Gjon Marka Gjoni (28 August 1888 – 28 April 1966) was an Albanian Catholic

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

chieftain ().

Biography

He was born in

Orosh Orosh (or ) is a small village in Mirditë within the county of Lezhë in the northwest of the Republic of Albania. Geographically, it is located inside the mountainous region of northern Albania in the Valley of Fan. The seat of the former muni ...

Mirdita Mirdita is a region of northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribe of the same name. Etymology The name Mirdita derives from a legendary ancestor named Mir Diti from whom the tribe claims descent. Other a ...

, the only son of Kapidan Marka Gjoni (1861–1925). His father was the leader or Kapidan of Mirdita who rebelled against the Albanian government in favour of an independent Mirdita. In 1921 in an alliance with Esadists, Marka

Gjoni Gjon (definite form: ''Gjoni'') is an Albanian male given name, clan, surname and onomastic element. As given name Etymology and history ''Gjon'' as a given name is a form of the English name John. It is the name of the apostle Saint John in Al ...

founded the Republic of Mirdita in northern Albania and served as its president during its short existence. His republic did not receive recognition from other countries. Marka Gjoni's presidency was extinguished by the Albanian government the same year. Marka Gjoni fled to

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, but later returned to Albania and remained active in the political life of the highlands. Kapidan Gjon married Mrika Pervizi (1883-1969 the niece of the Bajraktar of

Kurbin Kurbin is a municipality in Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Fushë Kuqe, Laç, Mamurras and Milot. The seat of the municipality is the town Laç. The total population at th ...

, Gjok Pjeter Pervizi. They had ten children.

Succession as clan leader, 1925

After the death of his father, Kapidan Marka Gjoni in 1925, Kapidan Gjon inherited the responsibility handed down to him as leader of Mirdita. He was often called upon to intervene in

feuds A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because ...

raging within other Mirdita

tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

and to preside over the arguments with fairness and clarity, but most of all to pass on judgments following the guidelines of the Kanun. He unified Mirdita bjarak by bjrak by resolving 360 blood feuds in 1926 and an additional 260 in 1928. Because of his leadership skills in mediating reconciliation, he became widely known and many activists and foreign leaders requested to meet him. The gathering on May 29, 1928, at the vice-prefecture of Shpal, Mirdita, to renew the Covenant of the Besa was one of the major events that occurred under the leadership of Kapidan Gjon Marka Gjoni. The commission of the five bajraks of Mirdita was assembled to address the equality of the bajraks and to bind them in accordance with the Kanun. On June 3 of that year, the commission was strengthened with a handshake between the twenty-five flagbearers of Mirdita. As a result of his ability to maintain calm and manage difficulties in Mirdita, the then president of Albania, Ahmet Zog, exempted Mirdita from state taxes. When Ahmet Zogu was proclaimed king in 1928, he summoned all the northern mountain chiefs, including Kapidan Gjon, who was the first to meet with the king. Kapidan Gjon was promoted to the highest possible rank, Lieutenant Colonel. In 1930 Kapidan Gjon went to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

where he was received with high honors by the

Italian Government The government of Italy is that of a democratic republic, established by the Italian constitution in 1948. It consists of Legislature, legislative, Executive (government), executive, and Judiciary, judicial subdivisions, as well as of a head of ...

and the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

. Upon the arrival of communism in Albania in 1944, Kapidan Gjon collaborated with his two eldest sons, Mark and Ndue, to organize the anti-communist resistance in the north.

Exile in Rome

With the advent of communism, he was forced to leave Albania under the escort of his second eldest son Ndue. In Kastrat, on November 26, 1944, he gave farewell to his son Mark who would stay behind and lead the resistance, along with his brother Llesh, both of whom died in combat; Mark on 14 June 1946 and Llesh on 9 August 1947. In Rome, Kapidan Gjon Marka Gjoni, collaborated with the Albanian publicist and writer

Ernest Koliqi Ernest Koliqi (20 May 190315 January 1975) was an Albanian journalist, pro-Axis politician, translator, teacher and writer. Biography Born to a Catholic Albanian family in Shkodra, where he also attended his first lessons at the local Je ...

, in sketching a political organization in exile. This organization was named "Independent National Bloc", which was formed on 6 November 1946. Kapidan Gjon lived in Rome with his son Ndue, his daughter-in-law Maria Teresa, and three granddaughters: Maria Cristina, Bianca Maria and Alessandra. He became seriously ill in 1964. He recovered and remained in relatively good health until 1965, when his illness returned. This illness would keep him hospitalized for the next year until his death on April 28, 1966. He was buried in Rome on April 30, 1966 at the Verano cemetery. His funeral was attended by many dignitaries, scholars, and friends. Telegrams and condolences were sent by Leka, Crown Prince of Albania and Cardinal Antoniutti among others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marka Gjoni Albanian politicians 1888 births 1966 deaths Albanian Roman Catholics 20th-century Albanian clergy People from Mirditë Albanian anti-communists Albanian collaborators with Fascist Italy Albanian collaborators with Nazi Germany 20th-century Albanian military personnel Albanian people from the Ottoman Empire Albanian emigrants to Italy Members of the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy

Biography

Succession as clan leader, 1925

Exile in Rome

See also

References