Editing Morlachs (section)

==History==

===Early history===
The use of ''Morlachs'' is first attested in 1344, when ''Morolacorum'' are mentioned in lands around [[Knin]] and [[Krbava]] during the conflict between the counts of the [[Kurjaković noble family|Kurjaković]] and [[Nelipić]] families.{{sfn|Mužić |2010|p=10, 11|ps=: ''Et insuper mittemus specialem nuntium.... Gregorio condam Curiaci Corbavie,.... pro bono et conservatione dicte domine (Vedislave) et comitis Johannis,....; nec non pro restitutione Morolacorum, qui sibi dicuntur detineri per comitem Gregorium...; Exponat quoque idem noster nuncius Gregorio comiti predicto quod intelleximus, quod contra voluntatem ipsius comitis Johannis nepotis sui detinet catunos duos Morolacorum.... Quare dilectionem suam... reget, quatenus si quos Morolacos ipsius habet, placeat illos sibi plenarie restitui facere...''}} The first mention of the term ''Morlachs'' is simultaneous with the appearance of [[Vlachs of Croatia|Vlachs]] in the documents of [[Croatia in the union with Hungary|Croatia]] in the early 14th century; in 1321, a local priest on the island of [[Krk]] granted land to the church ("to the lands of Kneže, which are called Vlach"), while in 1322 Vlachs were allied with [[Mladen II Šubić of Bribir|Mladen Šubić]] at the [[Battle of Bliska|battle]] in the hinterland of Trogir.{{sfn|Mužić|2010|p=10}} According to Mužić in those early documents there is no identifiable differentiation between the terms Vlach and Morlach.{{sfn|Mužić|2010|p=14-17}} In 1352, in the agreement in which [[Zadar]] sold salt to the [[Republic of Venice]], Zadar retained part of the salt that ''Morlachi'' and others exported by land.{{sfn|Mužić|2010|p=11:''Detractis modiis XII. milie salis predicti quolibet anno que remaneant in Jadra pro usu Jadre et districtu, et pro exportatione solita fi eri per Morlachos et alios per terram tantum...''}} In 1362, the ''Morlachorum'',  settled, without authorization, on lands of [[Trogir]] and used it for pasture for a few months.{{sfn|Mužić|2010|p=12:''quedam particula gentis Morlachorum ipsius domini nostri regis... tentoria (tents), animalia seu pecudes (sheep)... ut ipsam particulam gentis Morlachorum de ipsorum territorio repellere... dignaremur (to be repelled from city territory)... quamplures Morlachos... usque ad festum S. Georgii martiris (was allowed to stay until April 24, 1362).''}} In the Statute of [[Senj]] dating to 1388, the [[House of Frankopan|Frankopan]]s mentioned ''Morowlachi'' and defined the amount of time they had for pasture when they descended from the mountains.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=67009| author=L. Margetić| title=Senjski statut iz godine 1388.| trans-title=Statute of Senj from 1388| journal=Senjski zbornik| location=Senj| volume=34| issue=1 |date= December 2007| pages=63, 77| format=PDF| language=la, hr| quote=§ 161. Item, quod quando Morowlachi exeunt de monte et uadunt uersus gaccham, debent stare per dies duos et totidem noctes super pascuis Senie, et totidem tempore quando reuertuntur ad montem; et si plus stant, incidunt ad penam quingentarum librarum.}}</ref> In 1412, the ''Murlachos'' captured the [[Ostrovica Fortress]] from Venice.{{sfn|Mužić|2010|p=13''Cum rectores Jadre scripserint nostro dominio, quod castrum Ostrovich, quod emimusa Sandalo furatum et acceptum sit per certos Murlachos, quod non est sine infamia nostri dominii...''}} In August 1417, Venetian authorities were concerned with the "Morlachs and other Slavs" from the hinterland, who were a threat to security in [[Šibenik]].{{sfn|Fine|2006|p=115}} Authorities of Šibenik in 1450 gave permission to enter the city to Morlachs and some Vlachs who called themselves Croats who were in the same economic and social position at that time.{{sfn|Mužić|2010|p=208}}

