Ottoman Bosnian noble families


There were several notable families of Ottoman Bosnia, many of which have living descendants today who are predominantly Bosniaks. These families are commonly grouped into "bey families" or "captain families" and most were of Islamized Slavs of Christian origin, and some remained Christian as sipahi, while few were of Turkic origin. The descendants of these families are recorded in numerous anthropological studies and have held important public offices.

List

The "captain families" started their service as aghas and dizdars–army commanders in fortresses. They were for the most part descendants of Christian converts.
  • Alajbegović family was a notable family in Bihać. Members of their family held titles “bey” and were notable lawyers and judges who have studied around the world, from Vienna and Paris to Algeria. Mehmed Alajbegović was a judge and later a minister of foreign affairs, whilst his father and grandfather were both mayors of Bihać. They had ties to the House of Habsburg and were connected to the Biščević family through the wedding of their son to Aziza Bišćević.'
  • Avdić family is a notable family in Herzegovina. Their ancestor Avdija Avdić was the builder of the famous Avdić mosque in Plana in 1617. Allegedly the Avdić family originated from the local Krivokapić family branch of the Kresojević clan. A prominent member was Avdo Krivokapić. The Akkanat family who settled in Karamürsel/Turkey after 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War originate from the Avdić family.'
  • Ajanović family is a notable family from Tešanj which arose from the class of ayans as semi-autonomous secular dignitaries.
  • Agačević family. The most notable family in Travnik at the turn of the 19th century.
  • Badanjković–Badnjević in Bosanska Krupa, captains of Krupa until early 18th century. Of Croat origin. They were among the most notable families in the region at a time. The later Balević agha family originated from the Badanjković. Among the surnames of families that originated from the Krupa Badanjković are Badnjević, Pašalić, Topčagić, Dizdarević, Šabić, Avdagić.
  • Bećirović family. Settled in Tuzla surroundings since the 16th century and became governors of the Zvornik Sandzak.
  • Begovac family. Most notable family of Travnik at the turn of the 19th century.
  • Beširević in Ostrožac, oldest of the captain families in Bosanska Krajina. According to tradition either descending from an Anatolian progenitor or of Serb origin, descending from the son of Stojan Janković. Notable members include Osman-aga Beširević, Mehmed-beg Beširević and Džafer-beg Beširević, a commander of Krupa.
  • Bičakčić family. They were from Sarajevo.
  • Bišćević in Bihać, captain family of Serb origin. They were the richest family in Bihać in the late Ottoman-Bosnian period. Mehmed-beg Biščević was the captain of Bihać since 1824 and held the honorific of pasha. During Austro-Hungarian rule a member was an advisor to the Habsburg court. Their properties were confiscated by Socialist Yugoslavia after World War II.
  • Cerić in Novi, captain family of Serb origin.
  • Boljanić family. Originated in the village Boljanići near Pljevlja. The most notable member was Hüseyin Pasha Boljanić.
  • Bukovac family.
  • Čengić family. They produced several beys. Turkic distant origin. First mentioned by Evliya Çelebi in 1664/65. The family's most notable member was Smail-aga Čengić.
  • Ćerić family.
  • Ćerimović family.
  • Čurčić family. They were from Sarajevo.
  • Đumišić family. They were from Banja Luka.
  • Džambegović family. Two brothers came from Anatolia to Bosnia and split off, one went to Bosanska Krajina and the other to Podrinje.
  • Fidahić family. They were from Captains of Zvornik.
  • Filipović family.
  • Gazibegović family. Gornja Orahovica
  • Glođa family. They were from Sarajevo.
  • Gradaščević in Gradačac, captain family of Serb origin. The progenitor was captain Osman Gradaščević.
  • Habul family. They were from Bileća. The family moved primarily to the surroundings of Tuzla and Derventa before 1943
  • Hadžalić, captains of Ljubuški between 1705 and 1814.
  • Hadži-Agić family.
  • Hafizadić family. They were from Travnik.
  • Hasanpašić family
  • Hercegović family. They were early Ottoman Bosnian family from Hum, later Hercegovina, whose ancestors were Kosača family.
