Konstandin Hoxhi, known as Koto Hoxhi (1824–1895) was an advocate of the

Albanian language Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Europ ...

. He taught the language secretly to his students in Qestorat in Southern Albania. He was imprisoned and died in prison for his beliefs.

Biography

Koto Hoxhi was born in Qestorat in 1824 ( Gjirokastër District, southern

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 ...

, then

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) ...

). He and

Sami Frashëri Sami bey Frashëri ( tr, Şemseddin Sami Bey; June 1, 1850 – June 18, 1904) or Şemseddin Sâmi was an Ottoman Albanian writer, philosopher, playwright and a p ...

Vaso Pasha Vaso is a village located in Kheda district of Gujarat, India. The zip code is 387380. Places of interest Vithalbhai Haveli is a of late 18th century ''haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the ...

and Jani Vreto devised an alphabet for expressing the Albanian language. Based on this it was possible to create the first

alphabet book An alphabet book is a type of children's book giving basic instruction in an alphabet. Intended for young children, alphabet books commonly use pictures, simple language and alliteration to aid language learning. Alphabet books are published ...

in Albanian. Koto Hoxhi was married to the daughter of

Christakis Zografos Christakis Zografos ( el, Χρηστάκης Ζωγράφος, tr, Hristaki Zoğrafos Efendi; 1820 – 19 August 1898) was an Ottoman Greek banker, benefactor and one of the distinguished personalities of the Greek community of Constantinople ( ...

, a local wealthy benefactor from Qestorat. p. 201. "Hristakis Zographos (1820-1869)... Sa fille épousa Koto Hoxhi qui engseignait l'albanais dans l'école du village de Qestorat." ZographeionCol

Hoxhi was a teacher in the Greek seminary school in Qestorat which conducted all its lessons in

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

. In 1874, Hoxhi was responsible for writing one of the first plays performed in Albanian. The play was called ''A Wedding in Lunxhëria'' and it was performed in Gjirokastër. He secretly started to teach his students at Qestorat written Albanian and later requested from the Ottoman governor of Ioannina permission to set up an Albanian school. For these activities Koto Hoxhi came into trouble with the Greek consulate of Ioannina and was

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

by the bishop of

Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and th ...

of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He was arrested and first imprisoned for this in the jail of Gjirokastër. Eventually he was transferred to the Yedikule prison in Istanbul where he died in 1895. Whilst Hoxhi was a prisoner in Istanbul he was visited by

Sevasti Qiriazi Sevasti Qiriazi-Dako (Sevasti D. Kyrias) (ca. 1871–1949) was an Albanian patriot, educator, Protestant missionary, author, pioneer of Albanian female education, and activist of the Albanian National Awakening. Early Life Sevasti was born ca. 1 ...

, one of the teachers of the First Albanian Language School of modern times, who persuaded a prison employee to smuggle her in disguised as a boy. The report came back that the former teacher was now a "bag of rags" on a stone slab that served as a bed. The "filthy hole" of a cell was deep within the prison and Hoxhi had lost most of his intellect, however he was grateful for the visit. He was clothed in rags and his hair and beard were long. He said that his body was broken but his soul was free, he hoped that Albania would be united and happy. Hoxhi said that the Sultan had told him that he could be released if he would give the names of the other people who were involved, but he had refused to cooperate. Hoxhi had been on the Central Committee the defence of the rights of the Albanian people which supported the ideas 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 ...

. Other members included

Pandeli Sotiri Pandeli Sotiri (1842–1892) was an Albanian activist that acted as director of the first Albanian school of modern times in Korçë. Sotiri was one of the most important Rilindas figures that contributed in the propagation of the Albanian langua ...

Hasan Tahsini Khawaja, Hoxhë Hasan Tahsini or simply Hoxha Tahsim (7 April 1811 – 3 July 1881) was an Albanians, Albanian ulama, alim, astronomer, mathematician and philosopher. He was the first rector of Istanbul University and one of the founders o ...

Pashko Vasa Pashko is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Gramoz Pashko (1955–2006), Albanian economist and politician * Josif Pashko (1918–1963), Albanian politician * Walter Pashko (1930–2006), American painter See also * Pasco (di ...

, Jani Vreto,

Sami Frashëri Sami bey Frashëri ( tr, Şemseddin Sami Bey; June 1, 1850 – June 18, 1904) or Şemseddin Sâmi was an Ottoman Albanian writer, philosopher, playwright and a p ...

and Abdyl Frasheri.

Legacy

Two of his students,

and

Petro Nini Luarasi Petro Nini Luarasi (born 22 April 1865 in Luaras, Kolonjë, Albania, then Ottoman Empire, and died on 17 August 1911 in Ersekë, Kolonjë, Albania, then Ottoman Empire) was an Albanian rilindas activist, Christian orthodox priest, teacher and ...

, would notably continue his work.

Urani Rumbo Urani Rumbo (20 January 1895 – 26 March 1936) was an Albanian feminist, teacher, and playwright. She founded various associations promoting Albanian women's rights, the most important of which was the ''Lidhja e Gruas'' (English: Woman's Uni ...

founded a primary school for girls in his name in

in 1920.

Works

*''A Wedding in Lunxhëri'', play, 1874

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoxhi, Koto 1824 births 1895 deaths People from Gjirokastër Activists of the Albanian National Awakening 19th-century Albanian people People from Janina vilayet Albanian educators