Albanian Revolt of 1847
Encyclopedia
The Albanian Revolt of 1847 was a 19th century uprising in southern Albania
directed against Ottoman
Tanzimat
reforms which started in 1839 and were gradually being put in action in the regions of Albania. One of the characteristics of the uprising was the absence of known bey families among its leaders and the massive participation of the peasants. In Albanian communist history this event was also called the Great Peasant Uprisings .
s.
After the uprising in Kosovo
in 1844, the Ottoman Porte declared the application of the Tanzimat reforms in southern Albania in a ceremony organized in Ioannina
. Albanian sandjaks were reorganized. Hysen Pashe Vrioni was appointed the head of Berat Sandjak, which would include the regions of Vlorë
, Mallakastër
, Skrapar and Përmet
. His forces began putting into action the new reforms, disarming the population and requesting new taxes.
The insurgents created a committee with Zenel Gjoleka
as its leader. When the new Ottoman administration tried to gather the new taxes in Kuç
, the peasants went into open rebellion in July 1847. 500 men led by Zenel Gjoleka marched toward Delvinë
and liberated the city. In a short period of time the uprising expanded in all Vlorë region, Chameria
, Përmet and especially in Mallakastër where the local rebels were led by another notable local leader, Rrapo Hekali
.
Isuf bey Vrioni with its men attacked the rebels in the Mallakastër area. Their forces were defeated and Isuf and his brother were captured during the fighting and executed by the rebels. After that the Mallakastër rebels, led by Rrapo Hekali attacked Berat
, but having no artillery they could not capture the castle
. They continued the siege without attacking the castle. At the same time, the rebels led by Gjoleka and Çelo Picari
defeated an Ottomand force coming from Ioannina
. The Gjoleka men also attacked Gjirokastër
and kept its castle
under siege. The Porte was alarmed by the news and a release force of 3000 men under Shahin bey Kosturi, was sent from Thessaly
, against the rebels in Gjirokastër, but Kosturi and his forces were also defeated by the forces of Gjoleka. Gjoleka also tried to have some cooperation and negotiated with the Greek government of Ioannis Kolettis
, but with little succes. A new Ottoman army of 5000 men was sent from Ioannina against Gjoleka. With a force of 1500 men Gjoleka was able to defeat again the Ottoman forces in the Battle of Dholan in 28 August 1847.
At the same time some 15,000 Ottoman forces under the Turkish mareshal Mehmet Reshit Pasha were sent from Manastir to release the siege of Berat. In Ohrid
their forces were summoned by other 6,000 men. The Ottoman forces attacked the forces of Rrapo Hekali based in the city of Berat and at the same time the Turkish garrison in the castle attacked them from behind. Albanian forces left the siege and withdrew in Mallakastër. From Berat, the Ottoman army tried to enter to the heart of the rebellion, the Kurvelesh region, from the Kuç pass where Gjoleka forces were concentrated. They once again resisted the Ottoman forces. At the same time other Ottoman forces attacked Kurvelesh from the Mesaplik region and another Ottoman column disembarked in the Himara region encircling the forces of Gjoleka. Even under these circumstances Gjoleka men resisted. Seeing the tough resistance, Mehmed Reshid Pasha declared an amnesty and invited all the leaders to met him in Zhulat village. Some 85 men who believed his words and came to the place of meeting (among whom the local leader Hodo Nivica
and some other minor leaders), were captured. After that the organised resistance was no longer possible and Albanian forces were divided in small ceta. Ottoman forces entered the regions of uprising and thousands of men were arrested and deported, whereas Rrapo Hekali was poisoned in the prison of Manastir on December 30, 1847. Gjoleka with a small group of fighters retreated to Greece
, which ended the uprising.
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
directed against Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Tanzimat
Tanzimat
The Tanzimât , meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimât reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against...
reforms which started in 1839 and were gradually being put in action in the regions of Albania. One of the characteristics of the uprising was the absence of known bey families among its leaders and the massive participation of the peasants. In Albanian communist history this event was also called the Great Peasant Uprisings .
Background
The primary aim of the Tanzimat reforms was that of creating a strong modern local apparatus with which to govern the empire. The old privileges were abolished and taxes were to be collected from Ottoman officials, rather than by local Albanian beyBey
Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
s.
After the uprising in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
in 1844, the Ottoman Porte declared the application of the Tanzimat reforms in southern Albania in a ceremony organized in Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
. Albanian sandjaks were reorganized. Hysen Pashe Vrioni was appointed the head of Berat Sandjak, which would include the regions of Vlorë
Vlorë
Vlorë is one of the biggest towns and the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 94,000 . It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912...
, Mallakastër
Mallakastër
Mallakastër is a massive hilly complex in the Mallakastër District, southwestern Albania. Its highest point is the hill Shëndëlli . is The people from this region are called Mallakastriotë. They do not speak a different dialect from other regions in southern Albania, but they do have some small...
, Skrapar and Përmet
Përmet
Përmet is a town in Albania, capital of Përmet District. The population is 7,717. It is flanked by the Vjosë river, which runs along the Trebeshinë-Dhëmbel-Nemërçkë mountain chain, between Trebeshinë and Dhëmbel mountains, and through the Këlcyra gorge....
. His forces began putting into action the new reforms, disarming the population and requesting new taxes.
