The Scutari Vilayet was established in 1867. The
Sanjak of Scutari was established when Ottoman Empire acquired
Shkodra after the
Siege of Shkodra in 1478–79. A big part of
Principality of Zeta was added to territory of Sanjak of Scutari in 1499. In 1514 this territory was separated from the Sanjak of Scutari and established as separate
Sanjak of Montenegro, under the rule of
Skenderbeg Crnojević. When he died in 1528, the
Sanjak of Montenegro was merged into the Sanjak of Scutari, as a unique administrative unit and with a certain degree of autonomy. In 1867, the
Sanjak of Scutari merged with the
Sanjak of Skopje and became the Scutari Vilayet. Its sanjaks were Sanjak of Scutari,
Prizren, and
Sanjak of Dibra. In 1877, Prizren passed to the
Kosovo Vilayet and Dibra passed to the
Monastir Vilayet, while
Durrës (Dıraç) township became the
Sanjak of Durrës. After the
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) Bar,
Podgorica,
İşpozi and
Zabyak townships were ceded to
Montenegro in 1878. Also
Ülgün one was ceded to Montenegro in 1881. In the late Ottoman period, unlike in other areas of the empire, Albanian Catholics in Scutari vilayet had access to emerging Albanian language schooling, subsidized by Austria-Hungary. The Malisors (highlanders) lived in three geographical regions within İşkodra sanjak. The government estimated the military strength of Malisors in İşkodra sanjak as numbering over 30,000 tribesmen and Ottoman officials were of the view that the highlanders could defeat Montenegro on their own with limited state assistance. The Dıraç sanjak contained the fertile plain of
Zadrima between Mirdita and the Drin river. In the 1880s from an Albanian point of view the sanjaks of İşkodra and Dıraç along with the whole of İşkodra vilayet belonged to the region of
Gegënia. In 1912 and beginning of 1913 the vilayet was under the occupation by members of the
Balkan League during the
First Balkan War. In 1914 the territory of the Scutari Vilayet became a part of the
Principality of Albania, established on the basis of
peace contract, signed at the conclusion of the
London Conference in 1913. ==Administrative divisions==