Bajram Curri (16 January 1862 – 29 March 1925) 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 ...
chieftain, politician and activist who struggled for the independence of
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, later struggling for
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
's incorporation into it following the
1913 Treaty of London. He was posthumously given the title
Hero of Albania
The Hero of the People ( sq, Hero i Popullit; Heroinë e Popullit) was the highest title bestowed upon the citizens of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania.
Creation
Founded on July 9, 1945, the title was awarded by the Presidium of the P ...
.
Early life
Bajram Curri was born in 1862 or 1866 in
Rahovec
Rahovec ( sq-definite, Rahoveci) or Orahovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Ораховац) is a town and municipality located in the District of Prizren in western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Rahovec has 15,892 inhabitants, while th ...
. Most of the sources place year of birth as 1862, while more recent sources based on his recently discovered passport state 1866.
His family originated in
Krasniqi
Krasniqi is a historical Albanian tribe and region in the Accursed Mountains in northeastern Albania, bordering Kosovo. The region lies within the Tropojë District and is part of a wider area between Albania and Kosovo that is historically k ...
(present Tropojë), in the
Highlands of Gjakova
The Highlands of Gjakova or Gjakova Highlands ( sq, Malësia e Gjakovës) refers to the mountainous ethnographic region in the eastern Albanian Alps that sits between north-eastern Albania and western Kosovo, serving as the historical centres o ...
. At his birth, the Curri family was led to the Ottoman prison in Krushë e Madhe,
Rahovec
Rahovec ( sq-definite, Rahoveci) or Orahovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Ораховац) is a town and municipality located in the District of Prizren in western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Rahovec has 15,892 inhabitants, while th ...
; his father Shaqir Aga had led a rebellion in Krasniq against the Ottomans due to heavy taxes and military recruitment, and had been interned by them.
Shaqir Aga Curri was a trusted man of
Abdullah Pasha Dreni of Gjakova, and apparently had become instrumental in tax-collection procedures and punishing expeditions of Pasha Dreni in the area. He aided Pasha Dreni during the
Attack against Mehmed Ali Pasha
The Attack against Mehmed Ali Pasha, known in Albanian historiography as the Action of Gjakova ( Albanian: Aksioni i Gjakovës), was undertaken from 3–6 September 1878 by the Gjakova Committee of the League of Prizren in the estate of Abdullah P ...
, and was killed in the skirmish by the forces of the
League of Prizren
The League of Prizren ( sq, Besëlidhja e Prizrenit), officially the League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation ( sq, Lidhja për mbrojtjen e të drejtave te kombit Shqiptar), was an Albanian political organization which was offi ...
.
Career
Whilst the present-day regions of Albania were under Ottoman control, Curri represented the interests of the Albanians.
Between 1885-1886, he got into a feud with
Riza Bey Gjakova that lasted for a decade and was only ended through an envoy sent by the sultan who conferred upon each man a military command and rank with Curri becoming a captain of the gendarmerie in Pristina.
To govern, Sultan Abdulhamid II used patronage networks by awarding privileges and government positions to co opt local leaders such as Curri into the Ottoman system.
In 1893 he participated in a revolt in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
led by
Haxhi Zeka
Haxhi Zekë Byberi mostly known as Haxhi Zeka ( tr, Haci Zeka; 20 December 1832 – 21 February 1902) was an Albanian nationalist leader, a member of the League of Prizren, while in 1899 he was part of the establishment and leadership of the Le ...
, which was quickly suppressed by the Ottoman army. During 1899 he became a founding member of Zeka's
League of Peja
The League of Peja ( sq, Lidhja e Pejës), also known as League of İpek or Besa-Besë (Pledge for a Pledge) between Albanians, was an Albanian political organization established in 1899 in the city of İpek (now Peja), Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman ...
.
[Elsie, p. 93.] In 1906 he became one of the founders of the Gjakovë branch of the
Secret Committee for the Liberation of Albania (Bashkimi Society) and an influential member.
Like some educated Albanians with nationalist sentiments of the time, Curri supported the unity of Albanians from different religions under the banner of
Skanderbeg
, reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468
, predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti
, successor = Gjon Kastrioti II
, spouse = Donika Arianiti
, issue = Gjon Kastrioti II
, royal house = Kastrioti
, father ...
and was in favour of government reforms that benefited Albanians.