Revolt
Albanian peasants in southern Albania reacted to the actions of Ottoman administration and in June 1847, their representatives met in Mesaplik. In a memorandum sent to the Turkish sultan they declared that they would not send soldiers in the regular army, would not pay the new taxes and would also not accept the new administrationThe insurgents created a committee with Zenel Gjoleka
Zenel Gjoleka
Zenel Gjoleka was an Albanian revolutionary famous for his role in Albanian revolt of 1847 also known as Zenel Gjoleka revolt. After those events he was pardoned by Abdülmecid I, the Sultan of Ottoman Empire at that time. In 1852 he died fighting as a mercenary against Montenegrin...
as its leader. When the new Ottoman administration tried to gather the new taxes in Kuç
Kuç, Vlorë
Kuç is a settlement in the Vlorë District, Vlorë County, southwestern Albania....
, the peasants went into open rebellion in July 1847. 500 men led by Zenel Gjoleka marched toward Delvinë
Delvinë
Delvinë is a small town in Vlorë County in southern Albania, 16 km northeast of Saranda. Delvinë is the seat of the Delvinë District. Delvinë has lost over a third of its citizens since 1990, having a population of 4,200 .The city is built on a mountain slope...
and liberated the city. In a short period of time the uprising expanded in all Vlorë region, Chameria
Chameria
Chameria is a term used today mostly by Albanians for parts of the coastal region of Epirus in southern Albania and northwestern Greece It was also used by Greeks till the mid of 20th century and is frequently found in Greek literature. Today it is obsolete in Greek, surviving mainly in Greek folk...
, Përmet and especially in Mallakastër where the local rebels were led by another notable local leader, Rrapo Hekali
Rrapo Hekali
Rrapo Hekali was an Albanian fighter, famous for his role in Albanian revolt of 1847. After those events he was captured and prisoned by Ottoman forces. He died in the end of December 1847 in the Ottoman prison of Manastir....
.
Isuf bey Vrioni with its men attacked the rebels in the Mallakastër area. Their forces were defeated and Isuf and his brother were captured during the fighting and executed by the rebels. After that the Mallakastër rebels, led by Rrapo Hekali attacked Berat
Berat
Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
, but having no artillery they could not capture the castle
Berat Castle
Berat Castle is a fortress overlooking the town of Berat, Albania. It dates mainly from the 13th century and contains many Byzantine churches in the area and Ottoman mosques. It is built on a rocky hill on the left bank of the river Osum and is accessible only from the south.-History:After being...
. They continued the siege without attacking the castle. At the same time, the rebels led by Gjoleka and Çelo Picari
Çelo Picari
Çelo Picari was an Albanian freedom fighter and patriot of the 19th century.-Life:Born Xhelil Bega in 1802 in the old Picar, a settlement that is no longer inhabited and in ruins, but close to today's Picar, in southern Albania, he later preferred to be called Çelo Picari. In his youth he was a...
defeated an Ottomand force coming from Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
. The Gjoleka men also attacked Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania with a population of 43,000. Lying in the historical region of Epirus, it is the capital of both the Gjirokastër District and the larger Gjirokastër County...
and kept its castle
Gjirokastër Castle
Gjirokastër Castle is a castle in Gjirokastër, Albania ....
under siege. The Porte was alarmed by the news and a release force of 3000 men under Shahin bey Kosturi, was sent from Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
, against the rebels in Gjirokastër, but Kosturi and his forces were also defeated by the forces of Gjoleka. Gjoleka also tried to have some cooperation and negotiated with the Greek government of Ioannis Kolettis
Ioannis Kolettis
Ioannis Kolettis was a Greek politician who played a significant role in Greek affairs from the Greek War of Independence through the early years of the Greek Kingdom, including as Minister to France and serving twice as Prime Minister....
, but with little succes. A new Ottoman army of 5000 men was sent from Ioannina against Gjoleka. With a force of 1500 men Gjoleka was able to defeat again the Ottoman forces in the Battle of Dholan in 28 August 1847.
At the same time some 15,000 Ottoman forces under the Turkish mareshal Mehmet Reshit Pasha were sent from Manastir to release the siege of Berat. In Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
their forces were summoned by other 6,000 men. The Ottoman forces attacked the forces of Rrapo Hekali based in the city of Berat and at the same time the Turkish garrison in the castle attacked them from behind. Albanian forces left the siege and withdrew in Mallakastër. From Berat, the Ottoman army tried to enter to the heart of the rebellion, the Kurvelesh region, from the Kuç pass where Gjoleka forces were concentrated. They once again resisted the Ottoman forces. At the same time other Ottoman forces attacked Kurvelesh from the Mesaplik region and another Ottoman column disembarked in the Himara region encircling the forces of Gjoleka. Even under these circumstances Gjoleka men resisted. Seeing the tough resistance, Mehmed Reshid Pasha declared an amnesty and invited all the leaders to met him in Zhulat village. Some 85 men who believed his words and came to the place of meeting (among whom the local leader Hodo Nivica
Hodo Nivica
Hodo Nivica was an Albanian fighter famous for his role in Albanian revolt of 1847. He was one of the few local leaders that escaped the massacre of Albanian beys. Although invited by Ottoman governor, suspicious of his real intentions he did not went to Monastir. After his participation in the...
and some other minor leaders), were captured. After that the organised resistance was no longer possible and Albanian forces were divided in small ceta. Ottoman forces entered the regions of uprising and thousands of men were arrested and deported, whereas Rrapo Hekali was poisoned in the prison of Manastir on December 30, 1847. Gjoleka with a small group of fighters retreated to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, which ended the uprising.