Kara Mahmud Bushati

Pashalik of Shkodra in 1790-1795 under the rule of Kara Mahmud Pasha. Kara Mahmud Pasha (, Albanian: Mahmut Pashë Bushati, 1749 – 22 September 1796) was a hereditary Ottoman Albanian governor (mutasarrıf) of the Pashalik of Scutari who became de facto independent ruler of Albania, challenging the authority of the Sublime Porte.

Early life and ancestry Mahmud was born during the 18th-century in the Sanjak of Scutari in Ottoman Albania. He belonged to the Albanian Bushati family. Mahmud was the son of Mehmed Pasha Bushati, the governor of the Pashalik of Scutari, and in the period of the late 18th-century, Kara Mahmud sought to expand northwards in the old lands of Ivan Crnojević of the Middle Ages. In order to legitimize and strengthen his claim, he put forward another theory that he descended from Skenderbeg Crnojević, Ivan's Muslim son

Military career

Military service under his father and brother In 1770 Mahmud together with his brother Mustafa crushed Greek rebels during the Orlov revolt. In 1772 Mahmud in service of his father, led an Army against Montenegro in Ulcinj, where he defeated the Montenegrin forces and captured the city. In 1775, Mahmud led an Army against Ahmet Kurt Pasha and defeated him on behalf of his father Mehmed. The Conflict between Ahmet Kurt Pasha and Mehmed Pasha Bushati was caused by Ahmet's interest to take possession of the wealthy region of Durrës. He also captured and burned the Montenegrin capital Cetinje, subdued and enslaved the Montenegrin tribes, During the Attack on Montenero in 1785, guvernadur Jovan Radonjić saw Mahmud Pasha's army across Bjelica, he set his own house on fire and fled to Venetian territory. Mahmud Pasha also went to burn down the Njeguši tribe, but the Nikšići asked him to preserve it, because they had trading relations with them.

Second War with the Pashalik of Berat Following the assault on Montenegro, Mahmud shifted his focus to the south, where two Albanian pashas, Kurd Ahmed Pasha and Suleiman Pasha of Elbasan, were causing trouble. The conflict between them was ignited in March 1785 when Mahmud arrested two Venetian captains of the Ivanovich-Dabinovich company for violating the ronda system and importing wheat, which resulted in a punishment by the governor of Shkodra. As a partner in the company, Kurd Ahmed Pasha responded by closing the ports under his authority to the Dulcignote fleet, openly challenging Mahmud. Meanwhile, the disrespectful treatment of Mahmud's sister by the pasha of Elbasan added fuel to the fire. Mahmud had initially postponed dealing with these issues due to the Montenegro campaign but immediately started planning an attack on the two pashas upon his return. Through these efforts, he hoped to create an independent state free from Ottoman control. However, by annexing the Sanjak as well as large parts of Montenegro and by instituting military and political reforms in his state without permission from the Porte, the Ottomans sent an expedition into his realm and besieged Scutari, which was garrisoned by his most faithful men. The siege was lifted and the Ottoman expedition retreated after being defeated by Kara Mahmud's forces, then returned but again failed to complete the siege.

Second War with the Montenegrins Kara Mahmud Pasha launched another offensive on Montenegro in 1796, following its proclaimed unification with Ottoman-ruled Brda region. His army was ambushed by Montenegrins and suffered an initial defeat in July in the Battle of Martinići, but continued military operations until September, when Montenegrin tribes of Piperi and Bjelopavlići defeated his army in the Battle of Krusi. Before Kara Mahmud was killed and decapitated in battle, it is said that he single-handedly slew 32 Montenegrins during his last stand while being surrounded by Montenegrin soldiers.

Kara Mahmud's death in 1796 came just as he was embarking on his most ambitious plan of all, a conquest of much of the western Balkans as an independent ally of the revolutionary French army.

Aftermath Modern portrait of Kara-Mahmut Pasha by Ismail Lulani in luxurious attire. His brother Ibrahim Pasha continued to rule Scutari under the Ottoman sultan until his death in 1810. Ibrahim served as Beylerbey of Rumelia and played an important role on ending the First Serbian Uprising led by Karađorđe. Upon Ibrahim's death, he was succeeded by Kara Mahmud's son, Mustafa Pasha.

Legacy A northern Albanian folkloric song dealing with Mahmud Pasha's conflict with the Montenegrins is Kanga e Kara Mahmud Pashes Kundra Malazezve (The Song of Kara Mahmud Pasha against the Montenegrins).

Annotations In Albanian he is known as Kara Mahmud Pashë Bushati. In Serbian, he is known as Mahmut-paša Bušatlija (Махмут-паша Бушатлија), or simply Kara-Mahmut (Кара-Махмут). Robert Elsie calls him by the Albanian neologism "Kara Mahmud Pasha Bushatlliu".