Binak Alia (1805–1895) was an Albanian leader from 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 ...

. He is remembered mainly for his participation in the Albanian Revolt of 1845, and as a wise old man who helped resolve

blood feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one pa ...

s in the area.

Life

Alia was born in 1805 in

Bujan Bujan is a village and a former municipality in the Kukës County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Tropojë. The population at the 2011 census was 2,550.

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, in present day

Tropojë Tropojë (; sq-definite, Tropoja) is a municipality in Kukës County, northeastern Albania, within the historical ethnographic region of the Gjakova Highlands. The municipality consists of the administrative units of Bajram Curri, Bujan, Bytyç, ...

municipality 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 ...

. He belonged to the Mulosmanaj clan of the

Krasniqi tribe 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 ...

. He is mentioned as the Albanian Revolt of 1845, together with Sokol Rama (1790-1860) from the same village. The revolt was in the chain of Albanian revolts against the

Sublime Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( ota, باب عالی, Bāb-ı Ālī or ''Babıali'', from ar, باب, bāb, gate and , , ), was a synecdoche for the central government of the Ottoman Empire. History The name ...

and especially against Tanzimat reforms. The rebels were initially successful. They drove out the Ottoman garrison of Yakova. The revolt spread in the area of Reka, and in up to

Deçan Deçan, or Dečani sr-cyr, Дечани ; also in use Dečane sr-cyr, Дечане is a town and municipality in Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of has 3,803 inhabitants, while the municipality has 40,019 inhabitants. Geog ...

, with their number reaching 8,000. Ultimately the Ottomans managed to quell the revolt. His name is mentioned again during the Revolts of 1860, and specifically as a participant 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 ...

sessions, though at an old age. Another note,

Mic Sokoli Mic Sokoli (1839 – 20 April 1881) was an Albanian nationalist figure and guerrilla fighter from the Highlands of Gjakova. He was a noted guerrilla leader during the years of the League of Prizren and took part in the fighting in Yakova agai ...

, a

People's Hero of Albania People's, branded as ''People's Viennaline'' until May 2018, and legally ''Altenrhein Luftfahrt GmbH'', is an Austrian airline headquartered in Vienna. It operates scheduled and charter passenger flights mainly from its base at St. Gallen-Alten ...

was Alia's nephew.

Trivia

Alia is remembered as a wise man. Numerous blood feuds were resolved with his intervention. People from around the highland came to his oda to discuss and receive advice conforming to the Kanun law. A street in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, Albania is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alia, Binak 1805 births 1895 deaths Albanian activists 19th-century Albanian people People from Tropojë People from Kosovo vilayet Activists of the Albanian National Awakening 19th-century Albanian military personnel Albanians from the Ottoman Empire

Life

Trivia

See also

References