Ethnic Bosnians

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Ethnic Bosnians are people of Bosnian origin or people who were born or live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and identify themselves as Bosnian not (or not only) in citizen term, but in ethnic term.

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History

History of Ethnic Bosnians is directly related to history of Bosnian state. By that, Southern Slavs came to the region around river Bosna, and called themselves Bosnians after the river. Main events in Bosnian history that confirms existence of Ethnic Bosnians:

1189 - Charter of Kulin

1377 - Coronation of Tvrtko I of Bosnia

1831 - Great Bosnian Uprising against Ottomans

1878 - Bosnian short independence from Ottomans

1943 - Day of statehood (based on anti-fascist struggle)

1992 - Independent Bosnia

Religion

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In history, first religious community related to Ethnic Bosnians was Bosnian Church (ecclesia bosniensis), indigenous branch of Bogomils (Gnostic dualist sect related to Balkan region).

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Next religious community related to Ethnic Bosnians from medieval times was Catholicism, often related to Bosnians through Bosnian Franciscans, and later in 19th century through institution of Archdiocese of Vrhbosna (since 1881).

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Significant religious community through history of Ethnic Bosnians and Bosnia was Orthodox Church founded in Bosnia 1219, through Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia. Till 1880, Orthodox Church in Bosnia was under control of Patriarch of Constantinople. Later on, from 1880 till today, it is part of Serb Orthodox Church, as result of Austria-Hungary political ambitions, to separate every religious community in Bosnia, from control of institutions in Istanbul.

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Another significant religious community, with great number of Ethnic Bosnians included in itself, is Sunni Islam. Ethnic Bosnians are related to Islam, since time of first converts (period 15th and 16th century). Till 1882, Muslim community in Bosnia was under control of Ottoman Empire, later on they formed its own Grand Mufti.

Through history also important role had Sufism, with main Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Qadri, Mevlevi, Rifa'i and Halwatiyya.

First Sephardi Jews arrived in Bosnia in end of 15th century. As tens of thousands of Jews fled the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, Sultan Bayezid II of the Ottoman Empire welcomed Jews who were able to reach his territories. Jews fleeing Spain and Portugal were welcomed in - and found their way to - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Thrace and other areas of Europe under Ottoman control. Jews began to arrive in Bosnia and Herzegovina in numbers in the 16th century, with Jews arriving from the Ottoman Empire, and settling mainly in Sarajevo.

The first Ashkenazi Jews arrived from Hungary in 1686, when the Ottoman Turks were expelled from Hungary.

Large proportion of Ethnic Bosnians are not related to these religious communities, there are significant number of Atheists, Agnostics and Deists.

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