Mehmed Pasha Bushati

Mehmed Pasha Bushati[a] (fl. 1768–d. June 1775) was the governor of the Pashalik of Scutari and founder of the Bushatli dynasty of Shkodër

Not to be confused with Kara Mahmud Pasha.
Mehmed Pasha Bushati
Governor of Scutari
Reign
1768–June 1775
SuccessorMahmud Pasha
BornSanjak of Scutari, Ottoman Empire
DiedJune 1775
FamilyBushati
IssueMahmud Pasha

History

Sanjak of Scutari
Near the Lead Mosque is the resting place of Mehmet Bushati

By the late 1700s, the Ottoman Empire was in decline. The Turkish administration grew inefficient and corrupt. Opponents began fighting for Ottoman territory. The most powerful landowning families in Albania held more authority than the sultan did. Bushati, a Muslim Albanian clan leader from Bushat,[1] who gained control of Northern Albania and, in spite of being Muslim, asked the Habsburgs for help against the Ottomans. Bushati was rewarded with arms and money, and he successfully held off an Ottoman attack, but when the tide of war went in favour of the Ottomans, he negotiated a pardon from the Sultan in exchange for recognising him as governor of the region. In the period between 1757 and 1831, the Sanjak of Scutari was elevated to the Pashalik of Scutari, a semi-autonomous pashalik, under the Ottoman empire created by Mehmed Pasha Bushati.

In 1768, Mehmed Pasha became the governor of the pashalik of Scutari.[2] In 1769 he fought in Zadrima.[3] In 1770 he fought in Morea against Greeks and Russians, and in 1772 he and his son participated in the march on Ulcinj.[4] He continued the Scutari pretensions over Montenegro and Brda, and planned to suppress their revolt; in early April 1774, he was in Podgorica and met with some chieftains of the northern Albanian tribes to discuss the planned operation.[2] In 1774, in the same month of the death of Šćepan Mali,[5] he attacked the Kuči and Bjelopavlići[6] with 15,000 troops,[7] but was decisively defeated and returned to Scutari.[5] This campaign had a great impact on the Kuči tribe which was described as "destroyed".

Rivalry with Ahmet Kurt Pasha

Ahmet Kurt Pasha, a descendant of the Muzaka family, managed to conspire with the Sublime Porte against Mehmed Pasha Bushati in 1774, to establish his own Pashalik (Pashalik of Berat).

In 1775, Mehmed's son, Kara Mahmud Pasha, led an Army against Ahmet Kurt Pasha and defeated him on behalf of his father.[8] The Conflict between Ahmet Kurt Pasha and Mehmed Pasha Bushati was caused by Ahmet's interest to take possession of the wealthy region of Durres.[8]

Death

Mehmed Pasha Bushati died in June 1775, but this did not return the Sultan's rule to northern Albania as the governor role was succeeded by his young son, Kara Mahmud Pasha.[9]

Annotations
  1. ^
    Turkish: Buşatlı Mahmut Paşa, Albanian: Mehmed Bushatlliu, Serbian: Mehmed-paša Bušatlija/Мехмед-паша Бушатлија

References
  1. Myhill, John (2006). Language, religion and national identity in Europe and the Middle East: A historical study. John Benjamins Publishing. p. 232. "... of this flexibility was the mid-18th century clan leader, Mehmet Bey Bushati, who gained control of northern Albania and ..."
  2. Stanojević, Gligor; Vasić, Milan (1975). Istorija Crne Gore (3): od početka XVI do kraja XVIII vijeka. Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Crne Gore. p. 398. OCLC 799489791. Послије неуспјелог похода Порте 1768. скадарски паша се не одриче својих пре- тензија на Црну Гору и Брда. Тада су Скадром загоспода- рили моћне Бушатлије. Мехмед-паша Бушатлија заносио се мишл>у да скрши отпор ...
  3. Burime të zgjedhura për historinë e Shqipërisë: Shek. VIII-XV. Universiteti Shteteror i Tiranes, Instituti i Historise dhe i Gjuhesise. 1962. p. 32.
  4. Istorijski glasnik. Naučna knjiga. 1956. Нарочито су ојачали Арбанаси и породица Бушатлија у Скадру. Мехмед Бушатлија је 1770 ратовао у Мореји против Грка и Руса, а 1772 заједно са сином Мустафом учествовао у походу Улцињана.
  5. Zapisi. Cetinjsko istorijsko društvo. 1939. Истога мјесеца кад је Шћепан погинуо удари на Куче везир скадарски Мехмед - паша Бушатлија , но с великом погибијом би сузбијен и врати се у Скадар .
  6. Летопис Матице српске. У Српској народној задружној штампарији. 1898. Године 1774. везир скадарски Мехмед паша Бушатлија ударио је на Куче и Бјелопавлиће, који позваше у помоћ Црногорце те произиђе због овога међу Црном Гором и Арбанијом велики бој и Арбанаси су се повукли ...
  7. Дашић, Миомир (1986). Васојевићи од помена до 1860. године. Народна књ. p. 303. ISBN 9788633100847.
  8. "BETWEEN REBELLION AND OBEDIENCE: THE RISE AND FALL OF BUSHATLI MAHMUD PASHA OF SHKODRA (1752-1796)" (PDF).
  9. Istorijski zapisi. Vol. 9–10. Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore. 1956. p. 54. Јуна 1775 умро је Мехмед-паша Бушатлија. То султану није вратило власт над северном Албанијом: очево место заузео је млади .Махмуд-паша

Bibliography
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