  • Hrabren family. Active in the Stolac nahiya until the mid-17th century. They were famous Orthodox Christian Vlach sipahi.
  • Ibrahimbegović family. They were from Gradačac.
  • Ibrahimpašić family. They were from Travnik.
  • Ibrahimpašić family in Bosanska Krajina. The progenitor was Ibrahim-paša, who was the son or grandson of deli Murat Bey from Anatolia.
  • Imaretlija family. They were from Sarajevo.
  • Isabegović family, active in the 15th century.
  • Jahjapašić family.
  • Karabegović family. Prominent members were Husein-beg Karabegović, Ahmed-beg Karabegović, Halim-beg Karabegović, Srbin Avdo Karabegović Halidbegov and Avdo Karabegović Hasanbegov. The clan originated from the Budim Do village, near what today is the Zavala monastery in Ravno. At the beginning of the 18th century, four brothers from the clan left the village and migrated northward, settling in Zenica, Bihać, Mostar and Modriča, respectively.
  • Kasumagić family. They were from Sarajevo. The most notable member was Kasim aga. The Kasumagić family produced a number of high-ranked officials in Sarajevo.
  • Kadić family in Foča.
  • Kadić family in Golubić, Bosanska Krajina. The progenitor was Jašar, who was the son of Crni Muhamed-aga of Anadol, who in turn was the son or grandson of Deli Murat-beg of Anadol.
  • Kapetanović in Prijedor, captain family of Serb origin. Hailed from Ljubuški.
  • Kopčić family was a noble Ottoman Bosnian family that held possessions in the region of Rama, Duvno and Uskoplje.The oldest known member of the Kopčić family is Kasim Bey, who owned a ziamet, a form of land tenure, in the nahiyah of Osat, Borač and Vratar, all located in the kaza of Višegrad.
  • Krupić family. Captains of Bosanska Krupa after the early 18th century.
  • Kulenović family. The most notable member was Mehmed-beg Kulenović.
  • Kulović family. They were from Sarajevo, Allegedly served as janissaries.
  • Lafić family. They were from Sarajevo.
  • Lakišić family. Old family of Mostar. They served as dizdar'' of Mostar. According to one version, they hail from Konya. The family claim that their relatives still live in Konya.
  • Ljubović family. Nevesinje. A known member was Derviš-beg Ljubović who claimed Serbian origin.
  • Mekić family. Most notable family from Kolašin. They held the Tara captaincy for centuries, and had multiple fortresses and fortified towers in their hands.
  • Mušović.
  • Opijač family. They were a branch of the Miloradović-Stjepanović noble family. They remained in Žitomislić after the Ottoman conquest and converted to Islam taking Opijač as their collective surname. Today their descendants live in Dubrave near Stolac.
  • Osmanbegović family.
  • Pozderac family are an influential Bosniak family from Cazin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who rose to prominence in Bosanska Krajina, around the town of Cazin, as Bosnian Ottoman nobility. They have been called the "Bosniak Kennedy's".
  • Resulbegović family. Prominent family from Trebinje, originally from Montenegro
  • Rizvanbegović family. Prominent nobility from Herzegovina of Serb origin. Most notable member was Ali Pasha Rizvanbegović.
  • Selimović family. Allegedly used to bear the surname Vujović hailing from Vranjska near Bileća.
  • Sijerčić family Serb origin
  • Sokolović family, produced several high-ranked officials. They originated from Serbian Orthodox Christians. The family's most notable member was Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, Grand Vizier.
  • Sulejmanpašić-Skopljak family. According to family member, Omer-beg, the family allegedly descends from the lord of a medieval fort and adjacent settlement, Vesela Straža, near what is today Bugojno. In the Middle Ages, this area was known under the name Uskoplje. Omer-beg also claimed that his ancestor, who was a Serb, accepted Islam after the conquest of Bosnia and was given the name Ali Pasha.
  • Svrzo family. They were from Sarajevo.
  • Šahinpašić family.
  • Šerifović family. They were from Sarajevo.
  • Šetka family. They were from Herzegovina near Stolac
  • Skorbović family.
  • Šurković family.
  • Tanković family.
  • Tuzlić in Tuzla, captain family of Serb origin. Their progenitor was medieval Serbian nobleman Cvjetko Altomanović who governed Usora, according to Šemsibeg Tuzlić.
  • Vidajić in Zvornik, captain family of Serb origin. Notable members were Ali-paša Vidajić and Mehmed-paša Vidajić.
  • Zulfikarpašić family. They were from Foča.
  • Zlatanović family.