Albanian Revolt of 1847

Date	1839-1847
Location	Pashalik of Yanina, modern southern Albania and northern Greece
Result	Ottoman victory. Rebellion hold until 1847

Belligerents

Ottoman Empire

Albanian rebels

Commanders and leaders

Çelo Picari
Zenel Gjoleka

Ottoman victory.

The Albanian Revolt of 1847 was a 19th-century uprising in southern Albania directed against Ottoman Tanzimat reforms which started in 1839 and were gradually being put in action in the regions of Albania. One of the characteristics of the uprising was the absence of known bey families among its leaders and the massive participation of the peasants. In Albanian communist historiography this event is also called the Great Peasant Uprisings (Albanian: Kryengritjet e Mëdha Fshatare).

The primary aim of the Tanzimat reforms was that of creating a strong modern local apparatus with which to govern the empire. The old privileges were abolished and taxes were to be collected from Ottoman officials, rather than by local Albanian beys.

After the Uprising of Dervish Cara in 1844, the Ottoman Porte declared the application of the Tanzimat reforms in southern Albania. Albanian sandjaks were reorganized. Hysen Pashe Vrioni was appointed the head of Berat Sandjak, which would include the regions of Vlorë, Mallakastër, Skrapar and Përmet. His forces began putting the new reforms into action, disarming the population and requesting new taxes.

Albanian peasants in southern Albania reacted to the actions of Ottoman administration and in June 1847, their representatives met in Mesaplik. In a memorandum sent to the Turkish sultan they declared that they would not send soldiers in the regular army, would not pay the new taxes and would also not accept the new administration

The insurgents created a committee with Zenel Gjoleka as its leader. When the new Ottoman administration tried to gather the new taxes in Kuç, the peasants went into open rebellion in July 1847. 500 men led by Zenel Gjoleka marched toward Delvinë and liberated the city. In a short period of time the uprising expanded in all Vlorë region, Chameria, Përmet and especially in Mallakastër where the local rebels were led by another notable local leader, Rrapo Hekali.

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