According to scholar Fine, the early Vlachs probably lived on Croatian territory even before the 14th century, being the progeny of romanized [[Illyrians]] and pre-Slavic Romance-speaking people.{{sfn|Fine|2006|p=129}} During the 14th century, Vlach settlements existed throughout much of today's Croatia, from the northern island [[Krk]], around the [[Velebit]] and [[Dinara]] mountains, and along the southern rivers [[Krka (Croatia)|Krka]] and [[Cetina]]. Those Vlachs had, by the end of the 14th and 15th century, lost, their Romance language, or were at least bilingual.{{sfn|Mužić |2010|p=73 (I)|ps=: "As evidence Vlachs spoke a variation of Romanian language, Pavičić later in the paragraph referred to the [[Istro-Romanians]], and [[Dalmatian language]] on island Krk."}}{{refn|group="nb"|The linguistic assimilation didn't entirely erase Romanian words, the evidence are toponims, and anthroponyms (personal names) with specific Romanian or Slavic words roots and surname ending suffixes "-ul", "-ol", "-or", "-at", "-ar", "-as", "-an", "-man", "-er", "-et", "-ez", after Slavicization often accompanied with ending suffixes "-ić", "-vić", "-ović".<ref>{{cite book| author=[[Petar Šimunović|P. Šimunović]], F. Maletić| title=Hrvatski prezimenik| publisher=Golden marketing| location=Zagreb| year=2008| volume=1| pages=41–42, 100–101| language=hr}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Šimunović| first=Petar| author-link=Petar Šimunović| title=Uvod U Hrvatsko Imenoslovlje| publisher=Golden marketing-Tehnička knjiga| location=Zagreb| year=2009| pages=53, 123, 147, 150, 170, 216, 217| language=hr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.rodoslovlje.hr/istaknuta-vijest/vlasi-u-nama-svima| title=Vlasi u nama svima| author=Božidar Ručević| date=2011-02-27| publisher=Rodoslovlje| language=hr}}</ref>}} As they adopted Slavic language, the only characteristic "Vlach" element was their [[pastoralism]].{{sfn|Mužić |2010|p=80}}{{refn|group="nb"|That the pastoral way of life was specific for Vlachs is seen in the third chapter of eight book in ''[[Alexiad]]'', 12th-century work by [[Anna Komnene]], where along Bulgars are mentioned tribes who live a nomadic life usually called ''Vlachs''.<ref name="Zef">{{cite journal| author=Zef Mirdita| title=Balkanski Vlasi u svijetlu podataka Bizantskih autora| journal=Povijesni prilozi| url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=157940| publisher=Croatian History Institute| location=Zagreb| year=1995| volume=14| issue=14| pages=65, 66, 27–30| language=hr}}</ref> The term "Vlach" was found in many medieval documents, often mentioned alongside other ethnonyms, thus, [[Zef Mirdita]] claims that this was more an ethnic than just a social-professional category.<ref name="Zef"/> Although the term was used for both an ethnic group and pastoralists, P. S. Nasturel emphasized that there existed other general expressions for pastors.<ref name="Zef"/>}} The so-called [[Istro-Romanians]] continued to speak their Romance language on the island of Krk and villages around [[Lake Čepić]] in [[Istria]],{{sfn|Mužić |2010|p=73}} while other communities in the mountains above the lake preserved the Shtokavian-Chakavian dialect with Ikavian accent from the southern Velebit and area of [[Zadar County|Zadar]].{{sfn|Mužić |2010|p=89}}<ref>{{cite book| author=Josip Ribarić| title=O istarskim dijalektima: razmještaj južnoslavenskih dijalekata na poluotoku Istri s opisom vodičkog govora| publisher=Josip Turčinović| location=Zagreb| year=2002| language=hr}}</ref>{{refn|group="nb"|The "Vlach" or "Romanian" traditional system of counting sheep in pairs ''do'' (two), ''pato'' (four), ''šasto'' (six), ''šopći'' (eight), ''zeći'' (ten) has been preserved in some mountainous regions of [[Zagora (Croatia)|Dalmatian Zagora]], [[Bukovica, Croatia|Bukovica]], [[Velebit]], and [[Ćićarija]].{{sfn|Vince-Pallua|1992}}<ref>{{cite journal|author=Mirjana Trošelj|title=Mitske predaje i legende južnovelebitskog Podgorja|trans-title=Mythical Traditions and Legends from Podgorje in southern Velebit|publisher=Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts|location=Ljubljana|page=346|journal=[[Studia Mythologica Slavica]]|volume=14|year=2011|url=http://sms.zrc-sazu.si/En/SMS14/Studia14.html|language=hr}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Tono Vinšćak|title=Kuda idu "horvatski nomadi"|journal=Studia ethnologica Croatica|volume=1|issue=1|location=Zagreb|publisher=University of Zagreb|page=9|date=June 1989|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/75816|language=hr}}</ref> }} Today's Istro-Romanians may be a residual branch of the Morlachs.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://journals.openedition.org/lengas/1107|title=Sullo "stato di salute" delle varietà romene all'alba del nuovo millennio|first=Alvise|last=Andreose|journal=Lengas. Revue de sociolinguistique|volume=79|year=2016|issue=79 |language=it|doi=10.4000/lengas.1107|doi-access=free}}</ref>

