Zef Kol Ndoka

Zef Kol Ndoka (1883-1924), also known among Albanians as Zefi I Vogël, was an Albanian warrior and commander from the Shengji family from today's Fan Mirdita in Northern Albania.

Zef Kol Ndoka
Born	c.1883 Moglic, Gjakova, Ottoman Empire (modern Kosovo)
Died	1924 Has (region), Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Nationality	Albanian
Other names	Zefi i Vogel, Zef Mirdita
Occupation(s)	Captain and fighter
Years active	1912-1924

Life

Born in 1883 in Moglic, near Gjakova, he grew up fighting against the Ottoman Empire during the Albanian National Awakening in 1912 and continued to fight for the liberation of Kosovo against Serbo-Montenegrin forces in the 1920s. Ndoka fought together with Isa Boletini, Bajram Curri, Hasan Prishtina and others who, alongside them, was a leader of the Albanian Revolt of 1912 that captured Usküb (modern Skopje).^[1][2] Ndoka, along with Mehmet Shpendi and Bajram Daklani, raised the Albanian flag in Skopje on 12 August 1912.^[3] After the Albanian independence of 1912 his group he immediately began fighting the Kingdom of Yugoslavia together with Bajram Curri in order to unite Kosovo with Albania. Zefi was shot and killed in 1924 after an argument with Azem Galica, in the neutral zone of Junik.^[4][5]

Zefi was one of key figures for the gathering of the Albanian highlanders of Gjakova and Mirdita against the Ottoman Empire. Today, he is a venerated figure in the Mirdita region.

References

1. Skendi, Stavro (1954). "Albanian Political Thought and Revolutionary Activity, 1881-1912." Südost Forschungen. 13: 192: "On August 10, 1912, the Albanian leaders of the north, acting in the name of the four vilayets of Janina, Monastir, Shkodra, and Kosovo, were strong enough to present substantial demands. These were a special system of administration and justice, according to the requirements of the country; military service to be effected in Albania, except in time of war; nominitation of capable and honest government employees knowing the language and customs of the country; the creation of sultaniye-s (secondary schools), with Albanian as the language of instruction, in the capitals of the vilayets and the sandjaks of more than 30 000 souls; the creation of medrese-s (schools of Moslem religious instruction); the teaching of Albanian in schools of every grade; absolute liberty to establish private schools; the construction of roads; impeachment before the Supreme Court of Hakki Pasha and Said Pasha (fallen Premiers); a general amnesty and indemnity for damages suffered during the insurrection; restitution of arms). Four days later an estimated 20 000 Albanian insurgents under the leadership of Isa Boletini, Riza Gjakova, Bajram Curri, Nexhip Draga, Hasan Prishtina, Zefi i Vogël entered Usküb. They encountered no opposition and a detachment pushed on to Köprülü (Veles). As if to remind the Porte, a congress was held in Vlora in early September 1912, in which the southern Albanians made known their demands, which were similar to those of the Ghegs)."
2. Shpuza, Gazmend (1999). Në prag të pavarësisë [On the eve of independence]. Eagle Press. p. 193. "Këtë thirrje e nënshkruajnë krerë të lëvizjes si Bajram Daklani, Zefi i Vogël, Pjetër Çeli, Halil Mehmeti, Idriz Jaha, Hasan Ballanca, Salih Hidi e të tjerë. [This call was prounouced by leaders of movement: Bajram Daklani, Zefi i Vogël, Pjetër Çeli, Halil Mehmeti, Idriz Jaha, Hasan Ballanca, Salih Hidi and others.]"
3. Sheremet Krasniqi, Kush e ngriti i pari flamurin shqiptar ne Shkup me 1912? [Who raised first the Albanian flag in Skopje in 1912] (in Albanian), Radio Kosova e Lire, retrieved 2016-01-05, Hasan H. Budakova, Zefi i Vogël, Bajram Daklani e Mehmet Shpendi, më 12 gusht 1912, në Sheshin e Vogël të Shkupit e kanë ngritur flamurin kombëtar.
4. Selim Islami; Kristo Frashëri; Aleks Buda (1968), Historia e popullit shqiptar: Përgatitur nga një kolektiv punonjësish shkencorë sektorëve të historisë së kohës së lashtë dhe të kohës së mesme, vol. 1, Enti i botimeve shkollare i Republikës Socialiste të Serbisë, p. 322, OCLC 1906502{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. Thaçi, Atdhe (31 March 2024). ""The Spanish Adventurer": Ottoman Surveillance of Aladro Kastrioti, the Pretender for the Albanian Throne". Journal of Balkan Studies. 4 (1): 27–45. doi:10.51331/A041.