This timeline lists important events relevant to the life of the Albanianfeudal lord and military commander Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg (6 May 1405 – 17 January 1468), widely known as Skanderbeg.
Skanderbeg soon won the Sultan's trust and was treated as his own son by Murad, who promoted him to the highest ranks of the Ottoman army.[5]
1423 – 1425
The Ottomans gave Skanderbeg a military education at the Enderun in Edirne.[3]
1426
The First Act of Hilandar appeared as a document written in the Serbian language and Cyrillic script, which is the first written document that contains the name of George Kastriot.[citation needed]
In the period 1426 – 1431, Gjon Kastrioti and his three sons (Stanisha, Reposh and Gjergj) acquired four adelphates (rights to reside on monastic territory and to receive subsidies from monastic resources) to the St. George Tower of Hilandar and to some property within the monastery, as stated in the Second Act of Hilandar.[citation needed]
Based on the Ottoman graduation system (Turkish: çıkma), the Sultan granted Skanderbeg a timar. This timar was near to the territories controlled by his father Gjon Kastrioti (Turkish: Yuvan-eli).[8]
April – Gjon Kastrioti sent a letter to Venice expressing his concern that his son Skanderbeg would probably be ordered by the Sultan to occupy his territory.[9]
Gjon Kastrioti had to ask forgiveness from the Venetian Senate for Skanderbeg's participation in Ottoman military campaigns against Christians.[10]
1430 – 1431
Gjon Kastrioti was defeated in battle by the Ottoman governor of Skopje, Isa bey Evrenos, and as a result his territorial holdings were greatly reduced.
Skanderbeg earned the title of sipahi for his merits in the expeditions of Murad II.
Skanderbeg's brother Reposh died as a monk in Hilandar, where he was buried.[11]
1432 – 1436
Although Skanderbeg was summoned home by his relatives when Gjergj Arianiti and Andrea Thopia with other chiefs from the region between Vlorë and Shkodër organized a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in the period 1432 – 1436, he did nothing, remaining loyal to the Sultan.[12]
Skanderbeg commanded Ottoman cavalry in many different battles in Europe and Asia bringing slaves and loot to Ottoman capital Adrianople. According to Fan Noli, during a battle in Anatolia, he was the first to climb the wall, raise the Ottoman flag, and was the first of the Ottoman forces to enter the besieged fortress.[13]
1437
Gjon Kastrioti died.
Skanderbeg expected that he would succeed his father and became the lord of the Kastiotis's domain.[14]
Skanderbeg's expectations were not fulfilled. The Ottomans annexed Gjon's former domain and appointed Skanderbeg timariot of a timar consisting of nine villages in the high mountains that had belonged to Gjon until his death.
Skanderbeg became subaşi of the Krujë Subaşilik of the Sanjak of Albania in the period 1437 – 1438.
November – Hizir bey was appointed as subaşi of the Krujë Subaşilik instead of Skanderbeg.
1438
Skanderbeg continued to fight within the Ottoman forces.
May – Skanderbeg's timar (of the vilayet of Dhimitër Jonima), consisting of nine villages in the high mountains that once belonged to his father John (this timar was listed in Ottoman registers as John's land, Turkish: Yuvan-ili), was awarded to André Karlo.
The granting of these villages to André Karlo must have upset Skanderbeg[15] who asked to be granted control of the zeamet in Misia, which consisted of his father's former domain.[16]Sanjak-bey (probably of the Sanjak of Ohrid) objected Skanderbeg's request.[17]
1439
7 July – A letter from Skanderbeg and the widow of Gjon Kastrioti was presented to the Dubrovnik City Council by their procurator, the priest Petar. The letter was written in Slavic language and contained their request to inherit 123 ducats that two merchants from Dubrovnik owed to Gjon Kastrioti for customs that they did not pay on time. Their request was accepted.[18]
Early November – After the Ottoman forces were defeated in the Battle of Niš, Skanderbeg forced an Ottoman scribe to forge a letter in which Sultan Murad II appointed Skanderbeg as governor of Krujë. According to some earlier sources, Skanderbeg deserted the Ottoman army during the Battle of Kunovica on 2 January 1444.[23][24][25][26]
28 November – Together with his nephew Hamza Kastrioti and 300 Ottoman soldiers from Albania Skanderbeg arrived in Krujë and used the forged letter to gain control of Krujë from Zabel Pasha.
Soon after Skanderbeg captured Krujë, his rebels managed to capture many Ottoman fortresses, including the strategically important Svetigrad (Kodžadžik), taken with the support of Moisi Golemi and 3,000 rebels from Debar.[27]
According to some sources, Skanderbeg impaled captured Ottoman soldiers who refused to be baptised into Christianity.[28][29]
1444
2 March – A meeting of local regional nobles from Albania was organised in the Venetian city of Lezhë, Venetian Albania.[30] They agreed to form an alliance, the League of Lezhë, to fight the Ottoman Empire under Skanderbeg's command.
29 June – Skanderbeg was victorious against the Ottoman forces in the Battle of Torvioll.
Skanderbeg's troops stole cattle from the people of Lezhë and captured their women and children.[31]
10 November – After winning the Battle of Varna against John Hunyadi's crusaders, Sultan Murad II tried to persuade Skanderbeg to return under Ottoman suzerainty. Skanderbeg refused.
Dukagjini's attempt to capture Zaharia's fortress Dagnum failed.
Zaharia's mother ceded the fortress of Dagnum and all other possessions belonging to her murdered son Zaharia (Drivast, Sati, Gladri and Dushmani) to Venice.
1445
12 February – The Senate of the Republic of Venice confirmed to Skanderbeg and his brother Stanisha that Venice would have the same obligations towards them as it had towards their father, promising them Venetian citizenship and safe conduct should their enemies drive them out.[32][33]
10 October – Skanderbeg and his forces were victorious in the Battle of Mokra, fought on the mountain of Mokra in Macedonia.
