Abdyl bej Koka was an Albanian feudal, who played an important role in several Albanian revolts in the 19th century.
Abdyl bej Koka was born in Delvinë. [1] He was a member of a rich local family that owned large tracts of land. [1] Unsatisfied with Ottoman rule of Albania, he joined local revolts in the early 19th century, and soon became one of the most important leaders of Albanian revolts against the Ottoman Empire. [1] In 1828, Koka was among Albanian leaders who participated at a convention in Berat where a list of requests was compiled and sent to the Sublime Porte. Among the requests were the removal of non-Albanians from official posts in territories with Albanian population and replacement of them with Albanian officials. [2] After the failure of the convention's goals, Koka continued his activities, collaborating with other leaders such as Tafil Buzi, Zenel Gjoleka, Mahmut Bajraktari, Ali bej Frakulla in revolts of 1833, 1834, 1835 and 1837. [3]
The Albanian National Awakening, commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political, and social movement in the Albanian history where the Albanian people gathered strength to establish an independent cultural and political life, as well as the country of Albania.
The Congress of Lushnjë, historically documented by the name Mbledhja Kombiare Lushnje, was a conference of Albanian political leaders held from January 21 to January 31, 1920, in Lushnjë, Albania.
Delvinë ; is a town and a municipality in Vlorë County, southern Albania, 16 kilometres northeast of Saranda. It was formed in the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Delvinë and Vergo, which became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Delvinë. The total population is 7,598, in a total area of 183.01 square kilometres. The population of the former municipality in the 2011 census was 5,754.
Fehim bey Zavalani (1859-1935) was an Albanian landowner from the Kolonjë area, journalist and activist of the Albanian National Awakening. He was also the editor of Bashkimi i Kombit, one of the most important Albanian newspapers of the era. In 1908 he became one of the head organizers of the Congress of Monastir, in which the Albanian alphabet was standardized.
Tafil Buzi was an Albanian leader and fighter, known for his role in various rebellions against the Ottoman government of southern Albania during the Albanian Revolts of 1833-1839. Throughout his uprisings, he maintained contacts with Muhammad Ali of Egypt and Greek politicians. As punishment for his continuous rebellions, he was captured and interned by the Ottoman government in 1840. In 1842, he was pardoned and acted as leader in service of the Ottoman government in Syria. He died there in 1844.
The Jonima were a noble Albanian family that held a territory around Lezhë, as vassals of Arbanon, Serbia and Ottoman Empire, active in the 13th to 15th centuries. The Jonima, like most Albanian noble families, were part of a fis or clan. It is also said that they had close ties to the Kastrioti family.
Mustafa Ndroqi(born Mustafa Mancaku) was an Albanian landowner who played an important role in the Revolts of 1914–15.
Nikollë Mekajshi was a Franciscan Roman Catholic prelate who served as bishop of Stephanium, a region in central Albania. He took part in the Convention of Mat in 1594, and was a member of the delegation that negotiated with Pope.
Haxhi Qamili, born Qamil Zyber Xhameta, was the leader of the 1914–15 revolt in Albania. He was popularly known by his religious name Haxhi Qamili, though he was also known as Baba Qamili.
The Albanian revolt of 1432–1436 was a series of conflicts between Albanian rebels and the Ottoman Empire during the early period of Ottoman rule in the region. Prompted by the replacement of large parts of the local nobility with Ottoman landowners, centralized governance, and the Ottoman taxation system, the population and the nobles, led principally by Gjergj Arianiti, revolted against the Ottomans.
The Attack against Mehmed Ali Pasha, known in Albanian historiography as the Action of Gjakova, was undertaken from 3–6 September 1878 by the Gjakova Committee of the League of Prizren in the estate of Abdullah Pasha Dreni near Gjakova. During the battle Mehmed Ali Pasha, the Ottoman marshal who was to overview the cession of the predominantly Albanian Plav and Gusinje region to the Principality of Montenegro, Abdullah Pasha Dreni, a notable official of the region and former member of the league, many Ottoman soldiers, and volunteers of the Gjakova Committee were killed.
