▁surrounding ▁region , ▁the ▁Christians ▁converted ▁en ▁mas se ▁once ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁re capt ured ▁from ▁the ▁Christian ▁forces ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 0 , ▁because ▁they ▁fe ared ▁violent ▁ret ribution ▁for ▁their ▁collaboration . ▁In ▁Lab ë ri , ▁mean while , ▁mass ▁conversion ▁took ▁place ▁during ▁a ▁fam ine ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁bishop ▁of ▁Him ara ▁and ▁Del v ina ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁forb idden ▁the ▁people ▁from ▁breaking ▁the ▁fast ▁and ▁cons uming ▁milk ▁under ▁threat ▁of ▁inter min able ▁hell . ▁Ac ross ▁Orth odox ▁regions ▁of ▁Alban ia , ▁conversion ▁was ▁also ▁helped ▁by ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁her es ies ▁like ▁A rian ism ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁cler gy ▁was ▁ill iter ate , ▁cor rupt , ▁and ▁conducted ▁ser m ons ▁in ▁Greek , ▁a ▁foreign ▁language , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁pover ty ▁of ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁church . ▁The ▁cler gy , ▁largely ▁from ▁the ▁Bos ph orus , ▁was ▁distant ▁from ▁its ▁Alban ian ▁f lock s ▁and ▁also ▁cor rupt ▁as ▁well , ▁ab using ▁church ▁tax ▁collection ▁and ▁exact ing ▁a ▁heavy ▁tax ▁regime ▁that ▁aggreg ated ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁pun itive ▁tax es ▁im posed ▁directly ▁by ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁state ▁on ▁the ▁reb elli ous ▁Alban ian ▁Christian ▁population ▁aim ed ▁at ▁spark ing ▁their ▁conversion . ▁ ▁Orth odox ▁areas ▁further ▁north , ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁around ▁El bas an , ▁were ▁first ▁to ▁convert , ▁during ▁the ▁