The RovÃÂani (, ) are a historical tribe of Montenegro and one of the seven highlander tribes of the Brda region, alongside the BjelopavliÃÂi, Piperi, KuÃÂi, Bratonoà ¾iÃÂi, MoraÃÂani and VasojeviÃÂi. The historical region that they inhabit is called Rovca (, ).
The RovÃÂani owe their name to the region that they inhabit, called Rovca, which is derived from Slavic rov, meaning âÂÂdentâ or âÂÂtrenchâÂÂ.
Rovca borders the historical regions and tribes of the MoraÃÂani to the east, the Drobnjaci to the north, the Nikà ¡iÃÂi to the west, the BjelopavliÃÂi to the southwest, the Piperi to the south, and the Bratonoà ¾iÃÂi to the southeast. Rovca consists of the following villages: Vià ¡nje, Velje Duboko, Lijeà ¡nje, Cerovica, MeÃÂurijeÃÂje, Mrtvo Duboko, Sreteà ¡ka Gora, Gornja Rovca, VlahoviÃÂi and Trmanje.
The region of Rovca is first mentioned in the 1477 defter (tax registry) of the Sanjak of Herzegovina, which had been established in 1470.
Mariano Bolizza, a Venetian patrician, recorded in 1614 that âÂÂRiouziâ (Rovci) was inhabited by Orthodox Christian Serbs and had a total of 50 houses. The 120 men-at-arms were commanded by Ivan Rodonjin. In 1689, an uprising broke out in Piperi, Rovca, BjelopavliÃÂi, Bratonoà ¾iÃÂi, KuÃÂi and VasojeviÃÂi. This uprising broke out at the same time of a similar one in Prizren, PeÃÂ, Prià ¡tina and Skopje, which expanded further in Kratovo and Kriva Palanka in October (Karposh's Rebellion).
In 1768, the RovÃÂani helped the BjelopavliÃÂi, who were attacked by the Ottomans. In 1774, Mehmet Bushatli, the pasha of Scutari, broke into KuÃÂi and "destroyed" it; the RovÃÂani housed and protected some of the refugee families. On the request of Russian Empress Catherine, the Montenegrins and Herzegovinians took arms against the Ottomans in 1788. The call was gladly accepted by the RovÃÂani and MoraÃÂani who equipped gunpowder and weapons for the upcoming events. However, the Ottomans heard of the intentions, and preemptively struck MoraÃÂa, the centre of preparation. In 1794, the KuÃÂi and RovÃÂani were devastated by the Ottomans. In 1796, the Montenegrin army under Metropolitan Petar I PetroviÃÂ-Njegoà ¡ and with the assistance of the BjelopavliÃÂi and Piperi, defeated the Ottoman army at the Battle of Krusi. The Montenegrin victory resulted in territorial expansion, with the tribes of BjelopavliÃÂi and Piperi being joined into the Montenegrin state. The RovÃÂani, as other highlander tribes, subsequently turned more and more towards Montenegro. Metropolitan Petar I sent letters in 1799 to the MoraÃÂani and RovÃÂani, advising them to live peacefully and in solidarity.
During the First Serbian Uprising (1804âÂÂ13), the Drobnjaci, MoraÃÂani, RovÃÂani, Uskoci and Pivljani rose against the Ottomans and burnt down villages in Herzegovina. In 1820, after the defeat of the Ottoman army at the MoraÃÂa river, the RovÃÂani were incorporated into Montenegro, together with the MoraÃÂani.
RovÃÂani was one of the tribes that supported the Montenegrin Greens, a faction that opposed what they saw was an annexation of Montenegro to Serbia and instead urged for a federation. The Greens still declared themselves to be ethnic Serbs. During the Christmas Uprising (January 7, 1919) two members of BulatoviÃÂ family were flayed alive in Rovca by the Montenegrin Whites (the other political faction).
The RovÃÂani tribe had historically viewed themselves as Serbs, and in light of Montenegrin independence (2006), Rovca clan chief Nikola MiniÃÂ said that "If Milo Djukanovic tried to divide Montenegro... we wouldn't live in his country... but remain united in a brotherhood with Serbia."
According to local folklore, recalled by a BulatoviÃÂ, the Rovca tribe ultimately descend from ban (duke) Ilijan, from Grbalj in the Bay of Kotor. This Ilijan allegedly married Jevrosima, the daughter of Grand Prince Vukan (r. 1202âÂÂ04) and sister of Stefan VukanoviàNemanjiÃÂ, who built the MoraÃÂa monastery. Ilijan had a son, Nikà ¡a, who was in conflict with ban Ugren of the Nikà ¡iÃ à ¾upa (county). Nikà ¡a's son Gojak murdered Ugren, after which he was hid in the MoraÃÂa monastery by his great-uncle (or uncle) Stefan, and then in the Lukavica mountain, where he is believed to have died. Gojak had fours sons: Bulat (whose descendants are known as BulatoviÃÂi), à  ÃÂepan (whose descendants are known as à  ÃÂepanoviÃÂi), Vlaho (whose descendants are known as VlahoviÃÂi) and Srezoje (whose descendants are known as SrezojeviÃÂi).
The other part of RovÃÂani are descendants of knez (duke) Bogdan Ljeà ¡njanin, who fled from ÃÂevo due to a blood feud, and firstly settled in the village of Lijeà ¡nje in the Ljeà ¡ nahiyah (subdistrict), and then after another blood feud there he settled in what would become Rovca, in the village of Brezno (which today is known as Lijeà ¡nje). This happened in the first half of the 15th century, before the Ottoman conquest.
All of the Rovca tribe celebrate the Slava, St. Luke.