Nikšići (tribe)

The name Nikšići, appears to have developed from the diminutive Albanian Niksh plus the Slavic suffix ić.[1]

The first mention of the tribe Nikšići is from a Ragusan letter to Jelena Balšić dated 1399. In the same year they are mentioned as "Nikšić of Zeta" (Nichsich de Zenta) in Kotoran documents. In 1447 it was recorded that they had captured a Ragusan messenger and sold him to the Turks. In 1455 they are listed among tribes and villages in Zeta who signed an agreement with Venetians in Vranjina.[2] The names of numerous Montenegrin tribes occur in 14th and 15th century as the names of katuns however for some of them they are not explicitly said to be katuns, but are referred as Vlachs (social class) and one of these Vlachs are Nikšići.[3] They simultaneously used the name Onogošti until 17th century and further.[4]

The tribe was led by the vojvoda, which had been established after conflicts within the tribe as a compromise.[5]

The burning of Saint Sava's remains after the Banat Uprising provoked revolts in other regions against the Ottomans.Grdan, the vojvoda of Nikšić, organized revolt with Serbian Patriarch Jovan Kantul. In 1596, an uprising broke out in Bjelopavlići, then spread to Drobnjaci, Nikšići, Piva and Gacko (see: Serb Uprising of 1596–97). It was suppressed due to lack of foreign support.[6]

According to oral tradition, the tribe dates to the 14th century.[7]According to oral tradition collected by Serbian historian Petar Šobajić, the tribe had originated from Nikša, who was the son of ban Ilijon of Grbalj and maternally a Nemanjić.[8] Kovijanić, expanding on this said that Nikša had moved from lands around Morača monastery to what is now Župa Nikšićka after the death of Serbian prince Stefan Vukanović Nemanjić (fl. 1252), his relative.[8] It is considered that the tribe wasn't founded by only one individual, yet several related families led by Nikša.[2] They found native tribes there: in the west were the Riđani (the strongest tribe), in Župa itself were the Lužani, in the north, by the mountains Vojnik and Durmitor were the Drobnjaci.[8] Until the 14th century they were a very strong tribe, repressing Lužani and Drobnjaci, and tradition talks about many conflicts between them and Riđani.[2] In the 16th century only Nikšići and Riđani lived in the area.[2]

• Kovijanić, Risto (1974). Crnogorska plemena u kotorskim spomenicima (XIV–XVI vijek) [Montenegrin tribes in Bay of Kotor records (XIV–XVI century)]. Titograd: Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore.