Pashko Vasa

Pashko Vasa (1825, Shkodër, Albania, Ottoman Empire – June 29, 1892, Beirut, Lebanon, Ottoman Empire) also known as Vaso Pasha, Wasa Pasha or Vaso Pashë Shkodrani, was an Albanian writer, poet and publicist of the Albanian National Awakening, and Governor of Lebanon from 1882 until his death.

Work

Secretary in the British Consulate

From 1842 to 1847 he worked as a secretary for the British consulate in Shkodër. He there had the opportunity to perfect his knowledge of a number of foreign languages: Italian, French, Turkish and Greek. He also knew some English and Serbian, and in later years learned Arabic.

Administrator of Edirne vilayet

In 1879, Pashko Vasa worked in Varna on the Black Sea coast in the administration of the vilayet of Edirne} with Ismail Qemali. He also acquired the title of Pasha.

Governor of Lebanon

On May 9, 1882 became Governor General (Mutessarıf) of Mount Lebanon, a post reserved by international treaty for a Catholic of Ottoman nationality after the civil unrest and French occupation of 1860. In his post as Mutassarıf, he was initially more willing to accept French consular authority, but over his nine years in office, he came to distrust both the French Consul and the Maronite Clergy, who closely guarded their privileges. This earned him accusations of corruption, in association with his son-in-law and deputy Kupelyan Effendi. Nevertheless, he remained in office until his death in Beirut after a long illness on June 29, 1892.