Koja Zaharia

Koja Zaharia
Lord of Shati and Danjë ("Dominus Sabatensis et Dagnensis")
Fragment of the Zaharia Family Coat of Arms
Lordship	1396–1430
Predecessor	Konstantin Balšić
Successor	Lekë Zaharia
Other titles	?–1395: Castellan of Sati in Zeta
Died	before 1442[1]
Noble family	Zaharia
Spouse	Bosa Dukagjini[2]
Issue	Lekë Zaharia Boglia Zaharia Unknown daughter
Occupation	1400—1403: Ottoman vassal 1403—?: Venetian vassal  ?—December 1422: vassal of Serbian Despotate

Koja Zaharia or Koja Zakaria (Italian: Coia Zaccaria)[3] (? – before 1442) was an Albanian nobleman and a member of the Zaharia family.

Name

In Ragusan documents he is referred to as Kojčin or Gojčin.[4] Because of that, many scholars like Nicolae Iorga, Ludwig Thalloczy and Konstantin Jireček have mistakenly believed he was actually Gojčin Crnojević.[5]

His name is rendered by Robert Elsie as Koja Zacharia or Koja Zakarija.[3]

Family

Koja married Bosa (also known as Boxia) Dukagjini, the daughter of Leka Dukagjini. The couple had three children:[6][7][8][9]

1. Lekë Zaharia, was possibly bethrothed to Irene Dushmani.[10] He was one of the founders of the League of Lezhë. He died in 1447 where his mother Bosa inherited his lands.[11]
2. Boglia Zaharia, became the second wife of Balsha III, following his divorce from his first wife, Mara Thopia. Their marriage took place in early 1412 or late 1413, and the couple had two children, Teodora Balsha and a son[12][13][14][15]
3. A daughter (name unknown), married to Đurađ Đurašević Crnojević and had four children.[16][17]

There is some debate regarding the marriage of his daughter, Boglia Zaharia. One account suggests she was married to Petar Vojsalić, while another claims her husband was Petar I Pavlović.[18] Koja died sometime before 1442 and his widow, Bosa, passed away in Shkodër on September 19, 1448, during a tragic fire that took the lives of around 500 people.[19]

Allegiances

Lordship of Zeta

Until 1395 Koja Zaharia was castellan of Sati, which belonged to a fief of Konstantin Balšić and was part of the Lordship of Zeta under Đurađ II Balšić. In 1395 Balšić ceded Sati (with Dagnum) together with Scutari and Drivast to the Venetian Republic (in order to create a buffer zone between his Zeta and the Ottoman Empire), but Zaharia refused to allow the Venetians to take control over Sati.

Ottoman Empire

When Koja captured the castle of Dagnum in 1396 he proclaimed himself the Lord of Sati and Dagnum ("dominus Sabatensis et Dagnensis")[20] and from there he ruled the territory around it as an Ottoman vassal. In October 1400 Koja proposed to the Venetians to simulate a battle in which he and his cousin Dhimitër Jonima would pretend to lose their possessions to the Venetians, in exchange for provision of 500 ducats annually. The Venetians did not promptly respond and Koja returned to the sultan.[21] In 1402, together with other Albanian noblemen, he fought alongside Bayezid I forces, in the Battle of Ankara.[22]

Venetian Republic and Serbian Despotate

In 1403, a year after the Ottomans were defeated in the Battle of Ankara, Koja together with his vassal Dhimitër Jonima accepted Venetian suzerainty.[23][24] During the First Scutari War between Zeta and Venetian Republic, he supported Venetian forces.[25]

