Triepshi (Albanian: Triesh) (Montenegrin: Zatrijebač) is a tribal region in Montenegro above the right northern bank of the Cem river near the Albanian border.
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History
Triepshi was first mentioned in 1485 in a Ottoman register of the Sanjak of Scutari. Triepshi is remembered for its resistance to Ottoman incursions in the region, in particular in 1717 when they killed 62 Ottoman soldiers. Ottoman forces are said to have after this disaster left the region until 1862. At this time the Triepshi had good relations with Kuči tribe and the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty, the rulers of Montenegro. The tribesmen often went to Cetinje to bring the heads of Ottomans that they have cut off in battles, and so to recieive compensation and presents.
Tripesh was annexed to Montenegro in 1878 at a time of the Congress of Berlin, but the border remaind vague for quite a while. Some of the Triepshi fled to Ottoman Albania whereas some stayed in Montenegro.
Anthropology
The Triepshi tribe derives its origin from a Slav, probably a Bosnian slav called Keq Preka who fled to what is now Piperi territory in Montenegro and settled there either before the Ottoman invasion or around 1520. He had several sons, Lazar Keqi, Ban Keqi, Kaster Keqi, Merkota Keqi, Vas Keqi and Piper Keqi. The second son, Ban Keqi, is considered to be direct ancestral father of the Triepshi tribe, whereas his brother Lazar Keqi was the ancestor father of the Hoti tibe, witch is thus related to Triepshi. Lazar Keqi settled in Trabojna and Ban Keqi settled in Muzheçk and was buried in Nikmarash. Some members of the tribe derived their origins from Ivan Crnojević, and the old families of Delaj claimed they steemed from Herzegovina.
According to a priest asked by Johann Georg von Hahn, the Hoti and Triepshi were Albanians because they spoke albanian and were Catholics.
Settlements
Religion
The religion of the tribe was Catholic while the tribe had around 800 members at the end of 18th century.