1446
Spring – Through Ragusan diplomats, Skanderbeg asked the Pope and the Kingdom of Hungary for help against the Ottomans.[34]
Skanderbeg's envoys visited the Serbian DespotĐurađ Branković. Branković gave them cordial reception and informed them that he wished to see people from Albania to take Dagnum from the Venetians.[37] Branković promised to help Skanderbeg to fight against the Venetian Republic.[38]
Skanderbeg proclaimed himself heir to the Balsha and emphasised his intention to gain control of their former domains.[39]
Skanderbeg claimed to Venice all their towns which were pronoia of the murdered Lekë Zaharia (Dagnum, Drivast, Sati, Gladri and Dushmani) and also Drivast as it belonged to the Serbian Despotate before Venice conquered it.[citation needed]
Venice rejected Skanderbeg's claim and offered him 1,000 ducats to drop all claims.
December – Skanderbeg besieged Dagnum, but failed to capture it.
December – Skanderbeg's forces rebuilt the fortress of Baleč and established a garrison of 2,000 men in it, with Marin Spani as commander.
December – Venetian forces (also led by Andrija and Kojčin Humoj, together with Simeon Vulkata) drove Skanderbeg's forces from the Baleč garrison.[42][43]
December – Skanderbeg plundered the area around Durrës.
1448
4 March – Venice offered a life pension of 100 gold ducats a year to the person who would kill Skanderbeg.[44][45]
Skanderbeg sent a detachment of his troops into the rural areas of the Kingdom of Naples to suppress a rebellion against Alfonso V. Many of them settled there.
April – Skanderbeg's forces besieged Durrës and he demanded from its citizens an annual provision of 400 ducats and two sets of clothing. The citizens of Durrës were willing to accept his request, but the Senate later rejected such an idea, believing that separate peaces would divide the weak Venetian forces in the area between Durrës and Kotor.[46]
May – The Venetian Senate accepted offers from some people who promised to kill Skanderbeg for a life pension of 100 ducats a year.[47]
The Venetian Senate sent a messenger to the Ottoman Sultan asking that Skanderbeg be punished "because Skanderbeg is an Ottoman citizen and we have a solid peace with the Ottoman Empire".[48]
Ottoman forces under the command of Sultan Murad II fought against Skanderbeg with limited success, retaking only part of Skanderbeg's territory.[49][50]
Murad mobilised two armies to attack Skanderbeg. One army of 10,000 cavalry led by Ali Feriz Pasha, the supreme commander of the Ottoman forces in Europe, and another of 15,000 cavalry and infantry under the command of Mustapha Pasha.[51]
June – In an action coordinated with Skanderbeg, the Lord of the Serbian Despotate attacked Venetian towns in the region of Kotor, Budva and Bar.
When the Ottoman forces attacked Skanderbeg, the Venetians were no longer worried about him. They decided not to make peace with him, but to destroy him and the nobles allied with him. Therefore, the Venetians decided not to allow them to take refuge in their cities. At the same time, the Venetians opened the gates of their cities to the peasants fleeing from the Ottomans, leaving Skanderbeg and the noblemen allied with him without the supplies provided by these peasants.[52]
23 July – Skanderbeg was victorious near Shkodër, against a Venetian force of 15,000 men under the command of Daniele Iurichi, governor of Scutari.
31 July – Skanderbeg lost Svetigrad to the Ottoman Empire after the siege (14 May - 31 July).
Skanderbeg's forces, under the command of Hamza Kastrioti, were defeated after attacking the Venetian fortress at Dagnum.
Murad II abandoned his campaign after receiving news of preparations for the new crusade.[53]
19 September – The fire devastated Scutari, damaging the city walls and killing around 500 people. This reduced the city's defensive potential and increased the danger of Skanderbeg's attacks.
After the Venetian Senate received news that the Serbian Despot was preparing another attack on their positions in Zeta, on the 19th of October the Senate gave orders to the Governor of Scutari to sign a peace treaty with Skanderbeg or to destroy his forces if he refused peace. This order came too late, as the governor of Scutari had already signed a treaty with Skanderbeg 15 days earlier.[54]
4 October – Skanderbeg signed the capitulation to the Venetians in Shkodër (disguised as a peace treaty).[55] Venice was obliged to pay Skanderbeg 1,400 dukats a year, but never did. Skanderbeg was also forced to join an anti-Ottoman coalition led by John Hunyadi.
Skanderbeg asked the Republic of Ragusa for a loan to fight the Ottomans. He gave the Ragusan Senate falcons as a gift.
The Ragusan Senate rejected Skanderbeg's request and granted him 200 ducats.
Hunyadi was defeated in the Battle of Kosovo on 17-20 October, while Skanderbeg failed to gather enough supplies to finance his forces to join Hunyadi's campaign.[56] He was believed to have been delayed by Đurađ Branković, then allied with Sultan Murad II, whose land Skanderbeg and his forces ravaged as punishment for deserting the Christian cause.[57][58]
At a meeting on the 14th of November, the Senate decided what to do with the falcons presented by Skanderbeg.
1449
In 1449, Gjergj Arianiti left his alliance with Skanderbeg.[35]
Skanderbeg tried to recapture Svetigrad, but failed.
Skanderbeg and Arianiti approached the Venetians and asked for protection. The Venetians decided to remain neutral so as not to jeopardise peace with the Ottomans and refused their request.[59]
April – Skanderbeg offered 6,000 ducats to gain protectorate status from the Republic of Venice. The same amount he had to pay to the Ottoman Empire as its vassal after he was forced to submit to Ottoman suzerainty.[60] The Venetians rejected Skanderbeg's offers, telling him that they "didn't want property that belongs to someone else", while emphasising their willingness to help Skanderbeg negotiate peace with the Ottomans. Skanderbeg supported the Venetian appointment of Ivan Crnojević as Duke.[61]
Skanderbeg asked Venice to allow his cattle to graze on Venetian territory (the villages of Medoa and Vilipoje). Venice allowed him to do so.[62]
Skanderbeg sent another detachment of troops to Italy to garrison Sicily against rebellion and invasion. This time the troops were led by the brothers Giorgio and Basilio Reres, sons of Demetrios.[63]
1450
Skanderbeg sent a letter to Ragusa, informing its nobles that the Ottoman Sultan would attack him.
