Progonat

Progonat is a village in the former Kurvelesh municipality, Gjirokastër County. It is the largest village of upper Kurvelesh and until 1992 was the administrative center of the commune. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Tepelenë.

History

First attested in the Ottoman register of 1432, the village at that time was documented to have six houses, but the population is considered to have been larger. Progonat was part of the timar of Yusuf Bey, an Ottoman sipahi. However, in 1432 as in other regions of Albania the local population revolted under Gjergj Arianiti, while Yusuf Bey was killed during the battles. During the 17th century many families migrated from Progonat to other areas of Albania in order to avoid heavy taxation and the Islamization campaigns of the Ottoman Empire. The migrants founded the communes of Lazarat in Gjirokastër and Progër in Devoll, while another group settled in the Albanian Riviera.

In 1847 the population revolted against the Ottomans and in Progonat, one of the first areas that joined the rebels the Ottoman officials were evicted. In 1854 volunteers from Progonat under Alem Toto fought against the Greek troops that had attacked the region around Ioannina. In 1878 82 volunteers under Bejo Gani as part of the Kurvelesh volunteer forces victoriously fought against another Greek landing near Lëkurës. In 1908 the club Arbëria was founded in Progonat by Shaqo Buxo and Arif Toto, local activists of the Albanian National Awakening. In 1910 the Ottoman authorities banned the organization, but it continued its activities covertly. In 1911-2 during the general revolt that led to the Albanian Declaration of Independence under Shaqo Buxo the Ottoman officials were again evicted.