Mulla Sinan Maxhera
Sinan Maxhera | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1863 Mađare, Kaza of Gjilan, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 7 July 1910 Kaçanik, Ottoman Empire |
| Cause of death | Execution by Hanging |
| Battles / wars |
|
| Alma mater | Isa Beg Madrasa of Skopje |
Mulla Sinan Maxhera, was an Albanian imam and rebel against the Ottoman Empire. He is most known for his participation in the Albanian Revolt of 1910, where he served as a rebel leader and the right-hand man of Idriz Seferi, for which he was later executed and hanged by the Young Turks.
Life
Sinan Maxhera was born in 1863 in the village of Mađare, in present-day Preševo, located in the Karadak region.[1] At that time, the village belonged to the Karadak nahiya of the kaza of Gjilan. He first studied under the local imam in his village before continuing his education at the Isa Beg Madrasa in Skopje.[1] He later completed university studies in Istanbul.[1]
At a young age, Maxhera participated in the League of Prizren Assembly.[2]
He enlisted as a volunteer soldier in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, where he was wounded in battle.[1] After returning to Karadak, he served as a local imam in the villages of Caravajka, Pogragjë, and Dobërçan.[1] During his time as an imam, Maxhera mediated blood feuds in Karadak.[1] Around the same time, he befriended Idriz Seferi, who made him his right-hand man and commander in his campaigns against the Young Turks.[1]
In 1910, Idriz Seferi and Maxhera initiated a revolt against the Young Turks. Maxhera participated as a commander in the Battle of Kaçanik and the Battle of Komogllava, in which Albanian rebels were ultimately defeated.[3][1] However, just a few days later, Seferi and Maxhera, along with other commanders such as Isa Boletini, defeated the Ottoman army in the Karadak mountains during the Battle of Drenogllava. Nevertheless, the revolt was eventually crushed by the Young Turks.[4]
After quelling the uprising, the Ottoman army captured and arrested Maxhera.[1][5] He and six other rebels were sentenced to death by hanging by an Ottoman court.[5] Maxhera was hanged in Kaçanik on July 7, 1910;[1][5] however, according to historian Shaban Braha, he was executed in Kukës (in modern-day Albania).[1]
Folklore
Maxhera is a frequent subject of Albanian folk songs in Karadak regarding the Albanian Revolt of 1910.[5]
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| Sinan Hoxha n`luftë po thërret
Sot me lind ja me vdek Sinan Aga lyp atkisë I kthenë shpinën kësaj Turkisë Ky Kostrani veç po dridhet Hoxhë Sinani nuk po lidhet Sinan Hoxha len koranin Ka marr pushkën e xhamadanin. |
Imam Sinan calls to war
Today either he is born or he dies Sinan Aga asks for his horse He turns his back on the Turks The Kostrani is trembling But Imam Sinan does not yield Imam Sinan leaves his Quran He has taken up the rifle and his vest |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Zani i Naltë, Revistë shkencore dhe kulturore VITI III (XVII) 2015 NR. 13 (166)" (PDF). Zani i Naltë. 13. Tirana: 109. 2015.
- ^ "Një përmbledhje kumtesash – si dëshmi e realitetit të hidhur dhe e krenarisë sonë". Gazetë Rajonale Online - RajoniPress.com (in Albanian). 2015-05-08. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ "Mulla Sinan Maxhera". www.islamgjakova.net. 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ "Rëndësia e betejës së Drenogllavës, në lëvizjen autonomiste shqiptare". Bota Sot. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ a b c d "ULEMATË DHE KRYENGRITJET - Zeri Islam.com". www.zeriislam.com. Retrieved 2025-05-20.