ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book conceptualizes the Paul R. Brass's characterization of an ethnic group as reflecting psychological affinity. It also conceptualizes his definition of the concept of nationalism, emphasizing a nation's consciousness of its uniqueness and interests, as well as its sense of opposition to other nations in the promotion of its own aims and interests. The book explores the origins of the Bosnian Muslims and their national development. It focuses on whether their evolution from tribe to nation, which in many ways is little different from the development of the Serbs and Croats, made them a target for the other South Slav people. The book argues that official recognition of the Bosnian Muslims made them vulnerable to Serb and Croat pressures, because neither group would accept the Bosnian Muslims as anything more than a religious entity.