Around 1412, Koja's daughter Boglia Zaharia married Balša III and in return Balša III allowed him to administer Budva.[26] At that time Koja's other daughter was already married to a member of Đuraševići who held the most distinguished position in Balša's court.[27] To bring Koja even closer, Balša appointed him as castellan of Budva.[28] After the death of Balša III (28 April 1421), Koja's daughter Boglia together with her two daughters[29] returned to her family in Dagnum.[30] Koja Zaharia supported Serbian despot Stefan Lazarević until he was defeated by Venice in December 1422.[31] Although Venetian admiral Francesco Bembo offered money to Gjon Kastrioti, Dukagjins and to Koja Zaharija in April 1423 to join the Venetian forces against the Serbian Despotate (offering 200 ducats to Koja Zaharia), they refused.[32] In one period Serbian despot Stefan Lazarević intended to financially destroy Koja Zaharia and ordered Ragusan traders to avoid paying taxes to Koja and to travel to Serbia via Lezhë not through Koja's Dagnum.[33]

Ottoman Empire

When Ishak Bey captured Dagnum from Koja Zaharia in 1430 it was attached to the territory controlled by Ali Beg, while Koja was either imprisoned or expelled.[34] After the Albanian Revolt of 1432–1436 was crushed the sultan entrusted Koja's son Lekë Zaharia with a position of Dagnum's governor.[35]

Family tree

• Koja Zaharia, Lord of Sati and Dagnum, married Bosa Dukagjini
  • Lekë Zaharia, Lord of Sati and Dagnum, married Irene Dushmani
  • Boglia Zaharia, Lady of Zeta, married Balsha III
    • Teodora Balsha, married Petar Vojsalić who was a Duke of Bosnia
      • Dorothea Vojsalić
    • Unknown Son, was born in 1415 but died shortly thereafter in infancy
  • Unknown Daughter, Lady of Paštrovići, married Đurađ Đurašević
    • Đurašin Đurašević
    • Gojčin Crnojević, Lord of Zeta, unknown spouse
      • Aleksandar Crnojević
    • Stefan Crnojević, Lord of Zeta, married Mara Kastrioti
      • Ivan Crnojević, Lord of Zeta, married Goisava Arianiti then Mara Vukčić Kosača
      • Andrija Crnojević
      • Božidar Crnojević
    • Unknown Son

References

1. Hopf 1873, p. 534

   Coja (Cajcali), seigneur de Satti, 1396, de Dagno 1414 et de Budva 1417, + avant 1442, ep. Bozia, rend aux Venitiens, 1445 Dagno, Sati et Cernagora, retient Zaravina, Pistoli, Scliezi, Meusti 1449)

2. Studi Veneziani, Volumes 5-6, Fabrizio Serra, 1963, p. 99
3. Elsie, Robert (2012), A biographical dictionary of Albanian history, London: I.B. Tauris, p. 493, ISBN 9781780764313, OCLC 801605743, Koja Zacharia, also known as Koja Zakarija and in Italian as Coia Zaccaria, was ruler of Dagno (Deja) on the Drin in the early years of the fifteenth
4. Bešić 1970, pp. 155, 156
5. Bešić 1970, p. 155

   када је Скадар19. септембра 1448. год. изгорио у пожару. Изгубило је животеоко 500 људи, међу којима и стара удовица Које Закарије Боша )

6. Božić 1979, p. 344
7. M. Bešić, Zarij (1970), Istorija Crne Gore / 2. Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara. (in Serbian), Titograd: Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore, p. 101, OCLC 175122851, Како је Којина женабила Боша, сестра Тануша Великог Дукађина
8. Ostrogorsky, George (1951), Pronija : prilog istoriji feudalizma u Vizantiji i u juznoslovenskim zemljama (in Serbo-Croatian), Belgrade: Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, p. 172, OCLC 162891544, retrieved 20 January 2012, ...које је био посадио Која Захарија, па чак и сама његова удовица Боса. Још је занимљивије да се удовица Боса,...
9. Božić 1979, p. 364

   Члановима породице Леке Закарије — мајци Боши, сестри Бољи и његовом сестрићу Који...

