, ▁religious ▁differences ▁were ▁often ▁mit ig ated ▁by ▁common ▁cultural ▁and ▁trib al ▁characteristics , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁knowledge ▁of ▁family ▁line ages ▁connecting ▁Alban ian ▁Christians ▁and ▁Alban ian ▁Muslim s . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁although ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁re bell ions ▁of ▁the ▁century ▁were ▁at ▁least ▁in ▁part ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁Christian ▁sentiment , ▁it ▁was ▁noted ▁that ▁many ▁Alban ian ▁Muslim s ▁also ▁took ▁part , ▁and ▁that , ▁des pis ing ▁Ott oman ▁rule ▁no ▁less ▁than ▁their ▁Christian ▁bre th ren , ▁Alban ian ▁Muslim s ▁would ▁revol t ▁eager ly ▁if ▁only ▁given ▁the ▁slight est ▁assistance ▁from ▁the ▁Catholic ▁West . ▁ ▁Christian ity ▁and ▁Islam ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁under ▁Ott oman ▁Rule ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries , ▁especially ▁after ▁numerous ▁re bell ions ▁including ▁during ▁the ▁Great ▁Turkish ▁War ▁and ▁subsequent ▁cl ash es ▁with ▁Orth odox ▁Russia , ▁Ott oman ▁r ul ers ▁also ▁made ▁concert ed ▁efforts ▁to ▁convert ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁Alban ians ▁of ▁Southern ▁and ▁Central ▁Alban ia ▁( as ▁well ▁as ▁neighbor ing ▁regions ▁of ▁Greece ▁and ▁Mac ed onia ). ▁Like ▁in ▁the ▁North , ▁conversion ▁was ▁achieved ▁through ▁a ▁diverse ▁mot ley ▁of ▁violent , ▁co er ci ve ▁and ▁non - co er ci ve ▁means , ▁but ▁raised ▁tax es ▁were ▁the ▁main ▁factor . ▁Nevertheless , ▁there ▁were ▁specific ▁local ▁cases : ▁in ▁V l ora ▁and ▁the