Xhemel Zogu Pasha, Hereditary Governor of Mati

Xhemal Pasha Zogu ([d%CA%92%C9%9B'mal pa'ʃa 'zɔɡu];[stress?] 1860–1911), also known as Jamal Pasha or Jamal Pasha Zogolli, was the Hereditary Governor of Mati, Albania (at the time part of the Ottoman Empire). He was the father of King Zog I of Albania.

Born at Burgajet Castle, Mati (or Constantinople), in 1860, he was the third son of Xhelal Pasha Zogolli and Ruhije Alltuni, from the wealthy Alltuni family of Kavajë. He was educated privately and became Hereditary Governor of Mati upon the death of his older brother, Riza.

During the Great Eastern Crisis, a meeting held in Debar (1880) by Albanian notables deciding on the course of action regarding the Ottoman cessation of Ulcinj to Montenegro, Xhemal was in the pro-government group advocating no action be taken and was against a declaration of Albanian autonomy in the Balkans.

Xhemal married Zenja Malika Khanum (Melek Hanem) (Castle Burgajet, Mati, c. 1860 - Castle Burgajet, Mati, 1884), his cousin germain, in Mati in 1880; after she died in childbirth in 1884 he married Sadiya Khanum (Sadijé Hanem) in Mati in 1887. Her title was later changed to Nëna Mbretëreshë i Shqiptarëvet ("Queen Mother of the Albanians").

He became involved in an insurrection against the Ottomans planned for June 1903, which did not take place.

After the death of Reza Bey,Xhemal Pashë Zogu took over the leadership of the clans.

Xhemal Pasha was the father of King Zogu I, He governed Mati with grandeur and magnanimity which characterized generations after generations of the wisdom forefathers of Zogolli Family.

Xhemal Pasha, apart from the seldom benevolence, the manly character and His duty to maintain the best family morals and traditions of Mati region, has managed to form a wide political and administrative culture.His primary prudence was to raise and the education of His sons, particularly, the youngest, Ahmeti, at the most dignified way for his noble family, as well as with mold feelings of pure patriotism.

At that time Xhemal Pashë Zogu continued to protect and consolidate the national traditions of His Family, supporting patriots and as a result the Zogolli home was always full of guests which abounded as a nationalist nest. Xhemal Pashë Zogu in 1903 prepared together with many Albanian nationalists an insurgency for Albanian independence, and at the beginning He joined Dibra clans, which with pleasure accepted the life- saving proposal for an insurgency against ottomans.

As a consequence, through Hoxhe Vogli, Xhemal Pasha tried to insure the cooperation of some leaders in Manastir and Kercova as well as that of the Marshall of the ottoman army, Rexhep Pasha Mati, commander of the ottoman troops in Libya.

All nationalists informed about the insurgency were settled in Istanbul, Turkey. Apart from them, Albanians from Mirdita, Dukagjini, Shkodra, Elbasani, Korça, Tirana and other regions, agreed to attend and organize the insurgency. For the time being when all the preparations were about to be over and the plan was to take place, for the Albanian misfortune immense error was committed by informing Greeks with the hope of supporting Albanians in order to win the insurgency. This, as was proclaimed by Xhefer bej Breshtani (the courier, Xhafer beg Breshtani who predominantly stayed in Burgajet, at the house of Xhemal Pash Zogu and kept connections between Him and Marshall Rexhep Pashë Mati in Libya.) was the most tragic and the biggest mistake because the Greek government had informed the ottomans in details about the insurgency.

The beginning of this insurgency was June 1903, but after the plan was discovered the ottoman government took precautions to destroy this organization and to prosecute the nationalists and destroy their headquarters. This puerile and unpremeditated mistake inflicted the loss of the great cause in interest of Albanian independence. After this the Sultan Hamidi invited Xhemal Pash Zogun to Istanbul he refused to go with the excuse of His illness. At that time they were planning to submit the proposal to Sultan Hamidi, to give autonomy to Albania. At that time being, the ottoman administration was experiencing complication sand the political situation itself was intricate.

Moreover, in Macedonia an anti Turkish, pro-European, and pro-Balkanic propaganda appeared. Only Albania was still left under the Ottoman Empire occupation, although Albania was demanding the autonomy. In order to control all the movements of Xhemal Pasha, Turks asked Him to send His youngest son, Ahmet, to the The High Gate “to attend studies in Istanbul” whilst He was already registered and His scholarship insured to “Collegiums Theresianum” in Austria. The determination of Sultan Hamid at last obliged Xhemal Pashë Zogut to send Ahmet Zogu in Istanbul, since Xhemal Pasha did not wanted to cause the final disintegration of the discreet national movement, as well as the further elimination Albanian nationalists.

Xhemal Pasha together with other nationalists, not for even a second did not refrain from any other plans of the insurgency preparations and the imposed achievement of the Albanian autonomy. Within such overall schemes was Marshall Rexhep Pashë Mati, which continued to support and foster the insurgency.

Unfortunately, Xhemal Pasha Zogu, it was believed to have suffered a severe cold and died in October in 1911, (even though there were suspicions he was poisoned at an early age, only 44). When Xhemal died, in the Mat valley gathered over 1000 nationalists and many other European friends.

The premature and the suspicious death of Xhemal Pashë Zogu gravely concussed the Albanian nationalists as well His foreign friends. This loss was bewailed in the entire Mati, Dibra, and amongst all Albanian nationalists.