The League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation commonly known as the League of Prizren (Albanian: Lidhja e Prizrenit) was an Albanian political organization founded on 10 June 1878 in Prizren, in the Kosovo province (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire.

The treaties of San Stefano and Berlin both assigned areas that were also inhabited by Albanians to other states. The inability of the Porte to protect the interests of a region that was 70% Muslim and largely loyal forced the Albanian leaders not only to organize their defense, but also to create an autonomous administration, like those Serbia and the other Danubian Principalities had enjoyed before their independence. The League initiated a program of reform along five political grounds: the defense of the claimed lands from the designs of Serbia, Montenegro and Greece; the creation of a single or supra province in the Empire that combined the vilayets of Kosovo, Monastir, Yannina and Scutari; military service confined to Albania in normal times; the establishment of national schools to develop national education in Albanian with a Latin alphabet; and also some control over provincial finances. Prominent figures included Sami Frashëri, Pashko Vasa, Abdyl Frasheri, Ali Beg Shabanagaj and some 80 other delegates that included clan chiefs and religious clergymen.

Prizren (Albanian: Prizren or Prizreni; Serbian: Призрен, Prizren, pronounced [prîzrɛn]; Turkish: Prizren, Pürzeyn, Perzerrin) is a historical city located in Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district. The city has a population of around 178,000 (2011 census preliminary results), mostly Albanians. Prizren is located on the slopes of the Šar Mountains (Albanian: Malet e Sharrit) in the southern part of Kosovo. The municipality has a border with Albania and the Republic of Macedonia.

The Roman town of Theranda in Ptolemy's Geography is mentioned in the 2nd century AD. In the 5th century, it is mentioned as being restored in Dardania with the name of Petrizên by Procopius of Caesarea in De aedificiis (Book IV, Chapter 4). Sometimes it is mentioned even in relation to the Justiniana Prima.^{[citation needed]} It is thought that its modern name comes from old Slavic Призрѣнь, from при-зрѣти, indicating fortress which could be seen from afar (compare with Czech Přízřenice or mount Ozren).

Osman Resul Taka (died 1887) was a well-known dancer of his time. After him is named the Dance of Osman Taka. His early life is not clear. He was born in Konispol in one of the most powerful and wealthy families of the town, the Taka family known also for Alush Taka a great patriot. During the mid 19th century he was a well-known traditional dancer. He was jailed in Yanina and was sentenced to death. When he was asked to give his final wish, he wanted to dance. The folk tradition says that his dance was so beautiful that the local gendarmes of the Ottoman army, did not execute him. After some days he was caught again and was killed in Konispol.

Pashko Vasa (1825, Shkodër, Albania, Ottoman Empire – June 29, 1892, Beirut, Lebanon, Ottoman Empire) also known as Vaso 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.

From 1842 to 1847 he worked as a secretary for the British consulate in Shkoder. 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.

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

On May 9, 1882 became Governor General of the Lebanon, a post reserved by international treaty for a Catholic of Ottoman nationality, and a position he apparently held, true to the traditions of the Lebanon. There he spent the last years of his life and died in Beirut after a long illness on June 29, 1892.