Bajrak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Albania, a Bajrak (pronounced "bayrak", the Albanian single "r" being akin to the English "r", definite form bajraku — "the" bajrak, plural indefinite bajrakë — "bajraks", plural definite bajrakët — "the" bajraks) is a traditional political entity in the Geg-inhabited northern Albanian territories under a single head, the bajraktar. This term comes from the Turkish word bayrak which literally means "standard" or "banner". A Bajraktar is the hereditary leader of a bajrak and this term literally means "standard bearer".

As its name and hereditary nature indicates, the bajrak was originally imposed by the Ottoman rulers, who entrusted the bajraktar with providing fighting men in exchanges for privileges. The bajraktarë eventually performed important administrative and judicial duties. The bajrak was formed on a territorial, not clanic basis: several small clans could reside on a single bajrak, while large clans might occupy several bajrakë.

The communist tyrant Enver Hoxha tried to abolish the bajrakë by liquidating the bajraktarë but they still enjoy considerable influence.

The Albanian mafia in Europe, notably Britain, also call bajrak a deliberative council formed with several clan leaders.