Berisha tribe

Berisha

Albanian bajraks (1918). Berisha is numbered 16.
Ethnicity	Albanian
Current region	Northern Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia
Place of origin	Berishë, Pukë
Connected families	Piperi, Asqur, Alshiqi, Dodo, Gec, Mertur, Livosh, Kuqi, Buzë, Madhja

Coordinates: 42°09′N 19°54′E / 42.150°N 19.900°E / 42.150; 19.900

Berisha is a tribe and is located in the region of Pukë in northern Albania. It is one of seven tribes of the Pukë highland and one of twelve tribes of the Kanuni I Lekë Dukagjinit. Berisha is a Catholic tribe, they were initially Christians, but many of them converted to Islam. Numerous members of Berisha tribe migrated to Kosovo and other areas of Albania.

The name of Berisha tribe was recorded in 1691 as Berisa.

Edith Durham recorded at the beginning of 20th century that members of Berisha and Merturi tribe claimed they were the oldest highlands tribe, which is accepted as accurate. According to tradition, the tribe descends from a Kol Poga, an ancestor of the Kuči, who are one of the Serb highlander tribes of Montenegro. There are members of the Berisha tribe who confirm that the tribe descend from Kuči and that they were Orthodox Christians before, while others claim that only a part of the tribe descend from Kuči. The Berisha and Kuči do not marry each other. The members of the Berisha tribe and the Vušović family from Velika (in Montenegro) are taken as being part of the same tribe. According to some stories the Arrnji tribe in Luma is an offshoot of the Berisha.

In the fifteenth century the Berisha were in conflict with the Turks, and in particular, with the Kabashi tribe, the Turks were able to conquer virtually all of Berisha territory, with exception of the church of Berisha. Some of the population was then exiled to the coast and other sent abroad to a place called Mahmur Dedi.