The Istro-Romanians, and other Vlachs (or Morlachs), had settled Istria (and mountain [[Ćićarija]]) after the various devastating outbreaks of the [[Black Death|plague]] and wars between 1400 and 1600,<ref name="Franceschi">{{cite book| author=[[Carlo De Franceschi|Carlo de Franceschi]]| title=L'Istria: note storiche| url=https://archive.org/details/listrianotestor00frangoog| publisher=G. Coana (Harvard University)| year=1879| pages=355–371| language=it}}</ref> reaching the island of Krk. In 1465 and 1468, there are mentions of "Morlach" judge Gerg Bodolić and "Vlach" peasant Mikul, in Krk and [[Crikvenica]], respectively.{{sfn|Mužić|2010|p=14, 207|ps=: ''Jesu prišli tužiti se na Vlahov, kojih jesmo mi postavili u konfi ni od rečenoga kaštel Mušća (Omišalj) na Kras, kadi se zove v Orlec imenujući Murlakov sudca Gerga Bodolića i sudca Vida Merkovića (...) Darovasmo crikvi sv. Marije na Crikvenici Vlaha, po imenu Mikulu, ki Vlah budući va to vrieme naš osobojni, koga mi dasmo crikvi sv. Marije na Crikvenici sa svu ovu službu, ku je on nam služil budno na našej službi.''}} In the second half of the 15th century, Catholic Morlachs (mostly Croatian Vlachs) migrated from the area of southern [[Velebit]] and [[Dinara]] area to the island of Krk, together with some [[Eastern Romance languages|Eastern Romance-speaking population]].<ref>Spicijarić Paškvan, Nina; (2014)  ''Vlasi i krčki Vlasi u literaturi i povijesnim izvorima''  ''(Vlachs from the Island Krk in the Primary Historical and Literature Sources)'' p. 349; Studii şi cercetări – Actele Simpozionului Banat – istorie şi multiculturalitate, [https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/926881.studii_si_cercetari_2014.pdf]</ref> The Venetian colonization of Istria (and Ćićarija) occurred not later than the early 1520s,<ref name="Franceschi"/> and there were several cases when "Vlachs" returned to Dalmatia.{{sfn|Mužić |2010|p=76-79, 87-88}}

===16th century===
Although the first [[Ottoman wars in Europe|Ottoman invasion]] of Croatia took place in the early 15th century, the threat to Dalmatian towns began only after the conquest of [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]] in 1463. During the [[Ottoman–Venetian wars|Ottoman–Venetian war of 1499-1502]], a considerable demographic shift took place in the Dalmatian hinterland, leading to the abandonment of many of the region settlements by their previous inhabitants.{{sfn|Juran|2014|p=130}} During the years following the Ottoman conquest of [[Skradin]] and [[Knin]] in 1522, local Ottoman rulers started to resettle the depopulated areas with their Vlach subjects.{{sfn|Juran|2014|p=131}} Referred to as Morlachs in the Venetian records, the newcomers to [[Šibenik]] hinterland ({{langx|sh|Zagora}}) came from [[Old Herzegovina|Herzegovina]] and among them, three Vlach clans ([[Katun (community)|katuns]]) predominated: the Mirilovići, the Radohnići, and the Vojihnići.{{sfn|Juran|2014|p=150}} 

