The Albanian nobility was an ethnic Albanian elite hereditary ruling class in Albania, parts of the western Balkans and later in parts of the Ottoman world. The Albanian nobility was composed of landowners of vast areas, often in allegiance to states like the Byzantine Empire, various Serbian states, the Republic of Venice, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Naples in addition to the Albanian principalities. They often used Byzantine, Latin or Slavic titles, such as sebastokrator, despot, dux, conte and župan. Notably, they also constructed religious sites, castles and had powerful courts. The Albanian principalities were usually divided in history except during the Principality of Arbanon when there was only one Albanian state ruled by one dynasty, and also during the League of Lezhë where most of the Albanian nobility and peasant communities unified under a military alliance against the Ottoman Empire.
History Noble Albanian families first arose during the Middle Ages and usually provided allegiance or were vassals to a certain kingdom or empire. They relied on their state’s economically and politically which would often cause for Albanian feudal lords to often convert religions to meet the demands of the state. During the Ottoman period, Albanian landowners would convert to Islam and pay a tribune to the Ottoman sultan to remain in power.
Angevin Kingdom of Albania
The role of local Albanian lords became more and more important to the fate of the kingdom and the Angevins integrated them into their military structure especially in the second phase of the kingdom. When Philip of Taranto returned in 1304, one Albanian noble, Gulielm Blinishti, was appointed head of Angevin army in the Kingdom of Albania with the title marascallum regnie Albaniae. He was succeeded in 1318 by Andrea I Muzaka. From 1304 on, other western titles of nobility were bestowed by the Angevins upon the local Albanian lords. Although the Angevins tried to install a centralized state apparatus, they left great autonomy to the Albanians cities. In fact, in 1272 it was Charles of Anjou himself who recognized the old privileges of Durrës' community. Eventually, the Angevins lost most of their power within Albania and were left with the Duchy of Durrazzo, which some Albanian nobles managed to keep their titles. Although, this would not last for long as Albanian ruler Karl Thopia would eventually become the ruler of the city after the end of the Albanian-Anjou Conflict, being later succeeded by his son Gjergj Thopia.
Byzantine Empire
Byzantium was the first empire in history to have allowed Albanian nobility the privileges of Albanian landowners governing lands. The Muzaka family is an example of this and were loyal to the Byzantine Empire. During the Muzaka-Serbian Conflict they had protected the empire from the Serbian king Vukašin and had even managed to capture the king himself at the battle of Pelister which is in what is now modern day North Macedonia. For their great victory, the head of the family Andrea II Muzaka gained the title of Despot in 1335, while other family members of the Muzaka continued to pursue careers in Byzantine administration in Constantinople. They received impressive titles in the Byzantine empire such as Sebastokrator, Protosebastos. Other families such as the Mataranga family also gained similar titles and were vassals to the Byzantine empire. There were also numerous notable figures such as David Arianites, who was thought to have been from the noble Albanian Arianiti family, and Progonos Sgouros who carried significant Byzantine military titles and also governed lands within the empire.
Principality of Arbanon
The first Albanian state in the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the noble Albanian Progoni family and extended from the Drin river to the southern boundary of the Ohrid lake. Its rulers were known in Catholic sources with the titles of judices, while in Byzantine ones the titles mentioned are those of the grand archon and the panhypersebastos. In 1204, Arbanon attained full, though temporary, political independence, taking advantage of the weakening of Constantinople following its pillage during the Fourth Crusade.Elsie, Robert (2010). Historical Dictionary of Albania. Scarecrow Press. . However, Arbanon lost its large autonomy ca. 1216, when the ruler of Epirus, Michael I Komnenos Doukas, started an invasion northward into Albania and Macedonia, taking Kruja and ending the independence of the principality.Fine, John V. A. Jr. (1994) . The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. . During this period, the area was ruled by the Greco-Albanian lord Gregorios Kamonas, the new spouse of Demetrius' Serbian former wife Komnena Nemanjić, and by Golem (Gulam), a local magnate who had married Kamonas' and Komnena's daughter. Arbanon was eventually annexed in the winter of 1256–57 by the Byzantine statesman George Akropolites. Golem subsequently disappeared from historical records.Ducellier 1999, p. 791: "In the winter of 1256–1257, George Akropolites, exercising authority over the newly acquired provinces, felt free to travel around the region, after bringing together at Durazzo the ‘notables’ of Arbanon, among them, no doubt, Prince Gulam (of whom subsequently no more would be heard); he thus annexed without a murmur the statelet in which he was able to install a civil, military and fiscal administration which was thoroughly Byzantine." Akropolites' historical writings are the main primary source for late Arbanon and its history. Many scholars note that the Principality of Arbanon was the first Albanian state to emerge during the Middle Ages.Clements 1992, p. 31: "By 1190, Byzantium's power had so receded that the archon Progon succeeded in establishing the first Albanian state of the Middle Ages, a principality."Elsie 2010, p. iv: "To the east and northeast of Venetian territory in Albania arose the first Albanian state recorded in historical documents under Prince Progon, Arbanon, which lasted from 1190 to 1216." Arbanon is generally considered to have retained large autonomy until Demetrius death in 1216, when the principality fell under the vassalage of Epirus or the Laskarids of Nicaea.
