Written originally by Ramiz Lushaj.

“On that day of August 1, 2016, when Besnik Bajraktari of Shipshan shook hands with His Highness, Bujar Nishani – President of the Republic of Albania, there, at the “Krojet” restaurant in Vuthaj te Gucisë, I was thinking something else: History repeats itself… in time , different places and ways.

Din Bajram Bajraktari, the bayraktar of Shipshan, and his great grandfather Bek Din Bajraktari

His great-grandfather, Din Bajram Bajraktari, the first bajraktar of Shipshan, who had good relations with the Vizier of Shkodra, Mustafa Pasha Bushatlli and with the great doors of Kryezinje in Gjakova and Begollevi in ​​Peja, participated with military forces volunteer of his own flag in several wars in the years 1852-1854, 1867 and 1872-1875 in defense of ethnic Albanian lands in Plavë-Guci and up to Moraçë.

His other great-grandfather, the hereditary descendant of the bajrak of Shipshan, Bek Din Bajraktari, with a representation of the bajraks of the Highlands of Gjakovë with Reka and Gjakovë, Pejë and Rugovë, in October 1879, in Qafë Çakorri, in an official meeting with voivode Teodor Milanin of Vasojevich – representative of the delegation of King Nicholas of Montenegro, opposed the annexation of Plavë-Gucia from Montenegro, opposed the decisions of the anti-Albanian Congress of Berlin and declared war on the Principality of Montenegro.

Bek Din Bajrami with over 200 fighters from his Bajrak of Shipshan, went to the famous Nokshiq-Pepaj War (December 4, 1879-January 11, 1880) and fought on the front line at the old Limë Bridge in Nokshiq, in front of the Montenegrin military forces of commanded by Mark Milani (Marko Miljanov) of Kuçi and Teodor Milanjov. The War of Nokšić was the prelude to the Declaration of Independence in Vlora in 1912.

The two Bajraktars of Shipshan, father and son, Din Bajram Bajraktari and Bek Din Bajraktari, have close ties with prominent figures and big houses in Plavë-Guci, such as Ali Pasha Guci, Jakup Ferri with his brother, Mulla Jahë – the Kadia of Plava, Bali Dema of Martinaj, the Shahmans, and others.

Tahir Bek Dini, Riza Beg Kryeziu, Bajram Beg Curri

The grandfather of Besnik Bajraktar, the third generation of the bajrak of Shipshan, Tahir Bek Dini, together with Riza Beg Kryeziu, Bajram Beg Curri and other bajraktars of the Gjakova casa, etc. with 3,000 mountain volunteer forces, led the great war against over 8,000 Montenegrin forces of the Eastern Division led by the Adjutant General, Brigadier Serdar Janko Vukotić and his military subordinate Radomir Veshović, Milija Nikolić, Bogdan Vučinić and Gjuro Vushojević.

Battle of Limë in 1912

The war took place on October 15-18, 1912 in the Upper Ultina of Lim, as in Visitor, Velikë and Maja of Lake Plava. The commander of the Division, General J. Vukotič (then Minister of Defense and then Prime Minister of Montenegro), on October 21, 1912, from Gucia, which was occupied by the Montenegrins, reported to King Nicholas I in Cetina that “3 thousand Albanians from the Gjakovë …attacked our battalions every day…”

Rrustem Bajraktari in 1943

The fourth generation of the bajrak of Shipshan, Rrustem Bajraktari – the son of Tahir Bek Bajraktari, at the beginning of November 1943, when the Chetnik units of Veličko Bojović attacked the legendary province of Plavë-Gucia, he participated in the war with a volunteer military formation of Shipshan. He, while returning on a saddle horse to the city of Plava, suffered severe heart pain, fell to the ground, suffered physical injuries and stayed for recovery at the Beshkovic family in Plava. He died in his tower in Kasaj of Shipshan. It became an important event in Albanian history.

Sali Tahir Bajraktari

Besnik Bajraktari’s father, Sali Tahir Bajraktari, then a leader in the Beci municipality of Gjakova, in November 1943, also participated in a war effort with the Slavic Chetniks in Plavë-Guci. He took his brother Rrustem Bajraktari, this nation’s martyr, to their tower in Kasaj of Shipshan, and they took care of his health until he changed his life after a few days.

Well-known lawyer Besnik Bajraktari, administrator of a legal studio, international level chess player (currently vice president of the Albanian Chess Federation), etc. is the fifth genetic generation of the great Bajraktari breed of Shipshan that comes to the province of Plavë-Gucia.
Besnik Bajraktari of Shipshan has three ties with Plavë-Gucina: First, the bonds of generational love for the Nation, where the Bajraktari of Shipshan made contributions, have attributes, shed their blood, etc.

Now, Besnik Bajraktari comes in the path of his ancestors, comes with their history. The second: Besnik Bajraktari also has his blood ties with Plavë-guci, as he is twice a nephew there: both to Çelaj and to Ulaj e Vuthajve. Thirdly, Besnik Bajraktari also has his land ties with Plavë-Gucina, as there, from the kaher, he has his own mountain, of his door.
Hence the invitation to Besnik Bajraktar of Shipshan in the traditional national Manifestation “Welcome to the Albanian Alps, Vuthaj 2016” – in the twentieth year of its pan-Albanian organization; his meeting there with the President of the Republic of Albania; presence on the last day of the National Folk Festival “Song and Dance Shqipe unites us” – held for four days in Plavë-Guci; it’s not a coincidence, as history repeats itself between generations, in genera and towers, on dates and events, in the lives of our three ethnic Albanians.”

Reference

https://gazetadielli.com/historia-perseritet-o-besnik-bajraktari/