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Expulsion of the Albanians (1830–1876)
Part of Persecution of Muslims during the Ottoman contraction
Principality of Serbia from 1833–1878
Location	Morava Valley, west Serbia, Sanjak of Niš
Date	1830–1876
Target	Albanians and Muslims
Attack type	Ethnic cleansing, discrimination, forced expulsion
Victims	up to 150,000
Perpetrator	Principality of Serbia
Motive	Greater Serbia, Islamophobia, Albanophobia

The Expulsion of the Albanians (1830–1876) refers to the forced migration of Albanians from the Principality of Serbia from 1830 until the beginning of the Serbian–Ottoman Wars. During this period, Albanians were gradually expelled in order to ethnically cleanse the Serbian state. The Albanians were removed from Serbia either by force or by buying their homes.

The expulsions occurred in the regions of Morava Valley, the Sanjak of Niš, and west Serbia. The number of Albanians that were expelled or emigrated from Serbia from 1830 to 1876 is estimated to be up to roughly 150,000. Most of Serbia's Muslims were expelled by 1876.

Background

When the Serbian state became fully autonomous in 1817 (de facto 1815), Muslims and Albanian Catholics began leaving to the Ottoman Empire or to other places. Despite working with other peoples before, including Albanians, the Serbian government began viewing them as an existential threat to the nation. As a result, Serbia began trying to homogenize its population.

Demographics

Around 15% of the Serbian population were non-Serbs during the early decades of the principality. Much of this portion of the population consisted of Timok Vlachs (Romanians) and "Turkicized Albanians". In the Pashalik of Belgrade, which the Serbian Principality inherited the borders of and retained until 1833, most Muslims were either Bosniaks or Albanians.

Later, in 1866, Serbia's recorded population was the following:

• 87.01% Serbs
• 10.49% Romanians,
• 2.02% Roma,
• 0.21% Germans
• 0.27% Others

Expulsions

The founding of the Principality of Serbia was accompanied by the expulsion of its Muslim population. In 1832, Miloš Obrenović ordered that every Albanian in Serbia should be beaten for not fighting for their freedom with Mustafa Pasha Bushatli. He also ordered the expulsion of Muslims, which were predominantly Albanians, from west Serbia and he told Milosav Zdravković to buy out the Albanian homes.

The homes of Muslims in west Serbia were destroyed and they were deported to the Ottoman Empire. It is estimated that up to 150,000 Albanians were expelled or had emigrated from Serbia by 1876. As a result, Serbia removed most of its Muslim population by 1876.

Aftermath

During the Serbian–Ottoman Wars, the Muslim populations in the Sanjak of Niš and the Sanjak of Scutari were expelled by the Serbian forces. Most of the Muslims in the Sanjaks were Albanians or of Albanian origin. According to modern estimates, between 49,000 and 130,000 Albanians were expelled by 1878, removing most of the pre-war Muslim population.

References

1. ^ Rama, Shinasi (2019). Nation Failure, Ethnic Elites, and Balance of Power: The International Administration of Kosova. Springer. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-3030051921. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
2. ^ Alpion, Gëzim (2021). Mother Teresa: The Saint and Her Nation. Bloomsbury. p. 18. ISBN 978-9389812466.
3. ^ Braha, Shaban (1991). Gjenocidi serbomadh dhe qëndresa shqiptare: 1844 - 1990 (in Albanian).
4. ^ Brestovci, Sadulla (1983). Marrëdhëniet shqiptare--serbo-malazeze (1830-1878) (in Albanian).
5. ^ Pekesen, Berna. "Expulsion and Emigration of the Muslims from the Balkans". European History Online.
6. ^ Ceribašić-Begovac, Anaid. Die Muslime im Sandschak Smederevo am Übergang vom 18. ins 19. Jahrhundert - Ein Vergleich zwischen der serbischen und bosnischen wissenschaftlichen Literatur (PDF) (in German). pp. 46, 88.
7. "Serbien". Geographisches_Handbuch_zu_Andrees_Handatlas. 1882.
8. Daskalovski 2003, p. 19
9. Malcolm 1998, pp. 228–229
10. Stefanović 2005, pp. 469–470

Works cited

• Daskalovski, Židas (2003). "Claims to Kosovo: Nationalism and Self-Determination". In Bieber, Florian; Daskalovski, Židas (eds.). Understanding the War in Kosovo. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-7146-5391-4.
• Malcolm, Noel (1998). Kosovo: A short history. Macmillan. ISBN 9780810874831.
• Stefanović, Djordje (2005). "Seeing the Albanians through Serbian eyes: The Inventors of the Tradition of Intolerance and their Critics, 1804–1939". European History Quarterly. 35 (3): 465–492. doi:10.1177/0265691405054219. hdl:2440/124622. S2CID 144497487.

• Ethnic cleansing in Europe
• Anti-Albanian sentiment
• Persecution of Ottoman Muslims
• Serbian–Albanian conflict
• Serbian irredentism
• 1870s in Serbia
• 1860s in Serbia
• 1850s in Serbia
• 1840s in Serbia
• 1830s in Serbia
• Military history of Serbia
• Historical migrations
• Anti-Muslim violence in Europe
• Forced migrations in Europe