In Skopje began the “Dervish Cara Uprising” (1843–1844), a popular uprising with a nationalist character during the period of the Albanian National Renaissance. It took place in the eastern regions of Albania and in Kosovo in the years 1843–1844 and ranks among the first uprisings of the early stages of the national movement in Albania. It was named after its leader, Dervish Cara. The dissatisfaction of the Albanians of Kosovo with the centralizing reforms of the Sublime Porte served as the cause for this movement, but its extension to a wide territory of Albanian territories and especially the demands posed by the insurgents, demonstrate that it aimed at an autonomous Albania. The uprising began in Skopje when Albanians opposed the recruitment of new soldiers and entered into armed conflict with the Ottoman authorities and with the Sultan’s envoy, Hajredin Pasha. The uprising was supported from the beginning by the entire Albanian population of Skopje, Tetovo, Prizren, Kumanovo, Pristina, and Vranje. In November 1843, Dervish Cara captured Gostivar, and in early January 1844, after three weeks of fierce fighting, he took Tetovo. Later, the insurgents entered Skopje and seized the city, except for the fortress, where 1,600 Turkish soldiers, commanded by Hasan Pasha, were besieged. The number of insurgents in Skopje reached 10,000 people. In early February, Kumanovo was liberated, where the Macedonian population also joined forces with Dervish Cara, as well as Presheva, Bujanovac, and Vranje. Later, the insurgents occupied the Kaçanik gorge and extended the movement to Leskovac and other areas in the north of the Kosovo vilayet. In early 1844, the uprising spread to Peja, Gjakova, Prizren, and even to Shkodra. During the negotiations with the Sublime Porte at that time, the insurgents demanded that Istanbul revoke the law on compulsory military service, replace the Ottoman titulars of local power with Albanian officials, and recognize the autonomy of Albania within the framework of the Ottoman Empire. To avoid the outbreak of a general uprising, the Sublime Porte had concentrated large military forces in Manastir since April 1844, over 32,000 soldiers, commanded by Omer Pasha, Hajredin Pasha, Daut Pasha, etc. Omer Pasha set out from Manastir to seize strategic points and roads leading to Skopje. On May 18, he clashed with the insurgents near Banja e Katlanoves and forced them to withdraw towards Skopje, Tetovo, and Kumanovo. After fierce battles, the Ottoman army managed to take Skopje, where many insurgents were arrested. In Skopje, Reshit Pasha, the military commander of Rumelia, was appointed. On May 25, 1844, the Ottoman army restored its authority in Tetovo, and in early July, Osman Pasha attacked the insurgents in the Kaçanik gorge and reached Pristina. From there, he moved to suppress the resistance of the insurgents in Prizren, Peja, Gjakova, and Shkodra, where he also made numerous arrests. The Dervish Cara Uprising was extinguished without yielding the expected results. (In the photo: Warriors of Dervish Cara.)
Text: Encyclopedic Dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. I , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 895–896.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryengritja_e_Dervish_Car%C3%ABs
Graphic processing: AHCF