10. La Discorde: L'Albanie face à elle-même (in French). Fayard. 2013. p. 76. ISBN 978-2213668482.
11. Majlinda Belegu, Bashkim Rrahmani (2020). The State of Scanderbeg. Institutions and the Applied Law. ADJURIS. p. 50. ISBN 978-6-0694-9784-5. ...after the death of Leke Zaharia in 1447, as heir principalis remained his mother Bosa who felt to be victim of intrigue and pressures of Venice and handed over to the republic the Danja principalis...
12. Fine, Jr, John V. A. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. University of Michigan Press. p. 513. ISBN 978-0-4720-8260-5. ...He divorced his wife, the daughter of Nikola Thopia. Nikola had ceased to be a worthwhile ally because Theodore Musachi had captured him in a skirmish, probably in late 1411, and retained him as prisoner. In late 1412 or early 1413, Balsa married the daughter of Koja Zakarija...
13. Djukanovic, Bojka (2023). Historical Dictionary of Montenegro. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-5381-3915-8. ...Balsa III had two marriages. In 1407 he married Mara, daughter of Niketa Topia, the lord of Krujë and the son of Karl Topia, Prince of Albania. In his second marriage, Balsa III married a daughter of the Albanian nobleman Koja Zaharia, circa 1412. They had two daughters, Jelena (named after Balsa's mother) and Teodora….Balsa's only son and the only male descendant of the Balsa family died in 1415....
14. Spremić 2004, pp. 73–108. Quote: "ускоро је дочекао велику несрећу: 1415. умро му је син јединац. Тако је Јелена сахранила унука, а династија Балшића остала је без мушког наследника" [He soon had a great misfortune: in 1415 his only son died. That is how Jelena buried her grandson, and the Balšić dynasty was left without a male heir.]
15. Fine, Jr, John V. A. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. University of Michigan Press. p. 516. ISBN 978-0-4720-8260-5. ...But Balsa was in no position to lead a major campaign. He was much sicker and, realizing that death was approaching, was concerned with his succession. His one son had died as an infant...
16. Fine, Jr, John V. A. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. University of Michigan Press. p. 513. ISBN 978-0-4720-8260-5. ...who had already given another daughter to one of the Djurasevici...
17. Bešić 1970, p. 190
18. Ivić, Aleksa (1928). Rodoslovne tablice srpskih dinastija i vlastele (in Serbian). Matica Srpska. Тврдња дра Ћире Трухелке, да је Петар Војсалић имао за жену Бољу, кћерку Арбанаса Закарије и супруге му Боже, није тачна (Grobnica bosanskog tepčije Batala, Glasnik zem. muzeja XXVII. стр. 374). Трухелка je овде заменио војводу Петра (Војсалића) са једним другим војводом Петром (Павловићем, сином Радослава Павловића).
19. Bešić 1970, p. 219

    када је Скадар19. септембра 1448. год. изгорио у пожару. Изгубило је животеоко 500 људи, међу којима и стара удовица Које Закарије Боша )

20. Šufflay, Milan; St. Stanojević (1925), H. Barić (ed.), Srbi i Arbanasi : njihova simbioza u srednjem vijeku, Istorijska Serija (in Serbian) (Biblioteka Arhiva za Arbanasku Starinu, Jezik i Etnologiju ed.), Belgrade: Seminar za Arbanasku Filologiju, p. 49, OCLC 249799501, Na papiru ili pergameni predaje Djurdje tom zgodom Mlečanima i »grad Sati s carinom na Danju«. Ali dočim Skadar i Drivast domala i bez zapreke preuzimaju mletački provedituri, mali gradići u gudurama Drina, Danj i Sati, ostaju za njih Tih mjesta, u kojima 1395 vlada Kostadin Balšić, ne će izručiti njegov kaštelan, Arbanas Coya Zaccaria. On se poslije nazivao »dominus Sabatensis et Dagnensis« i bio čas turski kletvenik, čas mletački saveznik.
21. Bešić 1970, p. 78

    У октобру 1400. год. један скадарски фрањевац упознао јемлетачку владу са жељом Ко је Закарије да се приклони Млеча-нима, јер је турску власт прихватио наводно из нужде, и да засличан став придобије свог рођака Димитрија Јониму. Као господар Дања и Шатија, ... Предлагао је да се инсценира сукоб у коме би га Млечани побиједшш и ... Сам је као награду тражио млетачку провизију од 500 дуката годишње. Упркос привлачности понуде,Млечани су одложили коначну одлуку, поготову када се послијенеколико дана сазнало да је и сам. Која већ отишао султану.)