During the
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908) was a constitutionalist revolution in the Ottoman Empire. The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), an organization of the Young Turks movement, forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the Ottoman Consti ...
, Galib Bey managed to get Albanian leaders Curri,
Nexhip Draga
Mehmet Nexhip bey Draga ( tr, Mehmed Necib Draga; 1867–1920) was an important figure of the Albanian National Awakening and an Albanian politician.
Biography
Nexhip Draga was born in 1867 in Mitroviça (now Mitrovica), then a town of the Ott ...
and
Ferhat Draga
Ferhat Bey Draga (1880–1944) was a noted Kosovo Albanian politician during the Balkan Wars and World War I and Axis collaborator during World War II.
Biography
Ferhat Draga was born in Kosovska Mitrovica, Ottoman Empire. He was the brother of ...
to attend a meeting at Firzovik (modern
Ferizaj
Ferizaj, . or Uroševac, . Also formerly known as Ferizovići ( tr, Firzovik). is the sixth largest city in Kosovo by population and seat of Ferizaj Municipality and Ferizaj District.
Ferizaj has been populated since the prehistoric era by t ...
) and use their influence to sway the crowd through fears of "foreign intervention" to support
constitutional restoration.
During the
31 March Incident
The 31 March Incident ( tr, 31 Mart Vakası, , , or ) was a political crisis within the Ottoman Empire in April 1909, during the Second Constitutional Era. Occurring soon after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution, in which the Committee of Union and Pr ...
, among the 15,000 volunteers assisting the larger Ottoman army, Curri, along with
Çerçiz Topulli
Çerçiz Topulli (20 September 1880 – 17 July 1915) was an Albanian revolutionary and guerrilla fighter involved in the national movement operating in the mountainous areas of southern Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topulli. He w ...
, mobilized 8,000 Albanians to put down the revolt in Istanbul.
The repressive activities and broken promises of the Young Turks, however, led Curri to resume militant activities against the Ottoman authorities. In 1912, due to the deteriorating situation between Albanians and Ottoman authorities, Curri alongside other Albanian leaders were present at a meeting in
Junik
Junik ( sq, Junik, sq-definite, Juniku; sr, Јуник, Junik) is a town located in Junik Municipality in the Gjakova District in western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Junik has 6,053 inhabitants, while the municipality has ...
on 20 May where a
besa (pledge) was given to wage war on the Young Turk government.
He had an active role in the
Albanian Revolt of 1912, fighting alongside
Hasan Prishtina
Hasan bey Prishtina ( tr, Priştineli Hasan Bey, Hasan Bey Priştine and ''Vulçitrnli Hasan Bey''), originally known as Hasan Berisha (27 September 1873 – 13 August 1933), was an Ottoman, later Albanian politician, who served as the 8th Prim ...
,
Isa Boletini
Isa Boletini (; 15 January 186423 or 24 January 1916) was an Albanian revolutionary commander and politician and rilindas from Kosovo.
As a young man, he joined the Albanian nationalist League of Prizren and participated in a battle against Ot ...
,
Themistokli Gërmenji
Themistokli Gërmenji (1871 – 1917) was an Albanian nationalist figure and guerrilla fighter. One of the activists of the Albanian National Awakening and the leader of the Albanian irregulars from 1909 to 1914, he became the prefect of poli ...
and others against the Turks. He was also one of the leaders in the
Battle of Lumë against the Serbian military, which delayed their
expansion to Albania and secured the
Albanian indipendence. On August 18, the moderate faction led by Prishtina managed to convince Curri, and other leaders
Idriz Seferi
Idriz Seferi (14 March 1847 – 25 March 1927) was an Albanian leader and guerrilla fighter (rebel). A member of the League of Prizren and League of Peja, he was the right-hand man of Isa Boletini, with whom he organized the 1910 Uprising agai ...
,
Riza Bey Gjakova and
Isa Boletini
Isa Boletini (; 15 January 186423 or 24 January 1916) was an Albanian revolutionary commander and politician and rilindas from Kosovo.
As a young man, he joined the Albanian nationalist League of Prizren and participated in a battle against Ot ...
of the conservative group to accept
the agreement with the Ottomans for Albanian sociopolitical and cultural rights.
He successfully fought in 1912 against the Young Turks. During the 1912 uprising, while waiting for an Ottoman response to the
demands of the rebels, Curri and other leaders of the rebellion ordered their forces to advance toward Üsküb (modern
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
) which was captured during August 12–15.
