Written by Rexhep Dedushaj. Translated and edited by Petrit Latifi.

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The monograph “The Plav-Gucia Region through the Centuries”, written by historian Rexhep Man Dedushaj, is a genuine study, which, for the first time, makes commendable efforts to illuminate the sacrifices of the inhabitants of these ethnic Albanian territories for the growth and protection of the ethnic national territorial integrity from the old and new invaders.

It also constitutes a valuable contribution to filling a gap in the national history of the Albanian people and in particular of the region in question. Plav and Gucia with the surrounding areas are located in the northern part of the Albanian lands and border with Montenegro, Rugova, Malësia and Gjakova, Dukagjin and Kelmendi. In terms of natural beauty, it is a pearl of a special kind.

The region consists of two towns and many villages. This valley is crossed by many rivers and is very rich in springs. What makes the appearance of this region special and magnificent is Lake Plavë with its crystal clear water. Also worth mentioning are the stunning meadow-mountainous mountains that stretch from Cakorri, Qafa e Diellit to Qafë te Borit, as well as Gerdhata with its alpine pastures and centuries-old rocks.

The region of Plavë and Guci has been known since ancient times. Historically, ethnically and economically it has always been connected to Shkodra and Peja, these historically Illyrian-Albanian territories. Evidence of such a thing are the roads that pass through: Shkodër-Guci-Plavé-Qafe e Diellit-Pejë, as well as the toponyms: Cakorr, Qafe e Diellit, Gerdhata, etc. which are explained by the Albanian language.

However, Slavic malicious literature has constantly tried and tries to change and deform them by translating them into Slavic. Thus, the word Gerdhata, which means a steep rocky place, has been translated into the word “Prokletije” which means “Mountains of the Unfortunate”. While the phrase Qafë e Diellit with the word “Dio” which means part or division, and the phrase Qafa e Pejës with the word “Peqakeq”, etc.

They did the same with other toponyms, which we are not analyzing here since they are not the subject of our writing. Historically, it is known that this region was populated in ancient times by Illyrian-Albanian tribes, despite the absurdities of the so-called Serbo-Slav historians and ethnographers, who have tried in vain and are still trying to distort the historical truth that supposedly this region was reserved for Slavic tribes, which are known and accepted as having crossed the Danube only at the end of the 6th century and the beginning of the 7th century.

The earliest legend, fanatically preserved, is that of the “Black Harappan beyond the sea” (Roman), who encountered the autochthonous inhabitants in this region and was killed by the Daughter of Vuth. And today, as a memory and testimony, the toponym “Roman” is preserved, the place where he was killed and buried. The indigenous inhabitants never, during their thousand-year history, agreed with any invader.

They fought and fanatically defended their ethnic lands from successive invaders. They especially fought against the Ottoman invaders, who suffered many losses in these lands. Particularly noteworthy are the cooperation of the Albanians of these lands with the Bushatlli of Shkodra, when they fought for autonomy against the central Ottoman government, the successive revolts and uprisings in the first half of the 19th century. etc.

The people of this region made a special contribution during the years of the League of Prizren (1878-1881). The meeting that took place in Guci is known and is well known, when the infamous treaties of Saint Stephen and the Congress of Berlin, unjustly and arbitrarily, contrary to the will of the population of this land, separated it from the Albanian national trunk. At the Gucia assembly it was decided:

“To fight from the age of 7 to 70 and not to give up the lands of our ancestors to the enemy, to impose conscription in all Albanian provinces, to enter into force trusts until the war is over, to send representatives to Prizren, to organize the reception and care for the fighters who will come from other provinces…”

It must be said that in making these decisions the Vuthjane nobility played a very important role. Also, the legitimate representatives of the Albanians of Plav and Guci actively participated in other local and national gatherings such as the Assembly of Peja that established the Albanian Covenant of Peja, in 1899, the Assembly of Verrat of Lluka, in 1910, that of Junik in 1912, where it was decided to organize the general Albanian uprising, the Assembly of Vlora, which on November 28, 1912 declared the independence of Albania, and even in the Bujan conference of 1943-1944, where the right to self-determination was established after liberation from the Nazi-fascist invaders, etc.