At the same time, the [[Austrian Empire]] established the [[Military Frontier]], which served as a buffer zone against Ottoman incursions.{{sfn|Suppan|Graf|2010|p=55-57}} Thus, other Vlachs, Slavicized Vlachs and Serbs fled the Ottomans and settled in this area.<ref>{{cite book |last=Stoianovich |first=Traian |title=Balkan Worlds: The First and Last Europe |date=1992 |publisher=Routledge |location=Armonk |isbn=9781563240324 |page=152}}</ref> As a consequence, Vlachs{{refn|group="nb"|"[[Vlachs]]", referring to pastoralists, since the 16th century was a common name for Serbs in the Ottoman Empire and later.<ref name=LING>{{cite journal |url=http://facta.junis.ni.ac.rs/pas/pas2003/pas2003-02.pdf |title=Elements of ethnic identification of the Serbs |last=Gavrilović |first=Danijela |journal=Facta Universitatis, Series: Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology and History |year=2003 |volume=2 |issue=10}}</ref> Tihomir Đorđević points to the already known fact that the name "Vlach" didn't only refer to genuine [[Vlachs of Croatia|Vlachs]] or [[Serbs of Croatia|Serbs]] but also to cattle breeders in general.<ref name="LING"/> In the work ''About the Vlachs'' from 1806, Metropolitan Stevan Stratimirović states that Roman Catholics from Croatia and Slavonia scornfully used the name "Vlach" for ''"the Slovenians (Slavs) and Serbs, who are of our, Eastern confession (Orthodoxy)"'', and that ''"the Turks in Bosnia and Serbia also call every Bosnian or Serbian Christian a Vlach"'' (T. Đorđević, 1984:110).<ref name=LING/>}} were used by both the Ottomans on one side, and Austria and Venice on the other.{{sfn|Suppan|Graf|2010|p=52, 59}}

From the 16th century onwards, the name "Morlach" became specifically used by the Venetians to refer the any inhabitant of the hinterland, as opposed to those of the coastal towns, in an area stretching from the north of [[Kotor]] to the [[Kvarner Gulf]] region. In particular, the area around the [[Velebit]] mountain range was largely populated by Morlachs, to the extent that the Venetians called it ''Montagne della Morlacca'' ("mountain of the Morlachs"), while they used the name ''Canale della Morlacca'' to designate the [[Velebit Channel]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Enciklopedija Leksikografskog zavoda: Majmonid-Pérez |editor-last1=Kostrenčić |editor-first1=Marko |editor-last2=Krleža |editor-first2=Miroslav |publisher=Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod |location=Zagreb |year=1961 |page=268 |url=https://bopks.google.com/books?id=Mwg8o8bBtxQC}}</ref>

Between the end of the [[War of Cyprus]] in 1573 and the start of the [[Cretan War (1645-1669)|Cretan War]] in 1645, trading relations between the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire improved significantly. As the border region between the two, Dalmatia became a dynamic center of these relations. In particular, Morlachs from the hinterland played an important role in trade, bringing corn, meat, cheese and wool to towns like Šibenik, and buying fabrics, jewelry, clothing, delicacies and, above all, salt.{{sfn|Juran|2015|p=47}} During this period, a significant number of Morlachs immigrated to the Venetian side near Šibenik, either temporarily or permanently. These migrations were mainly in search of employment as soldiers or servants, or through "mixed" marriages. Most of these Morlach migrants came from the areas of Zagora, [[Petrovo Polje (Croatia)|Petrovo Polje]], the [[Miljevci, Dalmatia|Miljevci plateau]] and the [[Cetina|Cetina valley]].{{sfn|Juran|2015|p=48}}

