Baca Kurti Gjokaj ( 1807–1881) was an

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

leader who participated in the Battle of Ržanicë against the

Principality of Montenegro The Principality of Montenegro ( sr, Књажевина Црна Горa, Knjaževina Crna Gora) was a principality in Southeastern Europe that existed from 13 March 1852 to 28 August 1910. It was then proclaimed a kingdom by Nikola I, who then ...

Life

Baca was born around 1807 in the village of Milješ (Milesh) in the Gruda tribal region near the town of Tuzi, to an Albanian highlander ( Malësor) family. In 1856, he became

voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

of Gruda after putting down a band of rebels in Fundna. He also killed the brother of

Marko Miljanov Marko Miljanov Popović ( sr-Cyrl, Марко Миљанов Поповић, ; 25 April 1833 – 2 February 1901) was a Brda chieftain and Montenegrin general and writer. He entered the service of Danilo I, the first secular Prince of Monteneg ...

that year. He was one of 15 Ottoman delegates from northern Albania sent during the talks of the Congress of Berlin (13 June–13 July 1878). Apart from three guards from

Mirditë Mirditë ( sq-definite, Mirdita) is a municipality in Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Fan, Kaçinar, Kthellë, Orosh, Rrëshen, Rubik and Selitë. The seat of the municipa ...

, of the Catholic delegates included chiefs

Çun Mula Çun Mula (1818-1896) was the '' bajraktar'' ("flag-bearer") of the Hoti tribe (today divided between Montenegro and Albania) and an Albanian freedom fighter. His family, the Lucgjonaj, descended from the Junçaj family of Hoti. According to the ...

from Hoti, Baca Kurti from Gruda, Marash Dashi from Shkreli, Cil Vuksani from Kastrati, Mark Lula from

Shala Shala (Šala) was a Mesopotamian goddess of weather and grain and the wife of the weather god Adad. It is assumed that she originated in northern Mesopotamia and that her name might have Hurrian origin. She was worshiped especially in Karkar an ...

, Mark Kola from Shosha and Con Geda from Shllaku. He joined the Albanian nationalist League of Prizren after the decision of the Congress of Berlin to hand over the Albanian-inhabited regions of Hoti, Gruda, Plav, Gusinje, Kastrati, etc. to the

. When Prince

Nicholas I of Montenegro Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyr, Никола I Петровић-Његош; – 1 March 1921) was the last monarch of Montenegro from 1860 to 1918, reigning as prince from 1860 to 1910 and as the country's first and only king from 1910 to 19 ...

entered the territory which had been ceded to him by the Congress of Berlin, Baca Kurti and other chiefs of

Malësia Malësia e Madhe ("Great Highlands"), known simply as Malësia ( sq, Malësia, cnr, / ), is a historical and ethnographic region in northern Albania and eastern central Montenegro corresponding to the highlands of the geographical subdivision ...

organized a resistance against Montenegro. The northern Albanian highlanders defeated the Montenegrins in the Battle of Ržanica. He was distinguished as one of the best commanders of

during the battle. He mobilized not only the members of his clan, but also the members of other towns of

, to fight against the Montenegrin army and to have the Montenegrins leave Albanian territory: all males from 7 to 70 years old, united, forced the Montenegrin forces to retire. Today he is known to Albanians worldwide as many songs and poems were created in his honor.

Life

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