The Albanians of these three took an active part with arms in hand and fought heroically for the liberation of their native lands from the Ottoman invaders and the Serbo-Montenegrin invaders. They particularly distinguished themselves in the battles fought in December 1879 and January 1880 in Pepaj and Nokšić, where the Montenegrin forces suffered defeats. They also took part in the Battle of Slivove in 1881, where the 18-year-old Albanian from Vuthaj fell heroically, immortalized in the folk song:

“Come on, the millet is growing. Elezi and Smajl Hyseni were killed, Mici and Smajl Mehmeti were killed… (Elezi was a boy from Vuthaj)

Then in the general uprising in 1912, which led to the declaration of independence, in the war for the defense of Shkodra from the Serbs-Montenegrins, in 1913, 1920, in the Second World War for national liberation and unification. They fought against the Chetniks who wanted to re-conquer this region and to wipe out the Albanian element from the face of the earth, etc.

The communist regime established after World War II also killed hundreds of Albanians in these regions, almost completely depopulated the Albanian villages on the ethnic border: Pepaj, Arzhanicë and Nokshiq. It must be said with regret that the Yugoslav UDB (secret service) was also helped by the communist regime of Enver, who killed them himself, or handed them over bound to the centuries-old enemy.

Considering the efforts made by the author to argue and shed light on all these events, we say that Rexhep Dedushaj courageously and with historical facts opposed the pseudohistory and pseudohistorians of Serbia and Montenegro, who have always tried and are trying to obscure and hide the historical truth about the region in question. Also, without exaggeration, he has highlighted the most ancient traditions of the inhabitants of this area such as: patriotism, nobility, generosity, courage and bravery: “Make me a deacon as you let me…“

Therefore, we think that the work done by the author is a commendable initiative that should be followed by other intellectuals, always based on convincing and indisputable scientific facts and arguments, highlighting and illuminating other events and personalities that contributed to the Albanian national cause. Rexhep Dedushaj, with this monograph, opposes Mustafa Memiqi, who in his book “vomits poison and bile against himself and his fellow countrymen, serving the centuries-old enemy.“

We emphasize that the 1913 Ambassadors’ Conference in London, committed a great injustice to the detriment of the Albanian people by dividing them into several states. This is how the Paris Conference acted in 1919. In the same way, some European powers are acting today with Bosnia to fulfill the chauvinist-expansionist ambitions of Serbia to the detriment of ethnic Bosniaks.

It is no wonder that tomorrow they will act in the same way against Eastern Albania. Therefore, today or never, we must say: “O death, O national unity!” To achieve this, the unification of all the intellectual and physical forces of our nation for the liberation of the occupied ethnic Albanian lands is required more than ever. We must be clear that the Albanian national question has not yet been resolved and that it can and must be resolved first and foremost by ourselves. We must all turn to the Albanian God and his messenger.

We are its children and only when we have this conviction and are united can we do something for ourselves. We belong to Europe, we want to go there and we must, like all other peoples, take our rightful place, as one of the oldest peoples of the continent. But, without the unity of the Albanian ethnic lands, we, divided into five states, can hardly achieve such a thing. Therefore, we must at this important historical moment show and convince others that we are an ancient and civilized people and as such take our place among the civilized European peoples. To achieve this, it is necessary to fight and eradicate once and for all the tribal, regional, religious, class, etc. quarrels and divisions. Whoever encourages such a thing cannot say that he serves his homeland and nation.

Reference

Rexhep Dedushaj, The Plav-Gucia Region through the Centuries “Krahina e Plav e Gucis Neper Shekuj”. 1993.

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