Skanderbeg organised the beginning of the construction of the Rodoni Castle.
The League of Lezhë collapsed as Ottoman forces approached.[64]
Arianiti asked the Venetians to work for peace between the Sultan and Skanderbeg if the Ottomans did not take Krujë.[65]
14 October – Skanderbeg offered Krujë to the Venetians, threatening to surrender the fortress to the Ottomans if they did not accept.
26 October – Murad lifted the siege of Krujë.
The Venetians responded to Skanderbeg's offer by rejecting it and offering to help Skanderbeg harmonise his relations with the Ottomans.[66]
Peace was agreed between the Ottomans and Skanderbeg, who was again obliged to pay tribute to the Sultan.[67]
Skanderbeg was at the end of his resources. He lost all his possessions except Krujë. Other Albanian nobles allied themselves with Murad. After the Ottoman withdrawal, they continued to fight against Skanderbeg's efforts to impose his authority.[68]
Skanderbeg travelled to Ragusa to seek the financial support of the Ragusans and the Pope.
1451
January – Skanderbeg was appointed as "Captain General of the King of Aragon".[69]
3 February – Sultan Murad II dies and Mehmed the Conqueror begins his reign. He had much bigger plans in mind than the capture of Krujë, as he planned to take Byzantine-held Constantinople. After the dissolution of the League of Lezhë, unaware of the new Ottoman plans, Skanderbeg believed he was forced to seek outside help.[70][71]
26 March – Skanderbeg received outside support by signing the Treaty of Gaeta and recognising the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Naples.
Late May – The Neapolitan military officer Bernat Vaquer, sent by Alfonso V with a hundred infantry, took Krujë in the name of the Kingdom of Naples and placed its garrison under his command.[72]
Pal Dukagjini and Peter Spani remained allied to Venice and established friendly relations with the Sultan.
Venice continued its efforts to turn Skanderbeg's allies against the Kingdom of Naples and Skanderbeg. Gjergj Arianiti cut himself off from Albanian politics, while Pal Dukagjini, a member of the Dukagjini Family and father of Lekë Dukagjini, prepared for war against Skanderbeg.
1452
23 – 25 April – Alfonso V appointed Ramon d'Ortafa governor of Krujë and Albania. He also informed Johan de Castro, a castellan of Krujë at the time, of this appointment and ordered him to hand over the city to d'Ortafa. Alfonso V sent letters to Skanderbeg, George Arianiti and other tribal leaders in Albania to inform them of d'Ortafa's appointment and to instruct them to accept his rule.[75]
Spring – Giammaria Biemmi claims that Dukagjini tried to kill Skanderbeg in the spring of 1452. It is not possible to confirm this claim, which is supported by some scholars, as well as the information that Skanderbeg and Dukagjini made peace on 25 September 1452.[77]
21 July – Skanderbeg was victorious in the Battle of Modrič.[78] and Battle of Meçad where his forces killed Tahip Pasha and captured Hamza Pasha who was ransomed for 13,000 dukats.
July – Dukagjini opted for a reconciliation with Skanderbeg.
5 March – Alfonso sent a letter censuring Venice for not paying its dues to Skanderbeg and also for supporting Skanderbeg's enemies. He urged that all Albanian – Venetian conflicts be settled by force.
Alfonso promised to send Skanderbeg men and an annual pension of 1,500 ducats, while Pope Nicholas V sent 5,000 florins.
18 September – The Venetians sent a letter to Skanderbeg expressing their gratitude for his willingness to help them negotiate peace with the Serbian Despot.[79]
25 September – Ragusa decided to give the deposits of Stefan Branković to Skanderbeg's envoys.[80]
9 October – The Venetian Senate informed Skanderbeg that his request to be accompanied by the Venetian governor of Alessio on his journey to Rome and Naples has been granted.[81]
6 December – Alfonso V assured Pedro Skuder, castellan of Krujë, that Krujë will receive the necessary supplies.[81]
Skanderbeg signed a peace treaty with the Dukagjini after many years of skirmishes between them.[citation needed]
9 October – The Venetian Senate allowed the governor of Alessio, Petro Marcello, to accompany Skanderbeg on his journey to Italy.[83]
21 October – Alfonso V writes from his Castel Nuovo to Skanderbeg that Pal Dukagjini has sent his envoys and declared his loyalty and vassalage to the Kingdom of Naples. Based on this, Alfonso V granted Pal Dukagjini 300 ducats of annual provisions.[84]
In a letter brought to Alfonso V by Paolo Cuccia, Skanderbeg requested support for an attack on Ottoman-held Berat.[85]
1455
July – Skanderbeg's forces (supported by a strong contingent of Neapolitans from Alfonso V) were badly defeated[86] when they failed to take Berat during the Siege of Berat. Muzaka Thopia was killed in the battle, while Golemi deserted to the Ottomans.[87]
1456
Late March – Skanderbeg was victorious in the Battle of Oranik, where he defeated his former companion Golemi; the latter had allied himself with the Ottomans.
April – Golemi returned to Skanderbeg and joined his forces.
Venice appointed Gjergj Arianiti on the position of captain of the Venetian Albania, which additionally weakened Skanderbeg's cause.[88]
According to Fan Noli, Gjergj Balsha sold the fortress of Modrič to the Ottomans for 30,000 silver ducats. He tried to cover up the deed, but his treachery was discovered and he was sent to prison in Naples.