Aqif Pasha Biçaku mostly known as Aqif Pashë Elbasani was an Ottoman Albanian political figure in the Sanjak of Elbasan and after the Young Turk Revolution became an activist for the Albanian national cause.
The Convention of Mat was organized on 7 November 1594 by Albanian leaders fighting against the Ottoman Empire. Mat was chosen as the place of the meeting due to its role in Albanian revolts of the 16th century. The aim was a better organization of the revolts to achieve independence from the Ottoman Empire. The convention decided that help should be sought from the Pope, and for negotiations were chosen Tom Plezha, Mark Gjini and Nikollë Mekajshi. However, the Pope refused to give help, claiming that it was not the right time to fight the Ottoman Empire. Another decision of Albanian leaders was to not let the Republic of Venice know about their plans as the latter did not want to open a new conflict with the Ottomans. The news came out and Venetians managed to divide the organizers of the convention between themselves. In the following two years, Albanian leaders continued their work to get help from Christian powers, taking heart from geopolitical circumstances. In 1596, 10,000 men marched towards Vlora in hope of receiving arms from Spain but the arms sent were confiscated by Venetians. The events damaged the relations between Albanian leaders and Christian powers but did not weaken the efforts for independence.
The Convention of Dibra was organized on November 1, 1878, in the city of Dibra, on the initiative of the Committee of the Albanian League for the two Dibras chaired by Iljaz Pasha Dibra. The convention adopted a resolution in the form of a memorandum, drafted by Abdyl Frashëri who participated as representative of the whole of Vilayet of Ioannina.
Andrea Manesi was an Albanian leader who organized a revolt in 1607 against the Ottoman Empire. He declared himself to be the second Skanderbeg, instructed by celestial beings to depose the Sultan and take his place. Gaining fame as having miraculous abilities and helping the poor, he increased the number of his supporters until the revolt was put to an end by Ottoman armies.
Zylyftar Poda, born Iljaz Poda and also known as Silihtar Boda, was an Albanian leader, who led several revolts against the Ottoman Empire.
Arif Hiqmeti, born Arif Neziri (1870s–1916), was one of the leaders of the Peasant Revolt in Albania.
Selim Rusi was an Albanian patriot who was one of the most prominent activists of the Albanian National Awakening in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He was born in Debar, then part of the Ottoman Empire to an Albanian family known for patriotism. In 1899 he represented the Sanjak of Debar at the meeting that established the League of Peja, an organisation that aimed at advancing the rights of the Albanians in the Ottoman Empire. Later that year he was one of the leaders of a revolt in the Sanjak of Debar as planned by the League of Peja. Although he failed to organise a meeting of local patriots at Debar, the revolt where he was involved in was a turning point in the struggle of the Albanians for independence. His grandson is Sherif Langu, he and his family spoke Albanian in the Gheg dialect.
At the conclusion of the Albanian-Ottoman Wars in the 15th century, the Albanian people revolted against the Ottoman Empire. These actions during this time continued an extended period of conquest and border expansion into Southeastern Europe. The Ottomans were left in control of all the main Albanian cities, besides Durrës and Ulcinj, which were still controlled by the Venice. Albania would be ruled by the Ottomans for over 400 years, but this rule would be frequently disrupted by revolts and uprisings with varying degrees of success.
Sulejman Aga Batusha or Sulejman Aga Botusha was a prominent Albanian resistance fighter and revolutionary leader from the Highlands of Gjakova and the wider Gjakova region who participated in the Albanian National Awakening. Born sometime in the 19th century, Sulejman Aga would repeatedly lead Albanian forces against the Ottomans throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, ultimately contributing to the Albanian Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. He was also a chief of the Gashi tribe and was their head in the Gjakova region.