Occupation Clan chief Successor Gjon Markagjoni Children Gjon Markagjoni | Predecessor Prenk Bib Doda Died 1925 | |
Born 1861 Orosh, Mirdita, Ottoman Empire (present-day Albania) Title Kapedan of the Mirdita clan | ||
Kapedan Marka Gjoni (1861-1925) was the chieftain of the Mirdita region and tribe in North Albania. He was born in Orosh. He was assigned as Kaymakam of Mirdita by the Ottoman Empire during the absence of Prenk Bibë Doda who was interned in Anatolia due to his participation in the Albanian League of Prizren.
With the death of Prenk Bib Doda, who had no male heirs, the Gjonmarkaj lineage passed to Marka Gjoni. Marka Gjoni's initial attempt to claim the title Kapedan was fraught with difficulties because many of the leaders of the Mirdita refused to recognise him. He was never a popular figure. Edith Durham reports thet he displayed such cowardice in 1914 when he fled from the front and said he had come 'to fetch vaseline to clean rifles' that he lost all chance of chiftainship. In 1921, with financial from Belgrade, Marka Gjoni rebelled against the Albanian government and proclaimed Mirdita independent. This so called republic of Mirdita, was supported by Serbia and Greece, but was swiftly put down by the albanian government in 20 november 1912. Marka Gjoni was forced to flee to Yugoslavia, thought he later returned to Albania and was active in Mirdita until his death.
He and his wife Dava had four daughters and one son, Gjon Markagjoni a well-known opponent of Communist forces during World War II.