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systems more rigorous, the Ottoman administration introduced tanzimat 78 reforms in 1839
(see Vickers 2001: 25). In those years the vilayet of Ioannina was divided into five sanjaks:
Ioannina, Preveza, Gjirokastër, Berat and Larissa (Winnifrith 2002: 121). As the consequence
of the tanzimat reforms the Ottoman administration also established millets or administrative
units, which served to categorise the people according to their religious belonging: Christian
Orthodox, Catholic, Jews and Vlachs (see Winninfrith 2002: 122).
In the edited collection of essays published by the Albanian Academy of Science, Prifti
defines vilayets as the territory upon which the Albanian nationality was founded.
In the archival sources, not only Ottoman, but even in the European countries (Austro-
Hungarian, French etc.), many documents having as object the analysis of the national
constitution of the population of the vilayet of Janina (of South Albania) – there is no
doubt the Albanian nationality of the Himarë population and of her villages. In the
documents of the XVIth-XIXth centuries, presented in this study, it is witnessed
clearly its Albanian ethnic belonging and is accepted without any doubt, the use by the
Himariots as mother tongue of the Albanian language [sic.] (Prifti 2004: 188).
The local intellectual Jorgji criticises such assumptions and writes:
In the papers of many historians, it is often felt the smell of modern times. Here I
mean those scholars who perceive Turkish or the ancient world as if it is a state with
borders, passports and visas. This is very superficial point of view. We should recall in
our mind that up to the 18 th century there the nation-states have not existed. Even the
ancient Greeks were united every four years when they had Olimpic games. After the
games were over, Sparta, Athens, Thebe, Megara that were friends during the games
became the enemy again. In a like manner they were enemies to Persians.
In the book “Albanian–Illyrian Observations “(Vezhgime Iliro-Shqiptare) written by
Ludwig Van Thalloczy, translated by Mustafa Merlika of Kruja, it is quoted: “until
1726, the name of Albania was unknown in the region of Shkodra and till now we do
not have proofs that have been known in any other region of Albania”. As Castellan
writes “It will be oversimplifying to imagine, as did in the 19 century the nationalist
historians, solid ethnic blocks in order to justify the untouchable modern borders”
[sic.] (Jorgji 2006a: 5, italics original; translated by Juliana Vera).
Ottoman administrative divisions of people and places are interpreted on different bases in the
contemporary historiography. One of the interpretations relates to the concept of the nationstates.
As noted in the introductory part of this chapter (Dividing People and Places) various
scholars (Glenny 1999: 71, Blumi 2002: 49, Duijzings 2002: 60) define the millet system as
the pre-formation of the nation-states. Prifti, however, argues that such pre-formations were
vilayets. Prifti’s account illustrates the way in which the meaning of nationality can be
generated and reconstituted by interpreting the past. Such approach is criticized by Jorgji,
78 Tanzimat are reforms introduced by the Ottoman leadership and inaugurated by the Hatt-i Shereef of Gulhane
(Pollo and Puto 1981: 292).
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