Bajo Topulli

Bajo Topulli
Bajo Topulli in a rare photo
Born	1868 Gjirokastër, Albania (then Janina Vilayet, Ottoman Empire)
Died	1930 (aged 62)
Occupation	Teacher, Politician
Ethnicity	Albanian
Literary movement	Albanian National Revival

Bajo Topulli (1868–1930) was an Albanian nationalist figure of the Albanian National Awakening. While he was a director in the Ottoman Secondary school in Monastir he founded in November 1905 the Secret Committee for the Liberation of Albania in Monastir, and in March 1906 he founded in the Bektashi tekke of Melçan, a village near Korçë, an armed guerrilla band to fight against the Ottoman rule.^[1] Bajo Topulli was the older brother of Çerçiz Topulli.^[2]

On September 22, 1906 Bajo Topulli's band killed the Greek Orthodox bishop of Görice (now Korçë), Photios,^[3] who was said to be responsible for the death of Papa Kristo Negovani.^[1]

References

1. Robert Elsie (30 March 2010). Historical Dictionary of Albania. Scarecrow Press. p. 449. ISBN 978-0-8108-6188-6. Retrieved 29 May 2012. Bajo Topulli was born in Gjirokastra and worked as the deputy principal of a Turkish secondary school in Monastir (Bitola). In November 1905, he founded a secret committee of Albanian nationalists called Për lirinë e Shqipërisë (For the Freedom of Albania), which led to the establishment of similar committees elsewhere in southern Albania (Korça,Kolonja, and Gjirokastra). The objective of these committees was to prepare for an armed uprising against Ottoman rule.
   In March 1906, he formed the first armed guerrilla band (Alb. çeta) in the Korça region, with its headquarters in the Bektashi monastery of Melçan.
   On 22 September 1906, they killed Photios, the Greek bishop of Korça, who was said to be responsible for the death of Papa Kristo Negovani
2. Robert Elsie (2004). Historical dictionary of Albania. Scarecrow Press. p. 418. ISBN 978-0-8108-4872-6. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
3. Stavro Skendi (1967). The Albanian national awakening, 1878-1912. Princeton University Press. p. 210. Retrieved 29 May 2012. On September 22, 1906 men of Bajo Topulli's band murdered the Metropolitan of Korce, Photios.