13 Facts About Nexhip Draga

Mehmet Nexhip bej Draga was an Albanian politician who was an important figure of the Albanian National Awakening.

Nexhip Draga was born in 1867 in Mitrovica then a town of the Ottoman Empire.

Nexhip Draga's brother was Ferhat Draga and their father was Ali Pasha Draga, a notable local of Mitrovica who owned lands in the Sanjak of Novi Pazar.

Nexhip Draga finished his elementary studies in his home town before going to Constantinople, where he studied at an idadiye school and the Mekteb-i Mulkiye.

Apart from Albanian Nexhip Draga spoke and wrote French, Ottoman Turkish, Serbian and Bulgarian.

Nexhip Draga owned large landholdings in the Mitrovica area and in the town had a modern German manufactured steam powered sawmill.

Nexhip Draga completed his administrative studies in Uskup, Monastir Province.

Nexhip Draga was one of the leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress in Uskup.

Nexhip Draga had been approached by one of the Young Turk organisations The Ottoman Freedom Society to establish in Uskup a local branch.

In Uskup, Nexhip Draga was an influential figure of the Albanian club.

Unable to convince CUP members in Mitrovica to take action, Nexhip Draga traveled to Salonika and pleaded his case to the local CUP committee who approved and got the Ottoman government to act against Boletini.

On 18 August 1912, Nexhip Draga was part of the moderate faction that managed to convince other leaders of the revolt Idriz Seferi, Curri and Boletini of the conservative group to accept the agreement with the Ottomans for extending Albanian sociopolitical rights and legal autonomy.

Nexhip Draga died a few months later in Vienna, Austria, after undergoing an operation for cancer.