Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Jakup Ferri

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Nationality
  
Ottoman

Years active
  
1850–79

Born
  
ca. 1832
Ottoman Empire

Known for
  
Member of the Prizren League and leader of pro-Ottoman irregulars

Died
  
4 December 1879, Principality of Montenegro

Vellezerit agaj jakup ferri n kosove show


Jakup Ferri or Feri (Albanian: Jakup Ferri or Jakup Feri, Serbo-Croatian: Jakup Ferović; 1832–1879) was a leader of pro-Ottoman irregulars from Plav and member of the nationalist Albanian League of Prizren. Together with many other fighters from Gjakova, they assassinated the Ottoman leader Mehmet Ali Pasha in 1878. He led the pro-Ottoman irregulars from Plav in 1879 in the Battle of Novšiće against Montenegrin forces, and was killed in the battle.

Contents

Ilir shaqiri jakup ferri


Family

According to some Serbian language sources Jakup Ferri came from the Šabović–Ferović family, and they were Islamized Serbs. The Šabović family originated from the Krivodoljani brotherhood of Kuči, and had been a notable Ottoman family living near Nevesinje, Sanjak of Herzegovina (modern day Bosnia and Herzegovina) where they had their fortress and estates, until 1875 with the outbreak of the Herzegovina Uprising, when they lost all their possessions and moved to Plav. According to Montenegrin Ethnic Association of Australia Jakup adopted the patronymic Ferović (son of Fero), and his descendants are known with that surname.

Jakup had five sons: Haso, Ago, Medo, Emin and Omer. According to Alex Buda, Jakup's son Hasan Ferri (1860–1946) fought together with his father in this battle.

Battle of Novšiće

He was an active insurgent against the Montenegrin annexation of Plav and Gusinje after 1878. He joined the League of Prizren, established after the Congress of Berlin (1878) that ceded Plav and Gusinje to Montenegro. Together with many other fighters from Gjakova, they assassinated the Ottoman leader Mehmet Ali Pasha in 1878.

In the Autumn of 1879 notables of Plav and Gusinje established the Committee of National Salvation. The first order of the Committee was to send Jakup Ferri to visit neighboring Albanian tribes to offer them an alliance. It was also decided that Ferri will carry all income of Plav vaqif to pay to Albanian chieftains to accept this alliance. Ali Pasha of Gusinje, the leader of the League, appointed him commander for the defence of Plav. He commanded his forces in the retreat from the Montenegrin assaults and managed to cut off the Montenegrins when they counter-attacked. Jakup Ferri fell at the beginning of the Battle of Novšiće, which ended in a victory for the League.

Legacy

Jakup became a hero of the epic poetry of Bosniaks together with Ali Paša of Gusinje. Albanian epic poetry also mentions the Battle of Novšiće and Jakup Ferri in The Highland Lute.

References

Jakup Ferri Wikipedia