▁emer gence ▁of ▁Ar van ites , ▁Ar b ë resh ë , ▁and ▁Ar ban asi ▁communities ▁in ▁Greece , ▁Italy , ▁and ▁Cro atia . ▁While ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁Central ▁and ▁Northern ▁Alban ia ▁remained ▁firm ly ▁Catholic ▁( acc ording ▁to ▁V at ican ▁reports , ▁Muslim s ▁were ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 % ▁in ▁Northern ▁Alban ia ), ▁by ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁ 3 0 – 5 0 % ▁of ▁Northern ▁Alban ia ▁had ▁converted ▁to ▁Islam , ▁while ▁by ▁ 1 6 3 4 ▁most ▁of ▁Kos ovo ▁had ▁also ▁converted . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁Ven et ian ▁Republic ▁helped ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁wh oles ale ▁Islam isation ▁of ▁Alban ia , ▁maintain ing ▁a ▁hold ▁on ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁north ▁near ▁the ▁coast . ▁ ▁This ▁period ▁also ▁saw ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁Alban ian ▁literature , ▁written ▁by ▁Christians ▁such ▁as ▁P jet ë r ▁Bog d ani . ▁Some ▁of ▁these ▁Christian ▁Alban ian ▁think ers , ▁like ▁Bog d ani ▁himself , ▁ultimately ▁advoc ated ▁for ▁an ▁Alban ia ▁outside ▁of ▁Ott oman ▁control , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁Bog d ani ▁and ▁his ▁colle ague ▁R asp as ani , ▁raised ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁Kos ov ar ▁Alban ians ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Aust ri ans ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁Turkish ▁War .