ottoman archive in Istanbul on the Bosnian language outside Bosnia in the 19th century Cover Image

Pet dokumenata iz osmanskog arhiva u Istanbulu o bosanskom jeziku izvan Bosne u XIX stoljeću
Five documents from the Ottoman archive in Istanbul on the Bosnian language outside Bosnia in the 19th century

Author(s): Amina Lila
Subject(s): Archiving, Historical Linguistics, South Slavic Languages, 19th Century, The Ottoman Empire
Published by: Institut za jezik
Keywords: Ottoman Archive; Bosnian language; Belgrade; Kumanovo; Pljevlja; Mitrovica; Istanbul;

Summary/Abstract: Due to its colossal capacity and significant historical value, the Ottoman Archive in Istanbul is one of the greatest legacies of the Ottoman Empire to the modern Republic of Turkey. Its importance is not only crucial for the research and study of Turkish national history, but also for the history of countries that were part of the Ottoman Empire for a certain period. Since it is a state archive, its records mainly refer to the bureaucratic mechanism and contain basic information on all individuals within the state structure, including sultans, the grand vizirs and ordinary scribes respectfully, depending on their role in solving current issues. Thanks to the rich descriptive character of the documents, it is easy to find out details about the nature of socio-cultural events. The same goes for the topic of the Bosnian language, which is mentioned, directly and indirectly, in numerous letters written and addressed to various ministries, government and private individuals. Many documents bear witness to the usage of the Bosnian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, yet this paper is thematically limited to those recorded in various places outside the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 19th century. This work includes documents from Belgrade (Serbia), Kumanovo (North Macedonia), Taslidža/ Pljevlja (Montenegro), Mitrovica (Kosovo) and Istanbul (Turkey), historically known as the municipalities in the Vilayat of Bosnia, Istanbul and Kosovo, as well as The Principality of Serbia.

  • Issue Year: 2022
  • Issue No: 33
  • Page Range: 37-53
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Bosnian