A portrait of Sami Frashëri for Ali Pasha: clever but also ruthless vizier

This special portrait of Ali Pasha Tepelena was written by Sami Frashëri. He is one of the portraits of a series of Albanian personalities summarized in his famous encyclopedic work KÂMÛS AL-A'LÂM.

This work, which cost Sami Frashëri 11 years of his life, is also the work that " made Sami Frashëri a scientist in international standards; the work which had led him to walk through the many libraries of the time and to trace the books that had been covered by dust; the work which had tired him the most..." , as researcher Mehdi Polisi describes it, who selected it, translated and published it in 1992 under the name of Rilindja in Pristina publications entitled "Albanian personalities in KÂMÛS AL-A'LÂM OUR FRIENDS". It is from this publication that we have detached this portrait dedicated to Ali Pasha Tepelena.

Among other things, Sami Frashëri portrays the Pasha like this:

"He was very capable and smart. In the countries that were under his governance and administration, he ensured peace and tranquility, improved the roads and passages. He built many forts and bridges as well as many other strong buildings. However, he was extremely harsh, tyrannical and treacherous. Before his eyes, he prepared various scenes of the saddest tortures (he did experiments), which he watched with pleasure. The more his power and wealth increased, the more his tricks also increased...".

By Sami Frashëri

He was vali and derebeg in Ioannina for 33 years at the time of Sultan Selim Hani III, Sultan Mustafa Hani IV and Sultan Mahmud Hani II. There was a vizier who with his extraordinary actions, with his rudeness and ruthlessness gained high fame.

He was born in 1145/1732 in the kasaba of Tepelena (known as Tepedelen in Ottoman literature) in Albania. His grandfather, Ali Pasha, earned the rank of mir-mira. When in the battle of Corfu he attacked the castle, he showed great bravery and courage, but was killed. He left behind three sons. The great ones left Veli Bey, the father of this one, whose biography is being written here, without inheritance, therefore, Veli Bey was forced to deal with theft. After he was enriched and strengthened in this way, he returned to Tepelena with his companions. He burned his brothers in their houses. For this reason, the Beylers of Tepelena took a firm stand to boycott this and expel it from their province. Then Veli Bey died. He had two wives; with the first he had a son, and with the second a son and a daughter. Second wife named Hanko, from Konica (since the Turkish-Ottoman language does not have the letter c, it is written with ç; Konica), she was a brave, energetic and tough woman. She made an agreement with her husband's former close friends to get revenge on the Beylers of Tepelena, while her child, Ali, was taught from an early age to take revenge and to be as harsh as possible towards them. Between the beylers of the kasaba of Kardhiqi, which belonged to Gjirokastra and Ali Pasha's family, there had been enmity for a long time. As the Kardhiqas had investigated Hanko, Ali's mother and her sister, Shaensana, for some bad behavior and corruption. from childhood he taught him to take revenge and to be as harsh as possible towards them. Between the beylers of the kasaba of Kardhiqi, which belonged to Gjirokastra and Ali Pasha's family, there had been enmity for a long time. As the Kardhiqas had investigated Hanko, Ali's mother and her sister, Shaensana, for some bad behavior and corruption. from childhood he taught him to take revenge and to be as harsh as possible towards them. Between the beylers of the kasaba of Kardhiqi, which belonged to Gjirokastra and Ali Pasha's family, there had been enmity for a long time. As the Kardhiqas had investigated Hanko, Ali's mother and her sister, Shaensana, for some bad behavior and corruption.

