Jashar Pasha Gjinolli

Jashar Pasha Gjinolli (b. Prishtina, ca. 1790 - d. Shehzadebashi, Istanbul, 1840) was an Albanian feudal lord, Mutasarrıf (1826–1840) and pashalik of Skopje and Prishtina and the son-in-law of Maliq Pasha Gjinolli. Jashar Pasha was of the Gjinolli family, a powerful medieval Albanian family who contributed to the cultural and religious development amongst Albanians. Gjinolli was also tied to the Bushati family in 1812 when Mustafa Pasha Bushati married Ibrahim Pashas daughter with Jashar Pasha who had two sons: Bahtijar and Andurrahman Pasha. After the reformations of Mahmud II, Jashar Pasha participated in the battles against Reshid Mehmed Pasha and later against the Gradaščević. For these battles, he was given the rank of mytesarrif of Skopje. In Prishtina, Bahtijar died and his father raised a mosque in his name in 1834. It is believed that Jashar Pasha Gjinolli's origin was from a Bahtijar Beu, son of Hysrev Gjin Zadeoglu, son of Gjin Zada, belonging to an Albanian medieval feudal family. Jashar Pasha's grandfather Bahtijar was most likely related to Gjon Gjini, a tribal chieftain near Novobërdë. In 1837, Jashar Pasha attacked the Drenica region and became quickly unpopular as he waged war against Albanian anti-reformist pashaliks and he allowed Serb enclaves in Pristina, which was against Albanian nationalist interests. Jashar Pasha Gjinolli is reported by both Albanian and Serb historians as a cruel and sadistic ruler who demolished churches, imprisoned both Catholics and Orthodox believers alike and killed nuns. He also arrested, imprisoned and killed Albanian pashaliks who sought independence from the Ottoman Empire.

Jashar Pasha's death is disputed amongst historians. According to H. Kaleshit, he was killed in 1840 by Ottoman authorities for having encouraged resistance amongst Albanian pashaliks in the Vilayet of Kosovo. He is buried in Shehzadebashi. According to M. Surie, Jashar Pasha died in 1846 in Carigrad. It is believed that Jashar Pasha was killed by the order of the Sultan Abdylmexhidi. The theory is that Jashar Pasha was called by the Sultan to visit Thessaloniki where he was offered coffee which had been poisoned.