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| A L I P A S H A O F J A N I N A |
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| Courtesy of Iliriapress |
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| This article is dedicated in remembrance to Dr. Astridhis Kolia, an Arvanitis or Albanian, of Epirus, who got mysteriously murdered by the Greek secret Police. When Dr. Astridhis Kolia openly declared himself as an Albania, he was murdered by Greek government. |
| Ali�s territory and his sons were growing up. Emine, the wife of Ali, was a kind and melancholic women with a genuine honesty and a good heart. She was praying five times a day, and she always prayed for the progress of her sons, her husband, and all the people. One of the sons of Selim Pasha Mustafa, escaped and arrived in Delivna where again he was appointed as a Pasha of Delvina. (William Plomer pg. 41) The Port agreed on this, so Ali again was a protagonist to fight the rebellions around Epirus. Soon the chief inspector surrounded Trikala with 4000 Albanian soldiers. (William Plomer pg 45) In 1787 when Turkey relations with Russia were going worse, Ali was given an important command under the Grand Vizier. (William Plomer, pg 44) |
| Ali Pasha�s road to the title of Pasha and Vizier |
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| After seizing Trikala, Ali got news about his ill mother. Hanka, the lady of Epirus was seriously sick, and she called for Ali. Ali rushed to Tepelena immediately. Hanka spends her last moments in having her will read to her by her daughter Shainshah. She expressed in it the wishes that Ali and Shahinshahe should at the earliest possible moment do their best to exterminate the people of Gardhiqi and Hormova, and added a curse in this if they should fail her in this. She had also ordered to make a pilgrim to Mecca for the repose of her soul. (William Plomer, pg 46). Later, Ali Pasha paid people to perform a pilgrimage for his parents. This kind of behavior is allowed in the Muslim religion. At the same time, the Bays of Janina did not like the Pasha. Ali met with those Bays and took action to throw the Pasha of Janina. Next morning, Ali was the pasha of Janina. Each Bay came to congratulate, and each of them hugged Ali Pasha. Each Bey came in the ceremony and produced a document the decree was drawn out of its crimson case; each Bey touched it with his forehead in token of obedience. |
| The Port had recognized the title of Ali as a Pasha of Janina. (William Plomer, pg 47). Soon after settling in Janina, Ali Pasha ordered to be built a garrison in Gjiro Kastra and other cities. When Ali came to power, the cities such as Trikala, Arta, and Janian were not big cities. The cities were full of baggers in an overwhelmed famine. With the initiative of Ali Pasha, the cities grew and were maintained by the people of Ali Pasha. The government of Ali Pasha paid people to clean the streets of Janina, Trikala, Arta, Preveza, and other cities. With one word, Ali Pasha brought law, peace, and prosperity in these cities. Janina had 2000 stores in the time of Ali Pasha. Under the leadership of Ali Pasha, the population of Janina grew over 50 000 inhabitants. The city was mostly populated by Albanians who consisted 90% of the entire population. Albanians in Janina were believers of Muslim and Christian faith. In Janina, Ali Pasha formed the gendarmeries and appointed Tahir Abazi. Tahir Abazi was a body guard of Ali Pasha, and his son Sulejman Abazi was appointed as chief of the patrols in and around the cities. (Sabri Godo, pg. 51) |
| Ali Pasha was sleeping only five hours, and Thanas Vaja, an Albanian Christian, was staying guard on his door. Thanas Vaja was the chief of the personal guards of the palace of Ali Pasha. ( Sabri Godo, pg 58) Ali�s chief minister, or secretary of state, was Mehmet Effendi, a man of very bigoted character, with a taste for astrology....(William Plomer, pg. 80) |
| Ali Pasha of Janina bound by Albanians laws and customs did not forget on the revenge and on the blood fade. He ordered his son, Myftar, and his old body Jusuf Arapi, �the blood drinker� to attack Venetians and French. During the night, the soldiers of Ali Pasha went in the villages of Hormova, and Lekli. All the men that were found with the gun in their hand were killed. Jusuf Arap was going to massacre children and women, but Ali Pasha ordered not to do because the canons do not allow. All the houses were burning in Hormova, and Lekli, and the flame got the house of Choush Prifti. Ali Pasha sat into a piece of wood, and waited for Chaoush Prifti to appear in front of him. Chaoush Prifti bagged for mercy, but Ali Pasha told him, �You were our server, one time server of my father, you betrayed him, and you killed the widow and the children of my cousin Islam.� Ali Pasha continues to ask Chaoush Prift, �Were you and the people of Hormova having mercy for my mother and my family?� Chaoush Prifti was handed to Jusuf Arapi, and he was burned alive. (Sabri Godo, pg 42). Jusuf ran a spit through the body of Chaoush, and roasted him alive. So, as heroic ballad in honor of Ali tersely expressed it: (William Plomer, pg 56). |
| The dark Khormovo became a ruin, and Chaoush Prifti roast meat in the frying-pan.� (William Plomer, pg 57).Ali Pasha did not forget on the village of Gardhiqi. Not so long after the flame of Hormova, Ali Pasha ranged revenge to Gardhiqi. Led by Thanas Vaja, Garthiqi was attacked and burned. Many women of Gardhiqi were brought to Libohova before Shainshahe, who was waiting for them all her life. Shahinshah did not kill any woman. Mad with excitement, she ordered their hair to be cut off, stamped it under the foot like a fury and shrieked that she would use it to stuff her divans. (William Plomer, pg 172). The bodies of the men of Gardhiqi were left unburied to rot where they had fallen, and their town was set on fire. (William Plomer, pg. 173). Ali achieved to obtain the titles Pasha, and Vizier. The promises to his mother were kept by him, and he died as a Pasha and as a Vizier. |
| By: S.K.-Shkupjani June 23, 2002 Revised: March 10, 2006 Edited by: Q.K. From Shkupi (Skopje) References �Ali Pasha �- Sabri Godo. Book published in 1993 in Tirana, Albania. � The Diamond of Janina� - William Plomer. Book published in 1970 in London, United Kingdom. |
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