Lordship of Berat
The Lordship of Berat (Albanian: Principata e Muzakajve)[1] was a principality active in medieval era ruled by the Albanian Muzaka noble family with its capital at Berat. In 1385, during the Battle of Savra, the Ottomans captured Berat from Balša II, together with Kruja and Ulcinj. They soon retreated from all of those towns keeping only Castoria under their permanent control.[2] Some sources explain that Ottomans probably remained in Berat with intention to use it as foothold to capture Valona.[3] By 1396 Muzaka family took over control of Berat.[4] In 1417 Berat became a part of the Ottoman Empire.[5]
Lordship of Berat Principata e Muzakajve | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lands of the Muzaka and Arianiti families in the 15th century | |||||||||
| Status | Principality, Despotate | ||||||||
| Capital | Berat | ||||||||
| Common languages | Albanian | ||||||||
| Religion | Eastern Orthodoxy | ||||||||
| Historical era | Medieval | ||||||||
| |||||||||
History
It's uncertain when the Muzaka family started to rule over Berat however one of the first notable rulers known so far is Andrea I Muzaka who ruled over the region of Myzeqe. Principality of Berat separates into two periods of time, between the period of 1286-1343, and 1355-1417. Andrea I Muzaka established a de facto independent rule over Berat, he was also formally recognized by the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos as he held the high byzantine court title of sebastokrator. Some notable regions that were part of the Principality of Berat during this period are: Greater Devoll, Berat, Skrapar, Tomorica, Selanica, Myzeqe, Korçe etc [6].
The Principality of Berat reached the peak of its power during the rule of Andrea II Muzaka who according to the chronicle of Gjon Muzaka he defeated the King Vukasin and was awarded with the title of Despot by the Emperor of the Constantinople, the second highest title just below to that of Emperor. Andrea II expanded his territory to its maximum: from the Adriatic Sea between the Vjosa river and Devoll to the east, including Korça. In 1343 the Principality of Berat was conquered by the new Serbian Empire but was recreated back after its fall in 1355. In an alliance with the Balsha, and the great lord of Ohrid Andrea Gropa, in 1372 Andrea Muzaka managed to also conquer Kostur from Prince Marko [7] After the death of Andrea, the rule was passed to his son Teodor II Muzaka who in 1389 is said to have taken place in the Battle of Kosovo which had a great impact to the principality like to all other Albanian principalities of that time. Berat was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1417 which ended the centuries-reign of the Muzaka noble Family in Berat
Rulers
- Andrea I Muzaka
- Teodor I Muzaka
- Andrea II Muzaka
- Teodor II Muzaka
- Teodor III Muzaka
References
- https://books.google.de/books?id=UlUtAQAAIAAJ&q=Principata+e+Muzakajve&dq=Principata+e+Muzakajve&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjt-6jssIjpAhUQDuwKHVsgA1oQ6AEIKTAA
- Pitcher, Donald Edgar (1968). An Historical Geography of the Ottoman Empire: From Earliest Times to the End of the Sixteenth Century. Brill Archive. p. 45. GGKEY:4CFA3RCNXRP.
- Gibbons, Herbert Adam (21 August 2013). The Foundation of the Ottoman Empire: A History of the Osmanlis Up To the Death of Bayezid I 1300-1403. Routledge. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-135-02982-1.
- Fine, 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. 391. ISBN 0-472-08260-4.
...in 1396. By this time the family of Musachi had gained control of Berat.
- Kiel, Machiel (1990). Ottoman architecture in Albania, 1385-1912. Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture. p. 48. ISBN 978-92-9063-330-3.
In 1417, Berat became part of the Ottoman Empire when this strong city succumbed to a surprise attack.
- "1515 | John Musachi: Brief Chronicle on the Descendants of our Musachi Dynasty". Albanianhistory.net. Archived from the original on 10 September 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
- Braudel, Fernand (1995). The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean world in the age of Philip II, Volume 2. p. 664. ISBN 0-520-20330-5.