9 November – According to one report, the Venetians had intended to attack Skanderbeg because he was a supporter of Alfonso V, to whom he granted Krujë, so Skanderbeg's men will have to go all the way to the Venetian-held Durrës or Shkodër if they want to fight the Ottomans.[90]
Hamza Kastrioti, Skanderbeg's own nephew and his close collaborator, defected to the Ottomans.[92]
1457
June – Gjergj Pelini, Skanderbeg's diplomat, brought Skanderbeg's letter to Venice, complaining that the Venetians were not regularly paying him the agreed provisions.[93]
On Skanderbeg's behalf, Pelini went on a diplomatic mission to Pope Callixtus III and convinced him to continue paying his allowances to Skanderbeg.[93]
July – Skanderbeg asked the Venetians to allow his forces to cross Venetian territory because they wanted to attack Ottoman positions in Upper Zeta. The Senate refused his request.[94]
August – The Venetians recaptured Dagnum from Lekë Dukagjini after a fierce battle and heavy losses.[95] The Venetian forces, led by Andrea Venier, were supported by Skanderbeg.[96]
27 July – According to some reports, the Ottoman Empire conquered the Albanian mountains and Skanderbeg came to Krujë with 200 soldiers given to him by Ferdinand I of Naples. The commander of the Krujë garrison is said to have feared that Skanderbeg would surrender Krujë to the Ottomans and did not allow him to enter the castle. Skanderbeg returned to Lezhë and some rumours say that he intended to ask the Hungarian King for help.[99]
1459
2 April – Skanderbeg wrote a receipt in Serbian confirming that he had collected 500 ducats from his deposit in Ragusa.[100]
7 June – Skanderbeg sends another letter to the Ragusans, informing them that they should receive his envoy Ninac Vukoslavić, who has been sent to seek their help.[100]
13 June – Skanderbeg sends another letter to the Ragusans, informing them that he has collected 900 – 1,000 ducats from his deposit.[101][102]
June – Skanderbeg ceded the Sati fortress to Venice in order to establish cordial relations with Venice before sending his forces to Italy to help Ferdinand I, who was suffering from a dynastic dispute after the death of Alfonso V. Before the Venetians took control of Sati, Skanderbeg captured it and the surrounding area, driving out Lekë Dukagjini and his forces, who had opposed Skanderbeg and destroyed Sati before the Venetian takeover.[103]
Although Skanderbeg intended to accept the Ottoman proposal for a three-year truce, Pope Pius II would not allow it and he had to reject it. To show his discontent, Skanderbeg refused to attend the Council of Mantua held to plan the future crusade.[104]
In the mid-1460s, the dethroned Serbian DespotStefan Branković came to Albania to visit his relatives. Skanderbeg gave him an unknown amount of money to support him.[106] Stefan married Angjelina, the sister of Donika, who married Skanderbeg.[107]
1461
At the beginning of 1461, Stefan Branković went to Italy with Skanderbeg's written recommendation.[108][109] According to some sources, Stefan remained in Albania until 1466.[110] He stayed with Skanderbeg and supported his anti-Ottoman struggle, making plans to retake Serbia and Smederevo from the Ottomans.[111]
April – The Ragusan Senate promised Skanderbeg safe haven from the Ottomans should he need it.[112]
Mid June – Skanderbeg agreed to a ceasefire with Mehmed II[113] which was agreed to last for three years.[114] This ceasefire was more favorable to the Ottomans than to Skanderbeg's forces.[115]
Skanderbeg went to Italy to join his nephew in the struggle for Ferdinand I.
1462
Venice stopped paying provisions to Skanderbeg and this brought them close to armed conflict with Skanderbeg.[116]
April – The Venetian Senate wrote to the governor of Shkodër to calm Skanderbeg, using Pelini as a mediator. Pelini was successful, and the Venetian Senate continued to pay Skanderbeg (a total of 600 ducats per year), agreeing to pay him all withheld provisions.[117]
7 July – Skanderbeg was victorious in the Battle of Mokra against the Ottoman forces led by Sinan bey.
August – Skanderbeg was victorious in three battles against the Ottomans in just one month during his Macedonian campaign:
26 April – The Venetians allowed Skanderbeg and his forces to cross the territory of the Venetian domains to support Stjepan Vukčić Kosača[118] but Skanderbeg failed to carry out his promises for help.[119]
27 April – Skanderbeg signed the Peace of Ushkub, a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire. This peace treaty was more favourable to the Ottomans than to Skanderbeg's forces.[115]
Skanderbeg's envoy Andrija Snaticho, an abbot of the Ratac Abbey, went to Venice to offer an alliance on Skanderbeg's behalf.[120]
1 August – The Venetian Senate decided to send an envoy ("unus nobilis orator") to make peace between Stjepan Kosača and his son Vladislav and between Skanderbeg and the neighbouring nobles.[citation needed]
20 August – Skanderbeg signed a treaty of alliance with Venice, and based on this treaty he fought as their ally during the Ottoman-Venetian War until his death.[121]
15 October – On behalf of Skanderbeg, Paladin Gundulić signed a contract with some craftsmen to build a ship for Skanderbeg on the territory of Albania. They were paid in advance on the condition that they would not return from Albania until they had built a ship.[citation needed]
November – Pope announced his intention to organise a crusade against the Ottoman Empire, with Skanderbeg as one of its main leaders.
Spring – Envoys from Stefan Branković and Skanderbeg visited Pope together, asking for his help in the fight against the Ottomans and for Branković's return to Smederevo.[111]
14 or 15 September – Skanderbeg and his Venetian allies were victorious in the Battle of Ohrid against the forces of Şeremet bey, sanjak-bey of the Sanjak of Ohrid.
September – Skanderbeg besieged Ohrid but failed to capture it.[citation needed]
1465
April – Some of Skanderbeg's most trusted men were captured by Ottoman forces under the command of Ballaban Badera, a new sanjak-bey of the sanjak of Ohrid, during the Battle of Vaikal. They were executed after 15 days of torture.
