ith ku q , ▁Lab ove , ▁Mes op ot am , ▁Drop ull . ▁ ▁Christian ity ▁and ▁Islam ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁under ▁Ott oman ▁Rule ▁▁ ▁Ram ad an ▁Mar mul la ku ▁noted ▁that , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 0 0 s , ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁organized ▁a ▁concert ed ▁campaign ▁of ▁Islam ization ▁that ▁was ▁not ▁typically ▁applied ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁the ▁B alk ans , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁ensure ▁the ▁loyal ty ▁of ▁the ▁reb elli ous ▁Alban ian ▁population . ▁Although ▁there ▁were ▁certain ▁instances ▁of ▁viol ently ▁forced ▁conversion , ▁usually ▁this ▁was ▁achieved ▁through ▁deb at ably ▁co er ci ve ▁economic ▁in cent ives ▁– ▁in ▁particular , ▁the ▁head ▁tax ▁on ▁Christians ▁was ▁dr ast ically ▁increased . ▁While ▁the ▁tax ▁lev ied ▁on ▁Alban ian ▁Christians ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 0 0 s ▁amount ed ▁to ▁about ▁ 4 5 ▁ak ç es , ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 6 0 0 s , ▁it ▁was ▁ 7 8 0 ▁ak ç es . ▁Con version ▁to ▁Islam ▁here ▁was ▁also ▁a ided ▁by ▁the ▁dire ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁church ▁in ▁the ▁period — ▁in ▁the ▁entire ty ▁of ▁Alban ia , ▁there ▁were ▁only ▁ 1 3 0 ▁Catholic ▁pri ests , ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁poor ly ▁educated . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁many ▁Christian ▁Alban ians ▁fled ▁into ▁the ▁mountains ▁to ▁found ▁new ▁villages ▁like ▁Th eth , ▁or ▁to ▁other ▁countries ▁where ▁they ▁contributed ▁to ▁the