22. Fine 1994, p. 422
23. Elsie, Robert (2012), A biographical dictionary of Albanian history, London: I.B. Tauris, p. 493, ISBN 9781780764313, OCLC 801605743
24. The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest Author John Van Antwerp Fine Edition reprint, illustrated Publisher University of Michigan Press, 1994 ISBN 0-472-08260-4, ISBN 978-0-472-08260-5 p. 510 "Koja [Zaharia] submitted to Venice"
25. Fine 1994, p. 512
26. Fine 1994, p. 513
27. Fine 1994, pp. 512, 513
28. Fine 1994, p. 513
29. Bešić 1970, p. 133

    његова удовица Бољаса двије кћери склонила се код родитеља у Дањ)

30. The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest Author John Van Antwerp Fine Edition reprint, illustrated Publisher University of Michigan Press, 1994 ISBN 0-472-08260-4, ISBN 978-0-472-08260-5 p. 516
31. Fine 1994, p. 517
32. Vujović, Dimitrije; Risto Dragićević; Nikola Đakonović; Milinko Đurović; Mirčeta Đurović; Pavle Mijović; Đoko Pejović; Vlado Strugar (1970), Milinko Đurović (ed.), Istorija Crne Gore [History of Montenegro] (in Serbian), vol. II, Titograd: Naučno Delo, p. 144, OCLC 633018773, Франћеско Бембо је настојао да привучена млетачку страну најистакнутије арбанаске господаре. Ивану Кастриоту је нудио 300, Који Закарији 200, а двојици Дукађина по сто дуката....Ни он ту није ништа учинио...
33. Bešić 1970, p. 155

    На другој страни зетских посједа избио је још за живота Стефана Лазаревића сукоб с Којом Закаријом, првим сусједом дривастанског војводе. Како је кроз његов град Дањ пролазиовелики број дубровачкнх трговаца на путу у Србију, деспот јенаредио Дубровчанима да тај пут напусте и да пролазе сусједшшпутем преко Л>еша. Ускраћујући му приходе од царина, хтио је да га финансијски сатре.)

34. Bešić 1970, p. 158

    Коју Закарију је или протјерао или заробио, а Дањ повјерио Али-бегу.)

35. Bešić 1970, p. 160

    Када је арбанаски устанак скршен, султан је ... Предао је Дањ сину Које Закарије — Леки,)

Sources

• Hopf, Carl Hermann Friedrich Johann (1873). Chroniques Gréco-Romanes Inédites ou peu Connues. Berlin, Germany: Librairie de Weidmann.
• Božić, Ivan (1979), Nemirno pomorje XV veka (in Serbian), Beograd: Srpska književna zadruga, OCLC 5845972
• Fine, John Van Antwerp (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08260-4.
• Bešić, Zarij M. (1970), Istorija Crne Gore / 2. Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara. (in Serbian), Titograd: Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore, OCLC 175122851
• Spremić, Momčilo (2004), Jovan Ćulibrk (ed.), Crkvene prilike u Zeti u doba Nikona Jerusalimca (in Serbian), Cetinje, Belgrade: Svetigora, Publikum, pp. 73–108, archived from the original on 11 December 2013

Regnal titles
Preceded by Post created	Lord of Sati and Dagnum 1396–1430	Succeeded by Post abolished after Ottomans under Ishak Bey captured this territory and entrusted it to Ali Beg