Hankoja, when he was dying, grabbed Ali by the collar and advised (ordered) him to take revenge on the Kardhiqas. Continuing the path of his parents, Ali made a great fortune and, after turning 20 years old, he married Emine Hanëmi, the daughter of Kapllan Pasha of Delvina, who was the vali of Gjirokastra (in the original text it is Ergiri. That's how Gjirokastra is called in Ottoman literature). At that time, in order to eliminate the plundering gangs that had spread and were creating disturbances in those parts, Kurt Pasha, the vali of Berat, was ordered, who saw fit to adopt Ali beu. He took him to himself and rewarded him. Even though he promised to give her the girl, he later went back on his word. Thus, since he made Ibrahim Pasha Vlora his son-in-law, Ali Bey separated from him and again, gathering a group of friends, put them under his rule. by force, the provinces of Gjirokastra, Përmet and Konica. And then he was given the high command to kill Kaplan Pasha of Delvina, who had submitted to Gadap Pasha. He killed the aforementioned pasha who was also his father-in-law. In the meantime, the front of Austria and Russia was opened. Ali bey gathered a large number of Albanian soldiers and went to war. Since he showed great bravery and courage on the battlefield and, since he had great results, he was appointed mutasarrif in the mutasarrif of Terhalla with the rank of mir-miran. Ali bey gathered a large number of Albanian soldiers and went to war. Since he showed great bravery and courage on the battlefield and, since he had great results, he was appointed mutasarrif in the mutasarrif of Terhalla with the rank of mir-miran. Ali bey gathered a large number of Albanian soldiers and went to war. Since he showed great bravery and courage on the battlefield and, since he had great results, he was appointed mutasarrif in the mutasarrif of Terhalla with the rank of mir-miran.

When Ali Pasha became the Mutesarrif of Terhalla, he tried to bring Ioannina under his rule. In the end, in the year 1203/1788, as soon as he was assigned the duty of vizier in the vilayet of Ioannina, Ali Pasha on the one hand tried to take revenge on the old enemies and expand the borders and on the other hand, the countries that are under the government of to isolate him from the people and leaders with authority, who could change his affairs and his plans. He directed the army to Ibrahim Pasha, who had replaced Kurt Pasha, he himself was taken prisoner and kept in a dark cell of the castle until he died, and he took his daughters by force and married them to his own sons, with Muhtar (pronounced Myftar - MP in Albanian) and Veli. The aforementioned Ibrahim Pasha, being a very sincere, honest and moral personality, prayed to him (Ali Pasha - MP) for the salvation of the whole people, but he, on the contrary, increased the tortures of the poor even more so that when the order went out from the High Gate for Ibrahim Pasha to govern in the vilayet of Berat, Ali, according to one version, killed him with his own hand, but reported that he died an ordinary death. Thus he expanded the borders from those parts to Elbasan and Dibër, which he put under his control. Also, under his government, in addition to the provinces of Yenisehr, Terhalla, More and Agribozi, he included the provinces of Greece. You saw your own children, Myftari with the rank of mir-miran, and Veliu with the rank of vizier, appointed to the mytesarriflek of Terhalla. even more increased the torture of the poor that when from the High Gate went the order for Ibrahim Pasha to govern in the province of Berat, Ali, according to one version, killed him with his own hand, but reported that he died an ordinary death. Thus he expanded the borders from those parts to Elbasan and Dibër, which he put under his control. Also, under his government, in addition to the provinces of Yenisehr, Terhalla, More and Agribozi, he included the provinces of Greece. You saw your own children, Myftari with the rank of mir-miran, and Veliu with the rank of vizier, appointed to the mytesarriflek of Terhalla. even more increased the torture of the poor that when from the High Gate went the order for Ibrahim Pasha to govern in the province of Berat, Ali, according to one version, killed him with his own hand, but reported that he died an ordinary death. Thus he expanded the borders from those parts to Elbasan and Dibër, which he put under his control. Also, under his government, in addition to the provinces of Yenisehr, Terhalla, More and Agribozi, he included the provinces of Greece. You saw your own children, Myftari with the rank of mir-miran, and Veliu with the rank of vizier, appointed to the mytesarriflek of Terhalla. Thus he expanded the borders from those parts to Elbasan and Dibër, which he put under his control. Also, under his government, in addition to the provinces of Yenisehr, Terhalla, More and Agribozi, he included the provinces of Greece. You saw your own children, Myftari with the rank of mir-miran, and Veliu with the rank of vizier, appointed to the mytesarriflek of Terhalla. Thus he expanded the borders from those parts to Elbasan and Dibër, which he put under his control. Also, under his government, in addition to the provinces of Yenisehr, Terhalla, More and Agribozi, he included the provinces of Greece. You saw your own children, Myftari with the rank of mir-miran, and Veliu with the rank of vizier, appointed to the mytesarriflek of Terhalla.