14 August – The Venetian Senate asked Skanderbeg to attack Elbasan Castle (with the help of the forces of the Venetian provveditori of Venetian Albania).[125]
Skanderbeg's attempt to capture Elbasan failed.
Skanderbeg retreated to the Rodoni Castle from where he and his family, along with many people from Albania, were transported to Brindisi in 14 ships.[126]
Dorotheos, the Archbishop of Ohrid and his clerks and boyars were exiled to Constantinople in 1466, probably because of their anti-Ottoman activities during Skanderbeg's rebellion.[127]
Late October – Skanderbeg began his journey to Italy, while Krujë remained under siege.
2 November – The Ragusan Senate issued a decree instructing three nobles to inform Skanderbeg not to enter the territory of Ragusa.[128]
12 December – Skanderbeg reached Rome. According to eyewitnesses, he arrived in poverty, with only a few horses.[129]
December – Pope Paul II gave Skanderbeg 300 ducats to support his stay in Rome and offered him lodgings in the Palazzo Venezia, but Skanderbeg decided to stay at his friend's house in the same square.[129]
25 December – Pope invited Skanderbeg to a ceremony where he was awarded with a sword and helmet.[citation needed]
1467
7 January – Together with the Pope, Skanderbeg attended to a consistory and discussed the Pope's unsuccessful appeal to fund Skanderbeg with 5,000 ducats.
Skanderbeg met with Lekë Dukagjini and other northern Albanian nobles in Lezhë, where once distant nobles, along with the lukewarm Dukagjini, allied with Skanderbeg to attack Ballaban's forces.
April – May – Skanderbeg attacked Elbasan, but his attempt to take it failed. He only managed to lay waste to the lower town, but its citadel withstood the assaults of Skanderbeg's forces.[130]
Ottoman forces destroyed the Rodoni Castle. The Ottomans plundered Albanian territory and took many people into slavery. Skanderbeg's forces were nearing their end.[132]
28 July – The Venetian Senate invited Skanderbeg to defend Shkodër, Krujë and Durrës, while Venice would provide armies and funds.
According to some accounts, Skanderbeg and his forces, backed by the Venetian fleet, repelled an Ottoman attempt to capture Durrës.
1468
January – Skanderbeg attempted to organise a meeting of the local nobles in Lezhë.
^Povijesno društvo Hrvatske (1989). Historijski zbornik, Volumes 41-42 (in Croatian). Zagreb: Nakladni zavod Hrvatske. p. 24. OCLC1752136. Retrieved 20 April 2012. dok je tesalski car Anđeli postao vazal još 1386. godine.2* Osmanski vazali bili su tada i... kao i albanska vlastela Dimitrije Jonima, Koja Zakarija, Ivan Kastriot i Tanuš Veliki Dukađin.
^ abKenneth Meyer Setton; Harry Williams Hazard; Norman P. Zacour (1 June 1990). A History of the Crusades: The Impact of the Crusades on Europe. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 293. ISBN978-0-299-10744-4. Retrieved 19 June 2013. Castriota had been sent from Albania as a hostage to the sultan's court and trained at the military academy of Enderum in Adrianople
^Stanley Lane-Poole (1 September 2004). Turkey. Kessinger Publishing. p. 134. ISBN978-1-4179-4947-2. Retrieved 19 June 2013. ...courage soon won him the Sultan's favour. He was converted to Islam, and Murad treated him like his own son and advanced him to high rank in the army
^Ćorović, Vladimir (13 January 2014). Istorija srpskog naroda. eBook Portal. p. 340. GGKEY:XPENWQLDTZF. Tamo, među Turcima, Maramonte je naišao na Đurđa, sina Ivana Kastriota, koji beše došao na turski dvor kao taoc, pa tu primio islam i postao Skenderbeg.
^Dialogos. Dijalog. 1996. p. 78. Godine 1428. sreo ga je na turskom dvoru avanturista Stevan Balsic Maramonte.
^Vuković, Novo (1996). Književnost Crne Gore od XII do XIX vijeka. Obod. p. 42. Његов други син звани Репош, брат Бурђа Кастриота, умро је 1430. или 1431. године у Хиландару и тамо је ...
In 1432 Andrew Thopia revolted against his Ottoman overlords ... inspired other Albanian chiefs, in particular George Arianite (Araniti) ... The revolt spread ... from region of Valona up to Skadar... At this time, though summoned home by his relatives ... Skanderbeg did nothing, he remained ... loyal to sultan
^Rizaj, Skender (1968). Encyclopaedia moderna. Institut za filozofiju znanosti i mir Jugoslavenske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti. p. 107. Retrieved 18 June 2013. Skenderbeg je kao komandant Turske konjice učestvovao u raznim borbama u Evropi i u Aziji. U osvajanju jedne tvrđave u Anadoliji – piše Fan Noli – Skenderbeg, kao i Aleksandar Makedonski, popeo se na vrh zida, podigao tursku zastavu i ušao prvi u grad. Skenderbeg je u svakoj ekspediciji trijumfirao. Doveo je u prestonicu Turske, u Jedrene, robove i velik ratni plen. Njegov je ugled iz dana u dan rastao. Vojska ga je obožavala. Drugi komandanti su mu zavideli.
In the same year nine villages of his in Yuvan-eii were made over to Andre Karlo (ibid., no. 335). His father's centre ol Mus (Mysja) was made a xi'amet, and Iskender asked for it to be granted to himself (Topkapi Sarayi Archives )
...but sanjakbegi (? of Ohrid) objected to the granting of this important...
^Dušanka Dinić-Knežević (1970). Godisnjak. Univerzitet u Novom Sadu. Filozofski fakultet. p. 120. Retrieved 11 September 2013. ....са извозом жита Пантела је на име царине остао Ивану дужан 123 дуката, које су његови наследници, његова жена Јелена и син Ђурађ Кастриотић Скендербег, затражили 7. јула 1439. од дубровачке општине, преко свог посланика и прокуратора, опата Петра. Он је са собом понео и писмо писано на словенском језику за дубровачку владу, која је установила да Пантела и Филип заиста дугују Ивановим наследницима поменуту суму,...