During World War I, he organized a guerrilla unit as part of the Kachak movement through the
Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo
The Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo ( sq, Komiteti "Mbrojtja Kombëtare e Kosovës" abbrev. KMKK) was an Albanian organization founded in Shkodër on 1 May 1918. It was mainly consisted of the political exiles from Kosovo and was le ...
which he was a member. On 20 October 1914, 1,000 Albanians, led by Bajram Curri,
Isa Boletini
Isa Boletini (; 15 January 186423 or 24 January 1916) was an Albanian revolutionary commander and politician and rilindas from Kosovo.
As a young man, he joined the Albanian nationalist League of Prizren and participated in a battle against Ot ...
, Bulgarian ''
komitadji
Komitadji, Comitadjis, or Komitas ( Bulgarian, Macedonian and sr, Комити, Serbian Latin: ''Komiti'', ro, Comitagiu, gr, Κομιτατζής, plural: Κομιτατζήδες, tr, Komitacı, sq, Komit) means in Turkish "committee mem ...
s'' and Austro-Hungarian officers, attacked a Montenegrin base near
Gjakova
Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants.
Geographicall ...
, and took two hill artillery pieces with them. The Montenegrin army then surrounded and defeated them, and pushed them into Albanian territory.
In 1915 he became a founding member of the
Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo
The Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo ( sq, Komiteti "Mbrojtja Kombëtare e Kosovës" abbrev. KMKK) was an Albanian organization founded in Shkodër on 1 May 1918. It was mainly consisted of the political exiles from Kosovo and was le ...
. This organization later established relations with the
Comintern
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet Union, Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to ...
(which gave support for the
self-determination
The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...
of nations), with Curri later saying in December 1921 to the Soviet minister in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
that, "The Albanian people await impatiently the determination of their frontiers not on the basis of brutal and bloody historical considerations, but rather on the basis of the situation which actually exists today. With the firm conviction that
Soviet Russia
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
will be able in the near future to determine the boundaries of Europe, especially in the Balkans, in a just manner, I pray that the great Soviet government will grant our just requests at that time."
Following the
Congress of Lushnja
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
in 1920 he became a
minister without portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...
in the Albanian cabinet.
In Albania's politics he identified himself with the left-wing forces of
Fan Noli
Theofan Stilian Noli, known as Fan Noli (6 January 1882 – 13 March 1965), was an Albanian writer, scholar, diplomat, politician, historian, orator, Archbishop, Metropolitan and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Albanian Orthodox ...
against
Ahmet Zogu
Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's y ...
. In December 1921 he became Minister of War in the unstable government of Hasan Prishtina, replacing Zogu. Within days, however, Zogu assembled his fellow
Mati tribesmen and overthrew the government, forcing Prishtina, Curri and others to flee northwards. In March 1922 Curri and Prishtina began a revolt against Zogu which failed. The revolt was crushed, 8 March 1922, by the captain Prenk Pervizi, owing to the efforts of the British ambassador to Albania, Harry Eyres, who convinced one of the rebel commanders to surrender. Two years later, having stayed in the meantime in the mountains in order to evade Zogist forces, he issued the call to arms which began the
Bourgeois-Democratic Revolution of June 1924 against Zogu.
[Pjeter Hidri, Gjeneral Prenk Pervizi, Toena, Tirana, 2002.]
Following the defeat of the revolution Curri continued his opposition to Zogu. On March 29, 1925 he was surrounded by Zogist troops while hiding in a cave near
Dragobia
Bajram Curri (), formerly known as Kolgecaj, is a town and Municipalities of Albania, administrative unit in the Tropojë, municipality of Tropojë, northeastern Albania, within the historical ethnographic region of the Highlands of Gjakova, Gjak ...
. He was killed by his own friends so their lives could be spared by the zogist troops.
Years later in honour of Bajram Curri the town of Kolgecaj was renamed after him in 1952.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curri, Bajram
1862 births
1925 deaths
Military personnel from Gjakova
Albanian revolutionaries
Kosovo Albanians
Kosovan soldiers
Heroes of Albania
19th-century Albanian people
20th-century Albanian people
Government ministers of Albania
Defence ministers of Albania
Ministers without portfolio of Albania
Albanian nationalists
19th-century Albanian military personnel
Members of the Parliament of Albania
Politicians from Gjakova