The Kasabata of Parga and Perveza, from the Republic of Venice, had fallen under the rule of France. Ali Pasha took Perveza from the French by war. Meanwhile, Parga, after the fall of Napoleon, had fallen under the rule of England. Therefore, he got this from the English. Although Ali Pasha was an uneducated man, he was very capable and smart. In the countries that were under his governance and administration, he ensured peace and tranquility, improved the roads and passages. He built many forts and bridges as well as many other strong buildings. However, he was extremely harsh, tyrannical and treacherous. Before his eyes, he prepared various scenes of the saddest tortures (he did experiments), which he watched with pleasure. The more his power and wealth increased, the more his tricks also increased. Imprisoning people in a diabolical manner, and using intrigues, he eliminated many of them and many times tried to kill brother with his own hand, so that he would also punish him with death according to the "head to head" rule. The incident of Kardhiq, which was mentioned above, is a typical example of the intrigues and tyranny of Ali Pasha. Wherever in Albania there would be a family with authority and influence, if it was not suitable for Ali Pasha, he and a number of its members would openly or mshefta disappear or drive them away from there.

Meanwhile, a group of them with their proposal, of course to save their lives and protect their dignity were forced to leave their homes and run away. He distributed them to other parts of the world. The poor Asseys could not make ends meet from manual labor. He blamed beautiful girls and women, considering them to cause misfortune, so they were forced to hide. Since he himself was ignorant, he always acted for the destruction of knowledge, even though until that time in Albania, the people with self-organization kept the scholars and hoxhallars. He made religions burn into oblivion. He leaves administrative work in the hands of a group of Greek intriguers. Even notebooks, administrative correspondence and letters from the highest authorities were written in a heavy Greek language that only he could understand. in short, apart from the food he provided for every day, he caused ignorance, poverty and immorality to grow and spread among the Albanians. He was not afraid of the Greeks, since they were also tools and participants in his intrigues; with his fanaticism, he behaved mildly towards them, especially when he lost the trust of the Albanians; to act against them he armed a group of Greek captains.

They then used those weapons for the independence of Greece. Ali Pasha, being too greedy and thirsty for positions, increased the strength and severity of the government as much as he could and so he wanted to continue until the end of his life. However, finally, the frequent violence was reflected in the High Gate. Even Pasho Bei from Janina, who had left and sought support in Istanbul as he was dissatisfied with him, through the well-known Halet Efendi, had explained the purpose of Ali Pasha's independence. Indeed, Gadap Pasha was worried about this. Although a royal decree was announced for the removal of the state treasury from the vilayet of Ioannina, Ali Pasha, who oversaw that treasure (wealth) in the vilayet in which he governed, presented several ways of defense and some justifications that could not be carried by Janina. These objections as well as his opinions explained above strengthen the cause of independence. Therefore, in 1235/1819, the army under the command of Hurshid Pasha was addressed. The Beylers of Albania, the vast majority of them, were dissatisfied with him and, as they did not feel safe, they left his ranks and, as they joined Hurshid Pasha, Ali Pasha with a small group of people (the most loyal) was locked in the castle .

After holding out for a while, he left the castle with the intention of being taken alive to the High Gate. Going, to a monastery that was located on a small island of the lake of Ioannina. the people who were sent by Hurshid Pasha used their weapons, to which he responded in the same way. On this occasion, being hit by bullets from several sides, he died. They cut off his head and sent him to Istanbul together with the heads of his three sons and a grandson. They buried them outside Silivrikapi. His body was buried in the fortress of Ioannina in front of a palace (saraji) that burned down, which until recently was the residence of the government. It has a perfect pitch.

Among the grandchildren of Ali Pasha Tepelena, Myftar Pasha-zade Mahmud spent a long time walking around Istanbul as a well-known renegade dressed in clothing of the Melamite sect; Veli Pasha-zade Selim Pasha was a muhafiz in the Belgrade muhafiz and in other high positions, while his brother Ismail Pasha served in several vilayets.