Bajo Topulli


Bajo Topulli was an Albanian nationalist figure of the Albanian National Awakening. Topulli was the older brother of Çerçiz Topulli.

Early life

In Monastir while he was a director in the Ottoman Secondary school Topulli founded in November 1905 the Secret Committee for the Liberation of Albania. Members of the committee were tasked with preparation for armed activities against the Ottoman Empire and Topulli was sent for agitation to the Prespa and Korçë regions. In March 1906 at the Bektashi tekke of Melçan he and his brother Çerçiz founded the first Albanian nationalist armed guerrilla band. It was based in the Kolonjë region and consisted of several of his students from Monastir who had left their studies and some local peasants to fight against Ottoman rule. The group was active for three years, with both brothers taking a winter break during 1906-1907 and spending it in Sofia and Bucharest. Both brothers had been professionals who decided to engage in guerilla warfare after leaving the comforts of town life. The guerilla band viewed the Ottoman regime of Abdul Hamid II along with Greeks and Slavs as the enemy. On September 22, 1906 Bajo Topulli's band killed the Greek Orthodox bishop of Görice, Photios, who was said to be responsible for the death of Papa Kristo Negovani and to avenge the Albanian priest.
During 1907 the Bashkimi Society in Bucharest sent Topulli to Boston on a mission to the Albanian diaspora in United States to collect funds and recruit young men to join guerilla bands back in Ottoman Albania and prepare to fight in a planned uprising for 1908. In 1908, Topulli along with Shahin Kolonja went to Üsküb to establish an Albanian club for local Albanians.