War in Brda (1805)
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In mid-1805, during the Serbian Revolution, a conflict broke out within modern-day Montenegro. The Albanian-Serb tribes of Kuči and Piperi from Brda, along with the Albanian tribe of Kelmendi from Malësia, took up arms against the Pashalik of Scutari and its ruler, Ibrahim Pasha of the Bushati family.[1][2][3]
| War in Brda Lufta në Bërda | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Serbian Revolution | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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Montenegrin rebels Albanian rebels | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Ibrahim Bushati Kol Gjomarkaj  | Petar I Petrović-Njegoš | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Background
After the devastating losses during the Scutari invasion of Montenegro in 1796, particularly in the battles of Martinići and Krusi, and the death of the ruling Kara Mahmud Pasha, his brother Ibrahim Pasha ascended to the position of Pasha of the semi-independent Pashalik of Scutari. Initially, Ibrahim Pasha attempted to reestablish relations with the Montenegrins and Malsors, but neither accepted his rule.[1] With the start of the First Serbian Uprising and the subsequent Serbian Revolution in 1804 against Ottoman rule, many Serbs and other non-Muslim populations within the Ottoman Empire, similar to those in the Sanjak of Smederevo, sought to break away from Ottoman control or gain autonomy within the empire.[2] The Kuči and Piperi tribes, who had previously aided the Montenegrins against Kara Mahmud Pasha, openly aimed to unify with the Montenegrin state.[4] Consequently, in mid-1805, they, along with the Albanian Kelmendi tribe, revolted against Ibrahim Pasha Bushati's rule.[2][1][3]
War
Ibrahim Pasha swiftly assembled an army of local Ghegs and Mirditor allies under the command of Kol Gjomarkaj and set out from Shkodër.[5][3][6] He campaigned in Brda, ultimately defeating the rebels.[3] However, during this campaign, Ibrahim Pasha executed the Mirdita leader for reasons that remain unclear, causing a sudden rupture in the relationship between Mirdita and the Bushatlliu dynasty.[5][6] After the rebels were defeated, the territories of Brda and Kelmendi were reincorporated into the Pashalik.[5][3][6]
Aftermath
However, suppressing the Serb rebels came at a significant cost. The two Tosk Pashas, Ali Pasha Tepelena and Ibrahim Pasha of Berat, defeated his armies multiple times in Elbasan and Ohrid.[3] These clashes nearly escalated into a full-scale war, however the Sublime Porte intervened swiftly to prevent further escalation.[3] In December, Ibrahim Pasha Bushati was appointed Beylerbey of Rumelia.[3] Soon after, he gathered an army and assisted the Ottomans in quelling the Serbian uprising.[7]