Principality of Albania (medieval)
Principality of Albania Principata e Arbërisë (Albanian) | |||||||||||
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1328–1415 | |||||||||||
Coat of Arms of Karl Thopia
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Gjergj Thopia | |||||||||||
• 1392-1394 | Marco Barbarigo | ||||||||||
• 1394-1402 | Konstantin Balsha | ||||||||||
• 1402-1415 | Niketa Thopia | ||||||||||
Historical era | Medieval | ||||||||||
• Established | 1328 | ||||||||||
• Fall under Serbian Empire | 1343 | ||||||||||
• Regained control | 1355 | ||||||||||
• The capture of Durrës by Karl Thopia | 1368 | ||||||||||
• Ottoman conquest | 1415 | ||||||||||
ISO 3166 code | AL | ||||||||||
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Today part of | Albania |
The Principality of Albania (
History
Reign of Tanusio Thopia
The principality emerged with Tanusio Thopia, mentioned in 1329 as the count of Albania.[3][4] In an act of Robert, King of Naples in 15 April 1338, Tanusio was mentioned as Count of Mat (conte di Matia),[5][6][7] which reconfirmed Thopia's relations to the Angevins from the time of Philip I.[6] By 1340 the Thopia controlled much of the territory between the rivers Mati and Shkumbin rivers. Together with the Muzaka family, they agreed to recognize Angevin suzerainty after rebelling against the Serbs. However except for Andrea Muzaka who defeated the Serbs in a battle in the Peristeri mountains, no action was taken to realize the treaty with the Angevins.[8]
During 1342-1343,
Reign of Karl Thopia
Tanusio had one son, Andrea Thopia, who became the son-in-law of Robert, King of Naples without his consent. Robert had sent his daughter to get married in Morea, however during the journey she met Andrea in Durrës, and the couple got married and had two children, Gjergj and Karl Thopia.[12] Robert, enraged, invited the couple to Naples in 1342 on the pretext of wanting to reconcile with them, where he had them both exectued.[13][14]
The Thopias became prominent in the 1350s and 60s, expanding their holdings and subjugating local nobles and tribes.In 1359, Tanusio died and was succeeded by Karl Thopia.[15]
Karl took part in the
Since 1362, Karl sought to capture Durrës, which was in the possession of the Duchess Johanna of Anjou. The first, certainly still unsuccessful siege lasted from April 1362 until May 1363. Then, Karl had to withdraw his troops, who were weakened by an epidemic disease. By 1363, he had captured territories around Durrës, as well as Krujë, which would serve as his headquarters.[1][15] Karl was ultimately able to conquer Durrës in March of 1368. This was the last hold of the Angevins in Albania, thus putting an end to the medieval Kingdom of Albania. Karl forged close ties with Venice and gained their support, who recognized him as Prince of Albania.[2][18]
Around 1370, Karl attacked the dominions of the Muzaka family to their south and managed to capture from them the territory between Shkumbin and
This attempt caused an Ottoman force, led by
Later decades
After Karls death in 1388, he was succeeded by his ill son,
With the exception of Durrës, the majority of the principality went to his sister,
After the Battle of Ankara and subsequently the death of Bayezid I, many Albanian lords recognized Venetian suzerainty instead of Ottoman, such Koja Zaharia, Dhimitër Jonima and various members of the Dukagjin family.[24] Konstantin Balsha, under the vassalage of the Ottomans, attempted to take Durrës in 1402, where he failed and was killed. Following his death, Niketa quickly retook Krujë on his own behalf, and the Venetians recognized him by 1404 as governer of Krujë and regarded him as an ally rather than a deputy of Venice.[25] By 1410, Niketa ruled the territory between Krujë and the Shkumbin river and served under Venetian vassalage.[26] In late 1411, Niketa was captured by Teodor III Muzaka after a skirmish and was retained as a prisoner. He was released in July 1413 and returned to Krujë, where would continue to rule until 1415 when Albania fell under the Ottoman Empire and was incorporated into the Sanjak of Albania.
Monarchs
Picture | TitleName | Reign | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Count of Matia Tanusio Thopia |
1328–1359 | Tanusio was recognized as count of Matia. | |
Princeps Albanese Karl Thopia |
1359-1388 | Karl ruled most of modern central Albania from 1359 to 1388 and claimed the title of Princeps Albaniae. Karl seized Durrës in 1368 from the Angevins. In 1374, . | |
Lord of Durazzo Gjergj Thopia |
1388–1392 | Son of Karl Thopia. He succeeded his father after his death. In 1392 he was required to return Durazzo to the Republic of Venice. In 1392 and died later that year without issue. | |
Lady of Krujë Helena Thopia |
1388–1402 | Eldest daughter of Karl Thopia. She was married to Marco Barbarigo. She inherited Krujë and the surrounding region after her father's death and ruled with her husband. In 1392 her brother Niketa attacked the city and forced them to find refuge with the Balsha Family. Married Konstantin Balsha in 1394 and regained Krujë. After her husband died in 1402 her brother Niketa recaptured the castle from her. | |
Lord of Krujë Niketa Thopia |
1402–1415 | In 1402, Niketa Thopia managed to capture the city of Krujë from his sister, Helena Thopia, thus uniting the principality previously held by another member of the Thopia family. Upon his death in 1415, the castle of Krujë fell into Ottoman hands. |
See also
References
- ^ a b c Soulis 1981, p. 143.
