I. Introduction Concepts, goals, methods The location General remarks II. The background to the tension and the komitadji phenomenon Conflict types – general overview The escalation of the conflicts Some temporal and spatial patterns of četa activity Četa types and their origins The social background and functions of the revolutionary       organizations Financial sources Methods of rule III. Violence in Skopje Sanjak Everyday violence The practice of destabilization – other forms of violence IV. Conflict types in Prizren Sanjak General tendenciesTraditional banditry – weakening central power Banditism vs. the state authorities The state treatment of Banditism – a successful solution? Violence as an alternative source of income for Ottoman state officials Conflicts indirectly generated by the competition between the PowersThe case of the Bogoslovie in Prizren (1899-1900) Protests against the opening of new consulates and trade agencies Actions against sacred places during Christian festivals The Albanian village vs. the town Conflicts stemming from border positions V. Local strategies of coexistence and survival, the politics of neighbouring states and the attempts of the Ottoman government and Great Powers to restore peace Scratching the surface: exit strategies — Symptoms of economic breakdown or of collapsing public security? The macroeconomic situation before 1903 and attempts at reform Prevailing agrarian (social) problems after 1903 The response To the challenge I: The central government and local society The četa problem reloaded Community-level response to the changes II: The strategy of the Serbs in Macedonia Strategies of intimidation and strategies of survival VI. Epilogue Notes in the margin: the limits to Muslim-Christian cooperation The new order Bibliography Index