by Prof. Dr. Lush SUSAJ. Translation Petrit Latifi

Summary

The Battle of Maraça in 1871 was a significant confrontation in which Albanian tribes, particularly from Nikaj-Mërturi and Malësia e Gjakovës, fought against the Ottoman forces. Despite being poorly equipped, the Albanians emerged victorious, albeit with heavy casualties. This battle, along with others that followed, highlighted the Albanian resistance against Ottoman oppression and betrayal by their own government. Many heroes fell in the battle, and though their sacrifices were later commemorated, much of their legacy has been forgotten, especially under the communist regime. The battle remains an emblem of Albanian bravery, resilience, and the fight for independence.

Nikaj-Mërturi and the Malësia e Gjakovës in the Battle of Maraça, 1871

One of the fiercest battles for the defense of Albanian territories took place in 1871 at Maraça, resulting in heavy casualties but ultimately a miraculous victory for the Albanians. The Battle of Maraça in 1871, along with subsequent battles in 1875, 1878, 1879, 1880, and 1881, stemmed from the hypocrisy and betrayal of the Ottoman government and administration, which had signed anti-Albanian agreements, treating Albania as Turkish land and Albanians as Turks.

In the 1871 Battle of Maraça, the clans and tribes of the Malësia e Gjakovës stood at the forefront of the fighting, exemplifying the old saying, “where the battle is the hardest.” Survivors of the battle testified that “the Albanians won this battle by walking over piles of corpses that rose and stretched along the path where the Albanian flag passed.”

The Battle of Maraça occurred at a time when the local highlanders had just received firearms, for which they were neither informed nor prepared. It is well-known that until the beginning of the 20th century, the mountain men of northern Albania excelled in hand-to-hand combat using knives, swords, and clubs.

In these battles, one mountain man could face ten or twenty soldiers of the occupying army. This fact is also highlighted by Frang Bardhi (1637), who wrote: “In Europe, no better warriors were found than these against the Turk, because 100 of them are worth 1000 Turks. A single man would go and infiltrate the midst of 15 or 20 – an unbelievable act for those who do not know it firsthand.”

The war against the Ottoman army and their collaborators was neither short nor easy. Regarding how “friendlily” or “brotherly” the Albanians were treated, we are reminded of an Ottoman expedition from 1431-1432, which Bitlisi described as follows: “The Islamic soldiers were granted permission to plunder and loot.

Anyone they found from the non-believers and rebels, they killed without mercy. Many young men and women were captured and sold for four or five hundred akçe. The Islamic army’s camp was filled with beautiful girls who smelled like jasmine, and the harem of the generous shah was full of fair-haired girls.”

History shows how the populations who rejected barbarism, domination, identity change, and conversion to the will of the pashas and beys either fled to Italy, Ukraine, or hid in the deep mountains, organizing resistance and preserving the Albanian race, language, and traditions. Fallmajer wrote that “Arbëria died with him (referring to Skanderbeg).

Arbëria was now just a body without soul or breath.” Some allies and rivals of Skanderbeg, such as Thopia, Spanë, Zaharia, Dukagjin, Muzakë, Skura, etc., quickly seized the lands of Arbëria, accepting compromise, serving the invaders, and betraying their faith, which had been passed down from generation to generation.

Others, smaller in number, retreated into the mountains, hoping to continue the resistance without betraying the memory of their leader and his warriors or their ancestors’ faith. The remaining ones, unwilling to be humiliated in their homeland, chose to abandon their country, leaving for foreign shores, even declassing themselves and begging.

This form of exile without return is also experienced by the majority of the elite, including Gjon Muzaka, who in his 1502 will referred to it as “the exile of misery and misfortune.” Time has proven that any deviation, no matter how small, from the Skanderbegian-European-Western platform and every moment of Albanian life under Ottoman skin and Eastern orientation was nothing but the true source of the destruction of unity and Albanian territories, and a degrading slavery, as Skanderbeg himself called it.

William Seton writes: “No matter how much the Venetians, Genoese, and Moreot Greeks tried to weigh the cost and benefits of peaceful coexistence with the Turks, Skanderbeg was of the opinion that the ultimate price of such peace would be degrading slavery” (Seton, The Papacy and the Levant, II, p. 195). The passage of time has validated Skanderbeg’s prophecy regarding the fate of Albania under Ottoman rule.

In the 1871 battle, volunteers from Nikaj-Mërturi gathered at the old meeting place, called “Kodra e Bek Selimit” in Paplekaj of Lekbibaj. From there, under the leadership of Bash Bajram Përpali, Deli Bekë Vatnikaj, Bek Selim Paplekaj, and Sokol Prel Nikprendaj (Susaj), they passed through Qafa e Kolçit to join other volunteers coming from Gashi, Krasniqja, Bytyçi, and Berisha.

The general meeting point for the fighters heading to battle was a large meadow called “Vorret e Shalës,” located at the exit of Cërnica. At the head of the forces from Gashi, Bytyçi, and Berisha were Halil Brahimi, Ali Hoxha, Adem Selmani, Mal Dula, Niman Uka (the flag bearer of Bytyçi), Brahim Bardhi, etc.

The volunteers from these clans followed the old route that passed through the Tropoja River to reach Sylbicë, Dobërdol, and Koplavë, eventually arriving in Plavë. The volunteers from Krasniqja followed a different route, passing through the Dragobia Gorge, Qerem, Qafë Bori, and Vuthaj before reaching the meeting point in Guci.

The path from Vorret e Shalës to the spring of Ali Pasha Gucia in Plavë was about 5-6 hours on foot. Volunteers from other regions like Mirdita, Puka, Has, and the Drin Valley gathered at “Kroi i Ali Pashë Gucisë,” about 4-5 km from Plavë.

After dividing tasks and battle fronts according to regions and tribes, the movement toward the battle positions continued through routes leading to Plavë, Guci, Rozhajë, Hot, Maraça, Pejë, and beyond. In the 1871 battle, several heroes from Malësia e Gjakovës were killed and buried in Maraça, including: Haxhi Brahimi (the flag bearer of Gashi), Sokol Prel Nikprendaj (Susaj), Zeqir Ahmet Rexhaj (from Babina), Bek Deli Dizdari, Kadri Sadik Osmaj (from Berbati), Brah Hasan Hysenukaj, and many others, all between the ages of 22 and 35.

In 1971, during the 100th anniversary of this battle, only a small portion of these martyrs were identified and declared national heroes. For those without descendants, or whose descendants opposed the communist regime, no one remembered them, leaving them forgotten. In general, very little has been written or said about these events and their leaders who sacrificed everything for their lands and nation.

In this neglect, alongside administrative ignorance and political conflict, the fact that the martyrs of Maraça, Janina, and others were buried on the battlefield, without descendants or memorials in their homeland, has also played a significant role. As a result, the battle and its martyrs are scarcely mentioned in our historical texts, almost forgotten.