- ^ ISBN 9780810873803.
Although related to the Angevins on his mother's side, Charles Thopia, who called himself Princeps Albaniae (Prince of Albania), seized Durrës from the Angevins in 1368 after a long siege.
- ^ Gruber 1867, p. 482: "Im Neapel erschien zugleich Tanuß Thopia, Graf von Albanien, und hat ihm 300 Gebannte zum Kriege gegeben gemeinsamen Feind mitzugeben, da es ihm im Lande selbst an Kriegern fehle; gern gewährte König Robert am 21. Juni 1329."
- ^ Émile G. Léonard (1932). Histoire de Jeanne 1re, reine de Naples, comtesse de Provence (1343-1382): La jeunesse de la reine Jeanne. Imprimerie de Monaco. p. 107.
- ^ Gustav Friedrich Hertzberg (1877). Geschichte Griechenlands: Th. Vom lateinischen Kreuzzuge bis zur Vollendung der osmanischen Eroberung (1204-1740). F.A. Perthes.
Der albanesische Häuptling Tanussio Thopia war im Jahre 1338 von König Robert von Neapel in dem Besitze der Grafschaft Mat bestätigt worden.
- ^ a b Alain Ducellier (1981). La façade maritime de l'Albanie au Moyen âge: Durazzo et Valona du XIe au XVe siècle. Ed. de l&Ècole des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. p. 339.
- ^ Bollettino della Badia Greca di Grottaferrata. Scuola Tipografica Italo-Orientale "S.Nilo". 1978.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 291.
- ^ Soulis 1981, p. 135.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 301.
- ^ Zečević 2015, p. 35.
- ^ Zečević 2015, p. 23.
- ^ Sainty 2018, p. 503.
- ^ "1515 John Musachi:Brief Chronicle on the Descendants of our Musachi Dynasty". Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ a b Fine 1994, p. 371.
- ^ Zečević 2015, p. 37, 78.
- ^ Soulis 1981, p. 113-114.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 372-373: "Karlo entered into close relations with Venice, which granted him Venetian citizenship and called him Prince of Albania."
- ^ Anamali 2002, p. 250.
- ^ Molina 2022, p. 154-158.
- ^ Molina 2022, p. 159-161.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 418.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 418-419.
- ^ Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb (1967). The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill. p. 654.
- ^ Ducellier 1968.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 551.
Sources
- Albanian Academy of Science. History of Albanian People. ISBN 99927-1-623-1
- Stefanaq Pollo Histoire de l'Albanie des origines à nos jours. Roanne: Horvath. 1974. ISBN 2-7171-0025-3
- Tajar Zavalani: Histori e Shqipnis. Tiranë: Phoenix. 1998. ISBN 99927-607-0-2
- Georges Castellan: Histoire de l’Albanie et des Albanais. Crozon: Armeline. 2002. ISBN 2-910878-20-1
- Fine, John Van Antwerp (1994), The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest, University of Michigan Press, ISBN 978-0-472-08260-5
- Gruber, Johann Gottfried (1867), Allgemeine Encyklopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste in alphabetischer Folge, Gleditsch
- Soulis, George Christos (1984), The Serbs and Byzantium During the Reign of Tsar Stephen Dušan (1331-1355) and His Successors, Dumbarton Oaks Library and Collection
- Ducellier, Alan (1987), La façade maritime de la principauté des Kastriote, de la fin du XIVe siècle à la mort de Skanderbeg
- Zečević, Nada (2015), The Tocco of the Greek Realm, Central European University Press, ISBN 9788691944100
- Sainty, Guy Stair (2018), The Constantinian Order of Saint George: and the Angeli, Farnese and Bourbon families which governed it, Boletín Oficial del Estado, ISBN 978-84-340-2506-6
- Anamali, Skënder (2002), Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime, Toena, ISBN 99927-1-622-3
- Molina, Grabiela Rojas (2022), Decoding Debate in the Venetian Senate: Short Stories of Crisis and Response on Albania (1392-1402), Brill, ISBN 9004520937