Albanian Revolt of 1847

Zenel Gjoleka


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 (Albanian: Kryengritjet e Mëdha Fshatare).


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 beys.

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.


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 administration

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 its 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 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 in December 30, 1847. Gjoleka with a small group of fighters retreated to Greece, which ended the uprising.