^Zhelyazkova, Antonina. "Albanian identities". Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2011. In 1440, he was promoted to sancakbey of Debar
^Sir Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb; Bernard Lewis; Charles Pellat; Joseph Schacht (1973). The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill. p. 139. ... Iskender, fleeing from the camp of Kasim, the beglerbey of Rumeli...
^Dabinović, Antun (1990). Hrvatska državna i pravna povijest: s reprodukcijama najvažnijih dokumenata i slikama. Nakladni zavod Matice hrvatske. p. 259. ISBN9788640100571. ... ali se prevariše, jer ih Janko prvih dana nove 1444. god. pobijedi sjajno kod Kunovice, blizu Niša. Arbanasi, koje je vodio Juraj Kastriot ili Skender-beg, odmetnuše se od Turaka usred bitke i prijeđoše protiv njih u otvoreno neprijateljstvo.
^Pope Pius II (1 November 2013). Europe (c.1400-1458). CUA Press. p. 114. ISBN978-0-8132-2182-3. George Skanderbeg, a man of noble birth, received his inheritance. ... fortress of Krujë by stratagem and declared himselfa Christian, going so far as to impale the Ottoman officials who refused to accept baptism; see Fine, LMB, 521–22, 556.
Представник млетачких власти, и да je хтео, није био у стању да ce одупре одржавању та-квог скупа, као што ни неколико месеци доцније није могао да ce супротстави Скендербеговим људима који су no граду лљачкали стоку и одводили жене и децу.
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 214. Retrieved 17 January 2012. Млетачко проширење у северној Албанији није у том тренутку изазивало отпор Ђурђа Кастриота Скендербега. Њему и брату Станиши Сенат је у фебруару 1445 потврдио раније дате обавезе њиховом оцу Ивану и обећао им млетачко грађанство и склониште ако их непријатељи потисну
^(DS 1942, p. 8): "Млеци, 12 фебруар 1445, — Млетачки Сенат, на молбу Ђурђa и Станише, синова Ивана Кастриотића, потврђујe концесије дане 1438 год."
^Schmitt 2001, p. [page needed]: "Georg Branković, Stefan Crnojević und Skanderbeg erschienen mit starken heeren vor den venezianischen Stadten (Georg Branković, Stefan Crnojević and Skanderbeg appeared with a strong army before the Venetian cities)"
^Schmitt 2001, p. 300: "In einer getreidearmen Gegend war dies ein Anschlag auf die Lebensgrundlagen der Gemeinde. Venedig ging in dieser Frage äusserst behutsam vor, denn Koja und Andreas Humoj hatten der Signoria bedeutende Dienste geleistet. Zusammen mit Simeon Vulkata waren sie an der Spitze der venezianischen Verbände gegen Skanderbeg ins Feld gezogen (1447). In ihren Machtgebieten um Balezo und Drivasto wurde besonders heftig gekämpft."
^Glas, Volumes 319-323 (in Serbian). Belgrade: Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. 1980. p. 39. Retrieved 20 January 2012. ... Млечани су запалили дрвену грађу а свеже зидове сравнили са земљом
^M. Bešić, Zarij (1970), Istorija Crne Gore / 2. Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara. (in Serbian), Titograd: Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore, p. 215, OCLC175122851, Драчани, поновопод опсадом од априла 1448. год., били су расположени да саСкендербегом склопе сепаратан мир и да му се обавежу, како јесам тражио, на 400 дуката и два одијела годишње. Сенат је од- лучно одбацивао дјелимична рјешења, сматрајући да би она довела до распарчавања и онако слабих снага на подручју од Драча доКотора.
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 215. Retrieved 10 January 2014. У Млецима је било јасно да су сва зетска и албанска мјеста у „очигледној опасности", па је Сенат у мају 1448. год. без дво- умљења прихватао понуде појединаца да за сто дуката годишњепровизије убију Скендербега.
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 215. Retrieved 10 January 2014. Послао је и гласника султану да захтијева кажњавање арбанаског господара, „јер Скендербег је Турчин, а ми са султаном имамо добар мир".
^Gábor Ágoston; Bruce Alan Masters (1 January 2009). Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. Infobase Publishing. p. 401. ISBN978-1-4381-1025-7. Retrieved 20 June 2013. Other Ottoman troops were fighting, with limited results, against Skanderbeg in Albania.
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 219. Retrieved 10 January 2014. Млечане није више забрињавао ни Скендербег, јер су премањеговим посједима надирале турске трупе. Мјесто склапањамира, требало је учинити све да се он и његова властела коначносатру. Нико се од њих није смио прихватити у млетачка мјеста да не би избјегао турску освету. Њиховим сељацима широм су сеотварале градске капије, да би они сами остали без подршке у народу. Млечани су их примали све док сам султан није уложиопротест.
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 219. Retrieved 10 January 2014. Опасност је поново постала озбиљна, поготову када је Скадар19. септембра 1448. год. изгорио у пожару. Изгубило је животеоко 500 људи, ...Како су стизале вијести да деспот припрема нови поход у који ће војску повести његов син, Сенат је поново савјетоваоВенијеру да склопи мир, макар морао понудити провизију од1.500 дуката. Ако би му се Скендербег одупро, требало је да раз-бије друштво које га је подржавало. Порука састављена 19. ок-тобра 1448. год. стигла је касно
^Schmitt 2001, p. 306: "Dies war nichts anderes als eine versteckte Kapitulation Skanderbegs"
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 219. Retrieved 10 January 2014. Уз то се обавезао да ће притећи у помоћ Јаношу Хуњадију, који је кренуо у поход противТурака. Хуњади је, међутим, послије тродневне битке (17—19. октобра) доживио на Косову пољу пораз прије но што је Скен- дербег и набавио потребна средства да се опреми за рат.
