Written by Mikel Gojani. Edited and translated by Petrit Latifi.
Rexhep Dedushaj: Krahina e Plavë-Gucisë nëpër shekujt, Pejë 2016 (Botimi i tretë).
These days, researcher and publicist Rexhep Dedushaj has published his next book titled, “The Plav-Gucia Region through the Centuries”, which is the third edition with additions. The author of this work, the researcher and publicist known in the national intellectual circles, Rexhep Dedushaj, through the pages of this book, undertakes to write a broad history of the Plavë-Gucia region, where it originates, for the interest of the younger generations, the very interesting historical journey of this region along with its waves, to place on the deserved pedestal of the memory of those events that have developed throughout history and of the many historical personalities of this region who have left deep traces in our national historiography.
The work is a long story, since it is known that everything can never be said about the history of this region, but the researcher Dedushaj, by not stopping, opens paths for other researchers to deal more extensively with this very interesting topic and of dimensional importance. The work is served by a series of archival sources, then also supported by a rich literature, but also through evidence argued through the accounts of elderly people who have experienced part of that history, but also by interpreting events and deeds of numerous personalities of those stories that have occurred in this region, which were the most authentic archives of history.
The book “The Plav Region – Courage through the Centuries”, by the author Dedushaj, is conceived in separate chapters that maintain a conceptual structure. In the chapter of this book, “Ancient Time”, the author Dedushaj speaks about the deep history that touches even the centuries.
The book is based on expert authors on archeology
The author relies on historical evidence and facts based on written chronicles written and discovered by many experts in the archaeological field, such as prof. Duje Rendiqi, Mioçeviç, Gerga Novak, Josip Kroshec, Skënder Anamali, Aleksandër Stipçeviq, Artur Evans, Alojz Benac etc., as well as many scientists, such as Tumani, J.G. Haln, V. Jokli, M. Shuflaj, N. Jokli, A. Majer, and especially E. Çabej, who clearly prove that Albanians lived in their present lands thousands of years before the arrival of the Slavs in these regions. The author, through many other facts and evidence, namely cemeteries, toponyms, macrotoponyms, also argues who the rulers of this people were.
The following chapter, “The Byzantine Era, the Arrival of the Slavs and the Turks”, the author provides historical data and facts on the Byzantine era and the penetration of the Slavs and Turks into the Balkans. The author also reveals in this part many historical events that took place at this time in the Plav-Gucia region, presenting very interesting and not yet deeply studied data.
Spread of Islam in the 16th century
The spread of the Islamic religion in this region represents a very interesting chapter within this book. This topic is examined in the chapter, “The spread of the Islamic religion”, where the author explains that towards the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, the situation in Albania was deplorable. “This was the time when the Ottoman Empire had reached the peak of its expansion and had become a great military and political power on three continents, in Asia, in Europe and in Africa.
Many of the uprisings that had erupted during the 16th century and the first half of the 17th century in Albania, and especially in its northern regions, were brutally suppressed by the merciless Ottoman Janissaries. Fearing that new uprisings would break out in these parts, the Sublime Porte kept its grip on oppression “tight” towards the Albanians, especially those of the Catholic faith, in order to force them to Islamize and thus cut them off from the link that connected Albania with Western Europe. (p. 54).
Thus, according to the author, after many events and uprisings, the process of Islamization was also included in the region of Plav and Gucia. The author also argues that it is difficult to determine the specific date of the beginning of Islamization by this population, but according to some data it would have begun somewhere around the 80s of the 16th century (1580s).
The mosque of Plav in 1471 and conversion in Plav and Guci
This approximate fact is also proven when, according to some historical facts, a mosque was built in Plav in 1471, which served the power holders who came from Turkey. According to the records of Pjetër Mazreku, around 1638 the majority of the population of Plavë-Guci and the surrounding area had converted to Islam. At this time, in addition to Plavë, there was also a mosque in Guci.
Meanwhile, according to the author, drawing on the data of the researcher Memic, in the second decade of the 17th century, 70 families, or 8 percent of this population, were Muslims. In the following, the author Dedushaj also presents the reasons for that the population of this region was forced to accept the Islamic religion: due to the weakening of the Catholic religion, where there was a noticeable lack of educated Albanian-Catholic priests; due to the aggressiveness of the Orthodox-Serbian church, which the Holy See (Vatican) in Rome itself began to support, as well as the help of European countries with their diversionary stances towards the Albanian uprisings.
From the pressure of the Ottoman Empire and the miserable condition of the broad masses of the people, caused by the yoke of the Ottoman feudal-military system, or sometimes even the desire to gain as many economic-class and administrative privileges in this system. In the following, the author Dedushaj gives many other arguments, and also reflects many historical events and developments on the topic of the axis, these events that present very interesting historical facts and evidence and that have a special importance in reflecting this issue and historical fact, which for Albanians is still a subject of consideration and continues to remain.
The author Dedushaj in the following two chapters, “Events in the second half of the 17th and 18th centuries”, as well as the next chapter, “The 9th Century”, reflects historical events and testimonies that took place in these lands during these years, as well as the resistance of this people against the attacks and aggression that the invaders have inflicted on them.
