Ramadan Zaskoci

Ramadan Zaskoci of Mamzi, a prominent figure in the anti-Ottoman and anti-Serbian resistance between 1876 and 1914, took part in the movement against Mehmet Ali Pasha Maxharri in Prizren and Gjakova (1878), in the defense of Albanian lands against Montenegrin chauvinists (1879), and in the fighting against Ottoman armies (1881). He was especially notable for leading the highlanders of Lumë, together with other local chiefs, in battles against Ottoman forces that entered the Lumë region during the first decade of the 20th century (1903–1904, 1909, and 1910), as well as against Serbian forces in November 1912.

Ramadan Zaskoci
Photograph of Zaskoci next to Hoxhe Mehmeti, c. 1910-12
Personal details
Born	September, 1860 Prishtina prison, Kosovo
Died	1914 Lusën, Albania
Party	League of Prizren
Parent(s)	Selman Braha (father) Humneja (mother)
Military service
Battles/wars	Ohrid–Debar uprising Battle of Lumë Albanian uprisings in the Ottoman Empire League of Prizren Kosovo Vilayet Revolt (Pre-Young Turk Revolution)

He was born in prison, as both his father and mother had been imprisoned for taking part in several anti-Ottoman uprisings of the time. He led the highlanders of Lumë in battles against Ottoman forces that entered the Lumë region during the first decade of the 20th century (1903–1904, 1909, and 1910), as well as against Serbian forces in November 1912. He was also among the leaders of the September 1913 uprising against the Serbian occupying forces. Zaskoci's family was massacred, and his home was burned down several times in retaliation for the defeats he inflicted on the Ottomans and later on the Serbs. They tried to win him over with money and positions of power, but in the end they were able to stop him only through treachery. He was killed by Albanians who had been paid by the Serbs.

Early Military Career

The village of Mamëz, near Kukës, was the home of the family of Selman Braha. From this family came the patriot and popular leader of the people of Lumë, Ramadan Zaskoci. Although he had no formal education, Ramadan possessed exceptional natural intelligence. He matured at an early age and soon became an active supporter and determined fighter of the Albanian League of Prizren. On 10 August 1878, the first branch of the League was established in Prizren, with Ymer Sulejman Prizreni elected as its chairman. The organization quickly gathered many activists around it. Ramadan entered history on 27 August 1878, at the age of eighteen, when, using a kapakli rifle and a celinë, traditional Albanian muzzle-loading firearms, he shot and killed the personal telegraph operator of Mehmet Ali Pasha, the Ottoman statesman who had represented the Ottoman Empire at the Congress of Berlin. This was the first armed action carried out by the Albanian League of Prizren. In 1883, Ramadan took part in the Assembly of Zojz, where the people of Lumë, Podrima, and Prizren pledged a besa (solemn oath) that they would end blood feuds among themselves and would instead stand together to fight and defend one another.

At the forefront of organizing and leading the armed units

In Lumë, an important role in the struggle against foreign occupiers was also played by the assemblies of the “Dheu” (the traditional local council of the community). Representatives of the region took part in these gatherings. They had both rights and responsibilities. They elected a council of 18 men, chosen from among the elders and those considered the bravest and most capable in speech, wisdom, and the use of the rifle. Important issues concerning the region were discussed, and a besa (solemn oath of unity and loyalty) was pledged for a specific period of time. Whenever the people faced a threat, a general call to arms (kushtrim) was issued throughout the seven and seventy villages. At the beginning of 1903, an assembly of the “Dheu” was held in Bicaj, where an 18-member council was elected, with Ramadan Zaskoci chosen as its chairman. The decisions reached at the meeting were summarized in a document known as “Masbatae” (from Turkish, meaning “petition” or “request”), which contained the following resolutions. The people of Lumë were determined to live according to the customs inherited from their ancestors; they would not accept new orders from the Ottoman government, nor from the mutasarrif (provincial governor) of Prizren or the kajmekam (sub-prefect) of Bicaj; and they recognized only the decisions of the 18-member council, whose members had been unanimously elected by the “Dheu.” Ramadan Zaskoci led and presided over the assemblies of the “Dheu” in Lumë from 1903 until he was killed in 1914, inflicting great and immeasurable losses on the Ottoman and Serbian forces in the battles fought during the years 1903, 1904, 1907, 1909, and 1910. The struggles of the people of Lumë, especially those of 1912–1913 against the Serbian occupiers, have remained alive in collective memory and have been passed down from generation to generation.

Innovations introduced in the art of tactical warfare

The insurgent forces created powerful formations according to tactical-operational directions, positioning themselves in regions from which they held dominant positions. The number of troops in the insurgent grouping exceeded 5,000–6,000 men. They were led by experienced fighters such as those who had distinguished themselves in the Battle of Carraleva: Hasan Budakova (Hyseni), Isa Boletini, and Ramadan Zaskoci. The Jezerce pass was held by 1,000 men from Lumë. This position prevented the Ottoman army from capturing the Carraleva gorge. From the Prizren district, mainly from Podrima and Lumë, a fighting force had been raised. From the bajraks (traditional tribal banners/administrative units) of Podrima, where the call to arms had been issued following the uprising of Llapi, around 1,000 brave fighters had been positioned in the Carraleva region belonging to Rahovec, while around 2,000 fighters came from the areas of Kabash, Budakova, and Suhareka. More than 500 fighters were from the city of Prizren under the leadership of Sheh Hasan. Although no final figure exists, available data show that around 6,000 fighters were prepared for resistance in the regions of Shtimje, Carraleva, and Jezerce. The state of weapons and ammunition was difficult, and in both quantity and quality it could not be compared with that of the Turkish forces. It was expected that, following the tradition and experience of Kaçanik, a certain amount of weaponry would be secured on the battlefield. The weapons ranged from traditional cold weapons to rifles. Supplying food was also difficult during the spring season. It had become customary for the population to provide its fighters generously with bread and meat during battles, but the “dry rations” and the difficult circumstances prevented supplies from reaching the heights being defended from the fertile villages of Podrima’s plains. These shortages were overcome by the spirit of sacrifice. Communication was a major problem along all three operational directions: Carraleva–Mitrovica, which was the most difficult route; Carraleva–Rahovec–Gjakova; and Carraleva–Prizren–Bicaj. Communication along these three routes was of decisive importance for the outcome of the battle and for the survival of the insurgent forces themselves in Shtimje, Carraleva, and Jezerce. The insurgent reserves from Gjakova, led by Sulejman Batusha, and those from Lumë were preparing to organize resistance in the mountain passes of Gjakova and in the valleys of the Drin River. Meanwhile, the insurgent forces of Podrima, Lumë, Opoja, Has, Malëzi, and Little Dibra had been organized through highly effective interregional and interprovincial cooperation. The manpower was ready, organized, and directed on the basis of villages and regions. Combat tasks at the level of detachments and battalions were precisely defined, down to each individual fighter. The destruction of an entire formation of Serbian military forces required precisely this organization of manpower and resources. It represented an original tactic based on human, moral, and material strength; the configuration of the terrain; the characteristics of natural obstacles, including waterways; and weather conditions. The plan was calculated so that the destruction of the Serbian occupying force would be achieved through simultaneous attacks, encirclement, fragmentation, and annihilation in the shortest possible time. The experience and military skill of Ramadan Zaskoci triumphed in this field in a manner rarely seen before.