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 219. Retrieved 10 January 2014. Млечани су заузимали неутралан став према догађајима у Албанији да не би изазвали Турке. Одбили су Аријанита и Скен- дербега када су тражили млетачку заштиту,
Moreover, in the course of the 1449 campaign Skanderbeg was briefly forced to submit to Ottoman suzerainty and to agree to pay six thousand ducats a year as tribute. However it seems he never paid it...
^Ludwig von Thallóczy; Konstantin Jireček; Milan von Šufflay; Theodor A Ippen; Ernst C Sedlmayr (1916), Illyrisch-albanische forschungen (in German), München, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, p. 121, OCLC35691167, Skanderbeg verlangte 1449 von Venedig die Orte Medoa und Vilipolje (jetzt auf den Karten Velipoja) und die Republik hat sie ihm überlassen, damit er seine Herden auf venezianischem Gebiet weiden lassen könne (Ljubic 9, 312).
^Spremić, Momčilo (1968). Zbornik Filozofskog fakulteta. Naučno delo. p. 254. Retrieved 19 June 2013. ... су били Млечани које је Арианит молио још за време опсаде Кроје да, уколико тврђава издржи опсаду, раде на склапању мира између султана са једне и Скендербега са друге стране.
^Spremić, Momčilo (1968). Zbornik Filozofskog fakulteta. Naučno delo. pp. 253, 254. Retrieved 19 June 2013. Тај мир је склопљен до краја 1450 јер је Скендербег почетком 1451, када је ступао у вазални однос с напуљским краљем Алфонском Арагонским, већ имао уговор са султаном и плаћао му харач.
Ничим ce не може проверити Биемијево излагање о поку-шају да ce из заседе убије Скендербег, у пролеће 1452, и ооптужбама да су виновници атентата били Дукађини. Паипак ce у историографији и ове појединости сукоба прихва-тају, као и Биемијева вест да je 25. септембра 1452, захва-љујући залагању барског архиепископа, дривастинског епи-скопа и других прелата, дошло до измирења између Скен-дербега и Дукађина.
^Kosta Balabanov; Krste Bitoski (1978). Ohrid i Ohridsko niz istorijata. Opštinsko sobranie na grad Ohrid. p. 62. Во летото 1452 година, од насока на Охрид, против востаниците тргнал Хамза-наша, но кај Модрич бил победен
^Monumenta spectantia historiam Slavorum meridionalium. Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti. 1891. p. vi.
^Spomenik, Volumes 95-97 (in Serbian). Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. 1942. p. xv. Retrieved 2 February 2012. Дубровник, 25 септембар 1453: Одлучује се да се изда Скендербеговим посленицима депозит Деспота Стефана Слепога
^Spomenik, Volumes 95-97 (in Serbian). Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. 1942. p. xvi. Retrieved 2 February 2012. Кастел Нови код Напуља, 21. октобар 1454: Краљ Алфонс V јавља Скендербегу да му је Павле Дукађини преко свог посланика изјавио оданост и покорност и да му је као свом вазалу, одредио годишњу провизију од 300 дуката ...
^Matkovski, Aleksandar (1983). Otporot vo Makedonija vo vremeto na turskoto vladeenje: Buni i vostanija. Misla. p. 88. Овој голем пораз бил придружен и со предавството на Мојсеј Големи, кој поминал на страната на Турците.
^ abLovorka Čoralić (2006). Barani u Mlecima: povijest jedne hrvatske iseljeničke zajednice. Dom i Svijet. p. 149. ISBN978-953-238-015-6. Retrieved 8 January 2014. Nadalje, u lipnju 1457. donio je u Mletke Skenderbegove žalbe o neisplaćivanju provizije i nepoštivanju dogovorenih privilegija.321 Iste, 1457. godine, Pelinović je ishodio kod pape Kalista III. produženje novčane pomoći Skenderbegu.
^M. Bešić, Zarij (1970), Istorija Crne Gore / 2. Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara. (in Serbian), Titograd: Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore, p. 283, OCLC175122851, Скендербег је јула1457. год. молио да му се дозволи прелаз преко млетачке тери-торије на турске посједе у Горњој Зети. Сенат га је одбио
који су Млечани успели да заузму
TOKOM августа; јер, већ првих дана септембра стигла je у Млетке вест да je град враћен уз велике напоре, жртве и страдања млетачких поданика у Албанији.
^Robert Elsie (24 December 2012). A Biographical Dictionary of Albanian History. I.B.Tauris. p. 461. ISBN978-1-78076-431-3. Retrieved 10 June 2013. Ten years later, with the support of Scanderbeg, he led Venetian forces against the Dukagjini family for control of the fortress of Dagno
^John Victor Tolan; Gilles Veinstein (15 October 2012). Europe and the Islamic world. Princeton University Press. p. 134. ISBN978-0-691-14705-5. Retrieved 16 April 2013. In 1458, upon the death of his protector, Alfonso of Aragon, king of Naples, Skanderbeg had prudently placed himself under Ottoman suzerainty once more.
^Spomenik (in Serbian), vol. 95–97, Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, 1942, p. iv, OCLC2066096, Млеци, 27 Јули 1458: Герард де Colits јавља дуки миланском да су Турци заузели све арбанске планине, да је Скендербег дошао у Кроју с 200 војника, које му је послао краљ Феранте I, али га начелник града – Млечић – није хтео пустити у град, јер се тобоже бојао да ће град предати Турцима. Скендербег се вратио у Љеш. Говори се да ће се обратити за помоћ угарском краљу.
