Petrit Latifi

In the final months of 1834, unrest in Albania escalated significantly. Reports from Corfu dated December 24, 1834, indicated that a series of rebellions had broken out in Epirus, led by the prominent Albanian chieftain Tafil Busi (also spelled Bust or Busst). His forces had entrenched themselves in Berat, where they were reportedly reinforced by around 150 men from Dibra and Mattia, forming a total force of approximately 1,500 to 1,600 men.

Tafil Busi had openly declared that he no longer recognized the authority of the Sultan and would instead receive orders from Mehmed Ali, the powerful governor of Egypt. This declaration aligned him with the broader anti-Ottoman sentiment spreading across parts of the Balkans at the time. His army, reportedly growing by the day, soon came to include Greek klephts and former captains who had fought in the Greek War of Independence. He was said to control not only much of Lower Albania but also several fortified towns, including the citadel of Berat. Estimates from early reports placed his army at 10,000 men.

By late December, the Ottoman government attempted to bring Tafil Busi back under control through diplomatic means. On December 27, the Pasha of Janina reportedly wrote that Tafil had agreed to peaceful negotiations and convened a council with his followers. Celebrations were held in the region in hopes that peace had been restored. However, this peace would prove short-lived.

At the same time, more rebellious activity broke out. Busi had allegedly set his sights on marching toward Scutari (Shkodra), possibly intending to incite revolt in Upper Albania, Bosnia, and Herzegovina as well. Though several thousand regular Ottoman troops were stationed in Scutari and its surroundings, it was doubted whether they could successfully suppress the uprising.

In parallel, reports from Bitola (Monastir) suggested that Busi sought partial independence from the Ottoman Porte, restricting his ambitions to the most productive regions under his control. He entered negotiations with the Pasha of Janina, demanding:

• Autonomy in internal administration
• Independent judicial control
• Exemption from the newly imposed conscription system
• Mutual and unconditional amnesty

Despite these negotiations, hostilities resumed. In May 1835, Tafil Busi, together with Abdul Bey Cochas, launched an offensive in Rumelia. They claimed to act under commission from Mehmed Ali of Egypt to incite revolution. When the Ottoman Vizier of Rumelia, Emin Pasha, prepared to confront them near Zeituni, the rebels moved at night and captured the city of Arta, where only a small Ottoman garrison remained. They then pushed toward Preveza, although reports from June 4, 1835, suggest they failed to capture it and retreated to Pesta, a stronghold near Arta.

The plundering of Arta, which began on May 25, was later described as one of the most brutal and dishonorable events associated with the revolt. Tafil Busi’s men, allegedly numbering around 4,000–5,000, many of them undisciplined Greek fighters, ransacked the city for four days and three nights. Acts of extreme violence, including arson, torture, and sexual violence against women from prominent families, were committed. The house of the British consul was among the buildings burned.

International concern grew. The Greek government, fearing that the rebels might spill into Greek territory, deployed ironclads to Makris Narrows and dispatched Bavarian and Greek regular troops to key points in western Greece.

Despite the rebels’ strength, Ottoman resistance mounted. Eventually, the Vizier of Rumelia prepared for a counteroffensive, though he delayed attacking due to insufficient reinforcements. Reports later in 1835 confirm that Rejid Pasha ultimately defeated Tafil Busi, thereby restoring Ottoman control.

Toward the end of the year, sources indicated that Tafil Busi had fled the region without paying his troops their overdue wages. He was later described in satirical accounts as having “settled down, smoking his pipe and fattening himself like a Turk.” His dramatic fall from rebel commander to a marginalized figure was seen as symbolic of the suppression of Albanian resistance during this period.

Furthermore, intelligence brought to Constantinople by Wassaf Efendi confirmed suspicions that Tafil Busi was acting as an agent of Mehmed Ali. His rebellion, while rooted in local grievances, was thus part of a broader geopolitical power play between the Ottoman Empire and the increasingly independent Egypt under Mehmed Ali.

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