League of Prizren
The four Ottoman vilayets clearly divided (vilayet of İşkodra, Yannina, Monastir and Kosovo as proposed by the League of Prizren for full autonomy)
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| Formation | 10 June 1878 |
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| Founder | 44 Albanian beys |
| Extinction | April 1881 |
The League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation (Albanian: Lidhja për mbrojtjen e të drejtave te kombit Shqiptar), commonly known as the League of Prizren (Albanian: Besëlidhja e Prizrenit), was an Albanian political organization founded on January 5, 1877. (Officially on June 10, 1878) in the old town of Prizren, in the Kosova Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire.
The treaties of San Stefano and later Treaty of Berlin both assigned areas that were also inhabited by Albanians to other states. The inability of the Porte to protect the interests of a region that was 70% Muslim and largely loyal forced the Albanian leaders not only to organize their defense, but also to consider creation of an autonomous administration, like those Serbia and the other Danubian Principalities had enjoyed before their independence.
The league was established at the meeting of 47 Ottoman beys in Prizren in June 10, 1878. An initial position of the league was presented in the document known as Kararname. With this document Albanian leaders emphasized their intention to preserve and maintain the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans by supporting the porte, and "to struggle in arms to defend the wholeness of the territories of Albania". Although it said nothing about the reforms, schools, autonomy or about the union of the Albanian population within one vilayet, under influence of Abdyl Frashëri, this initial position has changed radically and resulted in demands of autonomy of Albanians and open war against the Ottoman Empire.
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