itu ent ▁pe op les " ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁P ream ble ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁of ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina . ▁The ▁decision ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁other ▁notable ▁cases ▁that ▁came ▁before ▁the ▁court . ▁ ▁Historical ▁background ▁Some ▁ ▁argue ▁that ▁a ▁Bos n ian ▁identity ▁( in ▁the ▁non - rel ig ious ▁sense ) ▁goes ▁back ▁centuries , ▁the ▁Ser b ▁and ▁Cro at ▁for ▁Christian ▁Bos ni ans ▁a ▁century , ▁and ▁Bos nia k ▁( B os n ian ▁Muslim ) ▁even ▁more ▁recently . ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁the ▁term ▁Bo ş nak ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁Bos ni ans ▁( of ▁the ▁Bos nia ▁E y alet ) ▁in ▁an ▁eth nic ▁or ▁" t rib al " ▁sense . ▁After ▁the ▁Aust ro - H ung arian ▁occupation ▁of ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁administration ▁officially ▁end ors ed ▁" B os n ian hood " ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁a ▁multi - conf essional ▁Bos n ian ▁nation . ▁The ▁policy ▁asp ired ▁to ▁isol ate ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina ▁from ▁its ▁ir red ent ist ▁neighb ors ▁( Or th odox ▁Ser bia , ▁Catholic ▁Cro atia , ▁and ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ) ▁and ▁to ▁neg ate ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁Cro at ian ▁and ▁Ser bian ▁nation hood ▁which ▁had ▁already ▁begun ▁to ▁take ▁ground ▁among ▁Bos nia