Исмаил Кемал - преображај османског службеника у вођу албанског националног покрета
Ismail Kemal: the Transformation of Ottoman Bureaucrat in the Albanian National Movement Leader

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents the career of Ismail Kemal, one of the leaders of the Albanian national movement with a focus on the period between the 1865th and 1903. Using, first of all interactionist theories of ethnic identity and nationalism, the paper considers the development of Ismail Kemal‘s identity as one of the most important members of the Albanian Muslim elite. During this period, Ismail Kemal has crossed a long way from the imperial bureaucrat to one of the leaders of the Albanian national movement. As a result of reforms in the Ottoman Empire and the growing fear of the neighboring Balkan states and the interests of European great powers, Albanian elite, including Ismail Kemal gradually rejected the Ottoman Empire that now served only as a political necessity. From humble beginnings in the local administration Ismail Kemal managed to become trusted man of Midhat Pasha and administrator in several provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Even in the early years he was close to circles of Albanian nationalists and like most members of the Albanian Muslim elite until the early 20th century he believed to be Albanians and Ottoman are not mutually exclusive. Growing pressure of sultan Abdulhamid‘s regime, increasingly uncertain political situation in the lands which were regarded as Albanian by Ismail Kemal and inability to advance in Ottoman service completely turned him towards ideas of Albanian nationalism.

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