Selim Rusi (1821-1905) was an Albanian patriot who was one of the most prominent activists of the

Albanian National Awakening The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...

in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He was born in

Debar Debar ( mk, Дебaр ; Albanian: ''Dibër''/''Dibra'' or ''Dibra e Madhe;'' ) is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, near the border with Albania, off the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality. Debar has ...

, then part of the

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) ...

to a family known for patriotism. In 1899 he represented the Sanjak of Debar at the meeting that established the

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 ...

, an organization that aimed at advancing the rights of the Albanians in the Ottoman Empire. Later that year he was one of the leaders of a revolt in the Sanjak of Debar as planned by the League of Peja. Although he failed to organize a meeting of local patriots at Debar, the revolt where he was involved in was a turning point in the struggle of the Albanians for

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

References

1821 births 1905 deaths 18th-century Albanian people 19th-century Albanian people People from Debar Activists of the Albanian National Awakening {{Albania-bio-stub