Lužani (tribe)

The Lužani (Serbian Cyrillic: Лужани) was a medieval tribe that inhabited the Zeta valley in what is today Montenegro. Their name is connected to the Luška župa (county), last mentioned in 1318. According to J. Erdeljanović they were an old Serb tribe, while J. Cvijić said that they may also have been an amalgamation of Serbs and Vlachs. According to P. Šobajić, they were the first Serbs to arrive in Upper Zeta, where they assimilated the native Španje. They founded the Pješivci tribe, and it is believed that the Crnci in Piperi and Martinići in Bjelopavlići were part of the Lužani tribe. The Lužani became a part of the Bjelopavlići tribe (founded in Lužani territory) some time after the Ottoman conquest, and a part was assimilated by the Vasojevići. They made up the population of Pješivci until the 15th century, when uskoks (soldiers) from various places settled among them and eventually overcame them.