In 1579, several groups of ''Morlachs'' immigrated and requested to be employed as military colonists.<ref name="Rothenberg1960">{{cite book|author=Gunther Erich Rothenberg|title=The Austrian military border in Croatia, 1522–1747|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g701AAAAIAAJ|year=1960|publisher=University of Illinois Press|page=50|quote=<!--Morlachs, a Serbian tribe-->}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Morlachs were not necessarily Serbs, this source from 1960 is largely outdated|date=July 2024}} Initially, there were some tensions between these immigrants and the established [[Uskoks]].<ref name="Rothenberg1960"/> In 1593, ''[[provveditore]] generale'' (Overseer) Cristoforo Valier mentioned three nations constituting the Uskoks: the "natives of Senj, Croatians, and Morlachs from the Turkish parts".{{sfn|Fine|2006|p=218}}

===17th century===
{{See also|Morlachs (Venetian irregulars)}} [[Image:Morlachia.jpg|thumb|right|"[[Morlachia]]" in the 17th century, map by [[Thomas Jefferys]] (1785).]]
At the time of the [[Cretan War (1645–69)]] and [[Morean War|Morean War (1684–99)]], a large number of ''Morlachs'' settled inland of the Dalmatian towns, and [[Ravni Kotari]] of Zadar. They were skilled in warfare and familiar with local territory, and served as paid soldiers in both Venetian and Ottoman armies.<ref>{{cite book|last=Roksandić|first=Drago|title=Etnos, konfesija, tolerancija (Priručnik o vojnim krajinama u Dalmaciji iz 1783. godine)|location=Zagreb|publisher=SKD Prosvjeta|pages=11–41|year=2004|language=hr|url=https://www.ffzg.unizg.hr/pov/zavod/triplex2/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ROKSANDIC_1999.pdf}}</ref> Their activity was similar to that of the [[Uskoks]]. Their military service granted them land, and freed them from trials, and gave them rights which freed them from full debt law (only 1/10 yield), thus many joined the so-called "Morlach" or "Vlach" armies.<ref name="Tusculum 2">{{cite journal|author=Milan Ivanišević|title=Izvori za prva desetljeća novoga Vranjica i Solina|location=Solin|journal=Tusculum|volume= 2| issue =  1 September|page=98|year=2009|language=hr|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=78147}}</ref>

At the time, some notable Morlach military leaders{{refn|group="nb"|The head leaders in Venice, Ottoman and local Slavic documents were titled as ''capo'', ''capo direttore'', ''capo principale de Morlachi'' (J. Mitrović), ''governatnor delli Morlachi'' (S. Sorić), ''governator principale'' (I. Smiljanić), ''governator'' (Š. Bortulačić), ''gospodin serdar s vojvodami'' or ''lo dichiariamo serdar;'' [[Serdar (Ottoman rank)|serdar]], and [[harambaša]].<ref name=Sučević1952>{{cite journal|last=Sučević|first=Branko|title=Ocjene i prikazi: Boško Desnica, Istorija kotarski uskoka|journal=Historijski zbornik|volume=V|issue=1–2|publisher=Povijesno društvo Hrvatske|pages=138–145|location=Zagreb|year=1952|url=http://www.historiografija.hr/hz/1952/HZ_5_12_SUCEVIC.pdf}}</ref>}} who were also enumerated in epic poetry, were: [[Janko Mitrović]], Ilija and [[Stojan Janković]], Petar, Ilija and Franjo [[Smiljanić family|Smiljanić]], Stjepan and Marko Sorić, [[Vuk Mandušić]], [[Ilija Perajica]], Šimun Bortulačić, Božo Milković, [[Stanislav Sočivica]], and Counts Franjo and Juraj Posedarski.<ref name=Sučević1952/>{{sfn|Roksandić|2003|pp=140, 141, 151, 169}} Divided by religion, the Mitrović-Janković family were the leaders of Orthodox Morlachs, while the Smiljanić family were leaders of Catholic Morlachs.<ref name=Sučević1952/>

After the dissolution of the [[Republic of Venice]] in 1797, and loss of power in Dalmatia, the term Morlach would disappear from use.