^Jovanović, Gordana, "Starosrpski jezik u dva pisma Đurđa Kastriota Dubrovčanima", Stanovništvo slovenskog porijekla u Albaniji : zbornik radova sa međunarodnog naučnog skupa održanog u Cetinju 21, 22. i 23. juna 1990 (in Serbian), Titograd: Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore; Stručna knj., OCLC29549273, U pismu iz 1459. g. Đurađ Kastriot izveštava da je od kneza, vlastele i opštine dubrovačke primio 1.000 zlatnih dukata koje je kod njih ostavio kao poklad.. ...Jezik ova dva pisma isti je kao i jezik pisama iz srpskih kancelarija: srpski narodni, sa izvesnim staroslovenskim primesama.
^Spomenik, Volumes 95–97 (in Serbian). Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. 1942. p. xix. Retrieved 2 February 2012. Дубровник,13 јуни 1459: Скендербег признаје да је од свога поклада у Дубровнику изузео 900 дуката....Дубровник,13 јуни 1459: Скендербег признаје да је од свога поклада у Дубровнику изузео 1,000 дуката
^Spremić, Momčilo (1964). Zbornik Filozofskog fakulteta (in Serbian). Naučno delo. p. 205. Retrieved 7 January 2014. ...маја 1460. Исте године Скендербег га је именовао и за свога прокуратора...[... May 1460. On the same year Skanderbeg appointed him as his procurator also.]
^Spremić, Momčilo (1964). Zbornik Filozofskog fakulteta (in Serbian). Naučno delo. p. 211. Retrieved 7 January 2014. ...Сенат је писао априла 1462, скадарском кнезу, када је био на помолу нови сукоб са Скендербегом....[Senate wrote to Scutari governor in April 1462, on the verge of another conflict with Skanderbeg..]
^Spremić, Momčilo (1964). Zbornik Filozofskog fakulteta (in Serbian). Naučno delo. pp. 205, 211. Retrieved 7 January 2014. ...Када је република 1462 престала да даје провизију Скендербегу, ратачки опат је успео код Сената не само да се настави њено исплаћивање у износу од 600 дуката годишње, већ и да се сав заостатак надокнади. Тражећи помоћ за Скендербега ради....[... When republic stopped its payments to Skanderbeg in 1462, Ratac abbot succeeded to convince Senate not only to continue with the payments of 600 ducats per year, but to also pay provisions that were retained. Seeking help for Skanderbeg...
^Spomenik, Volumes 95–97 (in Serbian). Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. 1942. p. xxi. Retrieved 8 July 2012. Млеци, 25 септембар 1463 – Млетачки сенат прима као свога племипа с правом членства у Великом Behy Ивана Кастриоту, сина Скендербегова
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 291. Retrieved 10 January 2014. Сенат је у јулу 1466. год. ипак прихва-тио Скендербегов приједлог да Млечани поново приме Ивана у своју службу.
As early as August 14, 1466, the Venetian senate called on Skanderbeg to attack newly founded city in collaboration with the Venetian provveditori of Albania
^Iz istorije Albanaca: zbornik predavanja : priručnik za nastavnike. Zabod za izdavanje udžbenika Socijalističke Republike Srbije. 1969. p. 42. Retrieved 19 June 2013. Велика турска војска, коју је водио сам султан, провалила је 1466. године у Албанију и заузела готово чи- таву земљу. Скендербег се са имовином и породицом скло- нио на Родонски рт, чекајући да се пребаци у Италију. Тада је 14 бродова пуних Албанаца стигло у Бриндизи.
^Aneta Shukarova; Mitko B. Panov; Dragi Georgiev; Krste Bitovski; Ivan Katardziev; Vanche Stojchev; Novica Veljanovski; Todor Chepreganov (2008), Todor Chepreganov (ed.), History of the Macedonian People, Skopje: Institute of National History, p. 133, ISBN978-9989159244, OCLC276645834, retrieved 26 December 2011, deportation of the Archbishop of Ohrid, Dorotei, to Istanbul in 1466, to-gether with other clerks and bolyars who probably were expatriated be-cause of their anti Ottoman acts during the Skender-Bey's rebellion.
^ abGeorgina Masson (1983). The companion guide to Rome. Prentice-Hall. p. 240. ISBN978-0-13-154609-7. It is said that Paul II (1464 – 71) offered Skanderbeg lodging in Palazzo Venezia during his visit to Rome in 1466 – 7, but that the gallant soldier preferred to live in the house of an Epirote friend in this square. According to an eyewitness...
When the Ottoman army arrived Skanderbeg took refuge in Albanian mountains. Mehmed II sent Mahmud Pasha to the mountains, together with most experienced part of the army, in order to pursue Skanderbeg, while he himself ravaged the rest of the land ... The Grand Vezier spent fifteen days in the mountains,... However, they did not find Skanderbeg, who had managed to flee to the coast
^Bešić, Zarij M. (1970). Istorija Črne Gore, Volume 2, Part 2 (in Serbian). Titograd: Redakcija za istoriju Črne Gore. p. 298. Retrieved 10 January 2014. Међутим, у току љета 1467. год. стигле су нове турскеснаге и одвеле из земље силно робље. Скендербегове снаге биле су при крају.
Bibliography
Anamali, Skënder (2002), Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime (in Albanian), vol. I, Botimet Toena, OCLC52411919
Islamic Research Institute (1997), Islamic studies, Pakistan: Islamic Research Institute
Schmitt, Oliver Jens (2004), Skanderbegs letzte Jahre. West-östliches Wechselspiel von Diplomatie und Krieg im Zeitalter der osmanischen Eroberung Albaniens (1464–1468)In: Südost-Forschung 62 (2004/05), S. 56–123.
Schmitt, Oliver Jens (2007), Skanderbeg reitet wieder. Wiederfindung und Erfindung eines (National-)Helden im balkanischen und gesamteuropäischen Kontext (15.–21. Jh.). in Ulf Brunnbauer/Andreas Helmedach/Stefan Troebst (Hrsg.): Schnittstellen. Gesellschaft, Nation, Konflikt und Erinnerung in Südosteuropa. Festschrift für Holm Sundhausen zum 65. Geburtstag., S. 401–419.