Siege of Kardhiq

Siege of Kardhiq; Rrethimi i Kardhiqes
	Part of Ali Pasha's Expansionist Campaigns
Date	December 1811 – 21 February 1812
Location	Kardhiq,Pashalik of Yanina (modern-day Albania)
Result	Victory for Ali Pasha After the siege Ali Pasha ordered his troops to massacre the remaining inhabitants;
Belligerents
Pashalik of Yanina	villagers and fighters from Kardhiq
Commanders and leaders
Ali Pasha of Ioannina; Thanasis Vagias	Unknown
Strength
15,000	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	300+ killed ; 700–800 massacred

The Siege of Kardhiq (Albanian: Rrethimi e Kardhiqes) took place in 1811 between the forces of Ali Pasha of Tepelena and the inhabitants of Kardhiq, a village located in present-day southern Albania.^[1] After the Siege, Ali Pasha ordered a mass execution of the surviving villagers,^[2] reportedly as an act of revenge for his childhood trauma. The massacre marked one of the most brutal episodes of Ali Pasha's rule.^[3]

Background

Kardhiq had a long history of conflict with Ali Pasha. When he was just a child, its inhabitants humiliated his mother and sister, an act that left him with the though of taking revenge throughout his life. Decades later, Ali Pasha faced the village that had once humiliated his family, now standing in his way. After Ali crushed the uprising, he launched a siege with 15,000 troops. The defenders resisted for months but eventually surrendered. Ali showed no mercy,most of the men were massacred, and the women and children were either imprisoned or enslaved.^[7]

Invasion and Conflict

By 1811, Kardhiq had made a rebellion against Ali Pasha. Decades earlier, its people had humiliated his mother and sister, and now that they had backed a rebellion against him, Ali saw his chance for revenge.^[8]

With 15,000 troops, he surrounded the village, cutting off any hope of escape. The people of Kardhiq held out for months, desperate for a way out. In December, they begged to be allowed safe passage to Corfu, but Ali refused.^[9] The siege dragged on until February 21, 1812, when his forces finally stormed the village, killing hundreds in the final battle.^[10]^[11]

Aftermath

The fall of Kardhiq marked a turning point in Ali Pasha's ruthless consolidation of power. The massacre of its men and the enslavement of women and children sent a clear message to his enemies, discouraging further resistance. Nearby villages, fearing a similar fate, either submitted to his rule or were destroyed.^[12]

Ali Pasha's brutal actions further cemented his reputation as both a feared and strategic ruler. The destruction of Kardhiq eliminated a key rebel stronghold, strengthening his grip over the region. However, his excessive cruelty also fueled resentment among his enemies, contributing to the growing opposition that would ultimately lead to his downfall in 1822.^[13]

References

^ Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.
^ Santas, Constantine (1976). Aristotelis Valaoritis. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8057-6246-4. Thanasis Vayias, a man who allegedly led the hordes of Ali Pasha against a village of Epirus, Gardiki, resulting in the massacre of seven hundred men, women, and children.
^ von Hahn, Johann George (2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. Albania: I.B.Tauris. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9780857738189.
^ Santas, Constantine (1976). Aristotelis Valaoritis. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8057-6246-4. Thanasis Vayias, a man who allegedly led the hordes of Ali Pasha against a village of Epirus, Gardiki, resulting in the massacre of seven hundred men, women, and children.
^ Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.
^ Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.
^ Santas, Constantine (1976). Aristotelis Valaoritis. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8057-6246-4. Thanasis Vayias, a man who allegedly led the hordes of Ali Pasha against a village of Epirus, Gardiki, resulting in the massacre of seven hundred men, women, and children.
^ von Hahn, Johann George (2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. Albania: I.B.Tauris. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9780857738189.
^ Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.
^ Santas, Constantine (1976). Aristotelis Valaoritis. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8057-6246-4. Thanasis Vayias, a man who allegedly led the hordes of Ali Pasha against a village of Epirus, Gardiki, resulting in the massacre of seven hundred men, women, and children.
^ von Hahn, Johann George (2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. Albania: I.B.Tauris. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9780857738189.
^ von Hahn, Johann George (2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. Albania: I.B.Tauris. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9780857738189.
^ Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.

[1] Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.

[2] Santas, Constantine (1976). Aristotelis Valaoritis. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8057-6246-4. Thanasis Vayias, a man who allegedly led the hordes of Ali Pasha against a village of Epirus, Gardiki, resulting in the massacre of seven hundred men, women, and children.

[3] von Hahn, Johann George (2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. Albania: I.B.Tauris. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9780857738189.

[4] Santas, Constantine (1976). Aristotelis Valaoritis. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8057-6246-4. Thanasis Vayias, a man who allegedly led the hordes of Ali Pasha against a village of Epirus, Gardiki, resulting in the massacre of seven hundred men, women, and children.

[5] Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.

[6] Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.

[7] Santas, Constantine (1976). Aristotelis Valaoritis. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8057-6246-4. Thanasis Vayias, a man who allegedly led the hordes of Ali Pasha against a village of Epirus, Gardiki, resulting in the massacre of seven hundred men, women, and children.

[8] von Hahn, Johann George (2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. Albania: I.B.Tauris. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9780857738189.

[9] Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.

[10] Santas, Constantine (1976). Aristotelis Valaoritis. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8057-6246-4. Thanasis Vayias, a man who allegedly led the hordes of Ali Pasha against a village of Epirus, Gardiki, resulting in the massacre of seven hundred men, women, and children.

[11] von Hahn, Johann George (2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. Albania: I.B.Tauris. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9780857738189.

[12] von Hahn, Johann George (2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. Albania: I.B.Tauris. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9780857738189.

[13] Malcom, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Albania: Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780191890185.

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