Kara Mahmud Pasha Bushati in 1786 and the Illyrian Confederation League
The author on this occasion also sheds light on many figures who participated and resisted worthy of sacrifice during these uprisings, such as the name of Pjetër Bogdani, Mehmet Pasha Bushati, then Kara Mahmut – Pasha Bushati, who managed to make the merchants and craftsmen of Shkodra as well as the rebellious tribes of the Mbishkodra Highlands, Dukagjin and Mirdita, In 1786 he organized a meeting with the Albanian, Montenegrin, Herzegovinian and Bosnian leaders, where the “Illyrian Conference League” was formed, which aimed to expel Turkey from these lands.
The Montenegrin attack on Albania in 1787
After the necessary preparations, in November 1787 the war began, which was very fierce and attracted the attention of Europe. The Montenegrins did not participate in this war, because they had created an agreement, and with the intervention of Russia they attacked Bushatliu behind his back, sinking several of his ships in Lake Shkodra, while he was busy fighting the Sultan.
After the death of Kara Mahmut Pash Bushati, Ibrahim Pash Bushati came to the head of Shkodra – the evil one, he was called “the evil one” by the Albanians, because whatever the Sultan said he did, he did. According to the author Dedushaj, the 19th century is also filled with many important historical events and a very high national consciousness.
The author, on this occasion, in addition to the many very important events that he reveals, also highlights many historical names and personalities who carried out and resisted these events. In addition to many figures that the author cannot overlook, there are also, such as:
Binak Alia, Sokol Rama, Shaqir Curri, Osman Omeraga, Bali Dema, Zeqo and Jakup Ferri, Man agë Shehu, Adem Shahmani, Zenel Gjoleka, Haxhi Zeka, Nikë Leka-Pepaj, Sulejman Vokshi, Ali Ibra, Mulla Jaha, Kadri Bajra, Filip Çeka, Isul Sokoli, Ali Pashë Gucia, Husi i Shaban Begut, Mullla Jahë Musiqi, Selman agë Kurti, Nuro Sejdirexha, Abdyl-be Tesheviqi, Halil Agë Mullafejziu, Halil Sejdiu, Agan Nuri, Nuc Shahmani, Omer Shabaj, Mehmet and Bilall Shehu, Rushid Jakupaga, Nuredin Bejta, Mehmet agë Jakupi, Ajdin agë Kurti, Ali Koja, Brahim Jakupi and many, many others, who we will surely remember since we are overlooking them without emphasizing them.
An issue that enriches this chapter, the author describes these events, these uprisings and this resistance of the insurgents of this region through folk verses, which the autochthonous rhapsodists have put into folk verses and are sung today in these parts. The chapter, Uprisings of 1909-1012, reveals many historical events and facts related to the uprisings of 1909-1912, events that have left their mark on the historical journey of this people.
The Albanians made their resistance led by worthy warriors and patriots of that time. “Hasan Prishtina, Bajram Curri, Idriz Seferi, Isa Boletini, Ahmet Delia, Hasan Ferri, etc., each in his own region organized the people and pledged their allegiance to death and freedom. On May 21-25, 2012, 250 representatives of the Albanian people, mainly from Kosovo, but also from other Albanian regions, gathered in Junik and formed the Kosovo Uprising Committee headed by Hasan Prishtina, who on May 25 issued a call to all Albanians:
“Today, Northern and Southern Albania have taken up arms to gain, through the uprising, the natural and legally guaranteed rights that have been taken from them. It wants and expects the humane help of all compatriots and the civilized world. The homeland expects unification from us. The minutes are approaching when the fate of Albania will be decided.”
Hasan Ferri participated in this assembly as a representative of Plav and Gucia. The demands that wer similar to those of the Prizren connection: To recognize the borders of Albania, the national flag, Albanian civil servants, the official Albanian language, Albanian schools, etc., which requests were immediately presented to the Turkish Government and the Great Powers. The author also provides many other data that were developed in these Albanian lands at that time.
He gives the fact that, noticing the danger that was threatening the Albanian lands, Hasan Prishtina with other patriots of the time was forced to conclude an agreement with the Sultan, who on August 14, 1912 accepted the points of Hasan Prishtina, which points guaranteed the Albanians many economic, political, administrative and cultural rights.
It is true that the autonomy that was initially sought was not obtained, because “the patriots could not insist on gaining it, since now the military forces of the Balkan monarchies had gathered on the borders of Albania and their attack was expected at any moment. Thus ended the uprising of 1012, namely the Albanian uprisings of 190-1012 against the five-century Ottoman invaders.” (pp. 146-147).
Historical revelations of great interest are presented in the chapter, “The Determination of the Borders of Albania”, in which the author Dedushaj speaks about the determination of the borders of Albania that were determined at the Conference of Ambassadors in 1913, where the borders of the state of Albania were determined, in which conference almost half of the lands of the Albanian ethnic geography remained fragmented, respectively separated from the mother trunk.
So, we can rightly conclude that the Conference of Ambassadors in 1913 in London, did a great injustice to the detriment of the Albanian people, by dividing them into several states. This is how the Paris Conference of 1919 acted. The following chapters, such as “World War I”, “The Kingdom of the Yugoslav People’s Republic”, “The April War and the Fascist Invasion” and “The Time of the PKJ (LKJ) Rule”, present interesting chapters on the life and developments of the Albanian population, in these very specific times and periods for this people and these ethnic lands.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the book “The Plav-Gucise Region through the Centuries”, by the author Rexhep Dedushaj, is a book of special value and enriches the fund of our historical books.
The Plav-Gucise Region through the Centuries, Mikel Gojani, rexhep dedushaj.
Reference
Balkan Academia 