A CONTRIBUTION TO THE RELATIONS BETWEEN SERBIAN CONSULS IN PRIŠTINA WITH OTTOMAN AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA Cover Image

ПРИЛОГ ОДНОСИМА СРПСКИХ КОНЗУЛА У ПРИШТИНИ СА ОСМАНСКИМ ВЛАСТИМА НА КОСОВУ И МЕТОХИЈИ
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE RELATIONS BETWEEN SERBIAN CONSULS IN PRIŠTINA WITH OTTOMAN AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Author(s): Milun Stijović
Subject(s): Local History / Microhistory, Political history
Published by: Istorijski institut, Beograd
Keywords: Consulate in Priština; consul; Ottoman authorities; mutessarif; Serbs; Kosovo and Metohija.

Summary/Abstract: The opening of the consulate in Priština in 1889 marked the beginning of the official presence of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija. The primary task of the Consulate was to protect the Serbian people. One of the ways of doing so were interventions with the Ottoman authorities. However, the authorities were mistrustful and, for some time, even openly inimical to the Consulate and consuls. A great obstacle to the successful work of the Consulate was the fact that it was controlled from the first day. The consuls’ movements were followed and even hindered, and the Serbs who arrived were controlled and intimidated. Some representatives of the Ottoman authorities could be cooperated with. Such were the mutessarif of Peć Suleiman Pasha and the mutessarif of Priština Suleiman Bahri Pasha. However, with the arrival of the following mutessarif, everything would become as before. Despite all efforts to improve the position of the Serbian people through peaceful, diplomatic means, and with occasionally different, stricter measures, such as the armament of the Serbs etc., the Serbian government was not particularly successful. On the one hand, the Porte valued highly good relations with the Albanians, who were their support both in internal politics (they were used to keep the “unreliable” Serbs obedient) and external politics (their devotion to the Muslim faith and state was used). On the other hand, the Turkish authorities were too weak to protect the interests of the Christians even when they wanted to. The relations between Serbian consuls and representatives of the Ottoman authorities were important, but even at the time when those relations were at their best, the position of the Serbian population did not improve much. The only possibility to permanently secure a better life for the Serbian people was their liberation. Due to the comprehensiveness of the topic, the paper covers the activity of some consuls, which can illustrate the nature of those relations.

  • Issue Year: 2019
  • Issue No: 68
  • Page Range: 331-347
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Serbian