Between 1190 and 1204, Arbanon was a principality of the Byzantine Empire and possessed a considerable degree of autonomy, although the titles 'archon' (held by Progon) and 'panhypersebastos' (held by Dhimitër) are evident signs of Byzantine dependence.Ducellier 1999, p. 780: "As for Albania, its separate identity was real enough, even though it had not truly broken with Constantinople; all the same, the rulers of Arbanon around ἄρχον, Progon and his sons Dhimitër and Gjin, based at Kruja, retained a considerable degree of autonomy, even though Progon bore no title grander than ἄρχων (archon); and the title of πανὑπερσεβαστός (panhypersebastos), borne by Dhimitër at the start of the thirteenth century, can only be seen as a sign of his dependence on the Byzantines." In the context of a weakening of Byzantine power in the region following the sack of Constantinople in 1204, Arbanon attained full autonomy for 12 years until the death of Demetrios in 1215 or 1216.Ellis, Steven G.; Klusáková, Lud'a (2007). Imagining Frontiers, Contesting Identities. Edizioni Plus. pp. 134–. .
Serbia
When Durrës was captured by the Kingdom of Serbia, Milutin was titled the King of Albania while his rule was occasionally recognized by Albanian noblemen around Durrës. Many Albanian noblemen were included in the feudal hierarchy of the Kingdom of Serbia and had titles and privileges of župans, voivodas or kaznacs. Albanian nobility was included into hierarchy of the feudal system of Serbian Empire without any discrimination and participated in the work of the highest government institutions, where Albanian archons had the same rights as the Serbian nobility had.У време јаког продора српске државе у средњовековну Ал- банију и потпуне превласти цара Стефана Душана арбанашка властела постала је активан и врло значајан политички чинилац у земљи., p.42 – Glas, Том 338, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, 1983 Serbian emperor wanted to gain the support of the Albanian nobility so he confirmed the privileges Kruje had been granted by the Byzantine Empire.
Ottoman Empire
A decisive point of the relation of Albanian nobility with Ottoman Empire was the Battle of Savra in 1385. After the Battle of Savra Albanian nobility became vassals of the Ottoman Empire.
Albanian nobility did not fight against Ottomans with united and compact forces like Serbian and Bulgarian aristocracy, but with small independent local rulers. Therefore, the Ottomans, who have been since claimed to be "brutal and cruel" to the Serbian and Bulgarian nobility, might have been conciliatory with the Albanian nobility.
When Albania became part of the Ottoman Empire, it was divided into sanjaks with numerous timars. Many members of the Albanian nobility held high rank positions within Ottoman the hierarchy, like Skanderbeg and Ballaban Badera who were Ottoman sanjakbeys. Some members of the Albanian nobility were Ottoman timariots. Through the implementation of the timar system the Albanian nobility was absorbed into the Ottoman military class within not more than two generations. They adopted the Ottoman titles such as agha, bey or pasha. However, there was also a significant amount of resistance to Ottoman rule from Albanian nobility, as evidenced by the Albanian revolt of 1432–1436 and Skanderbeg's rebellion. During a time period, there were also Albanian Pashaliks which were 3 semi-independent states ruled by Albanian nobles who carried the Ottoman title of Pasha.
Republic of Venice
During the period of crisis for the Ottoman Empire after the Battle of Ankara in 1402 several Ottoman vassals from Albania including Gjon Kastrioti, Niketas Thopia and Nicola Zaccaria, recognized Venetian suzerainty. Numerous members of Albanian noble families were Venetian pronoiers.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 , 9780472082605 p. 510 "Koja [Zaharia] submitted to Venice" Many Albanian noblemen fought against Skanderbeg within Venetian forces during Albanian–Venetian War. The Venetian Duchy of Durazzo was also under control of Venice and many Albanian nobles claimed citizenship rights to the city which is now modern-day Durrës.
Kingdom of Naples In 1451, many Albanian noblemen became vassals of the Kingdom of Naples. The first was Skanderbeg who signed the Treaty of Gaeta on March 26, 1451 and after him many other Albanian noblemen like George Arianiti, Ghin Musachi, George Strez Balšić, Peter Spani, Pal Dukagjini, Thopia Musachi, Peter of Himara, Simon Zenebishi and Carlo II Tocco signed similar treaties. Skanderbeg had to fulfill his vassal obligations to send his forces to Italy to support Ferdinand I of Naples in his struggle against the Angevin Dynasty. In return, the Kingdom of Naples provided financial and military support to its vassals in Albania and maintained a permanent garrison in Kruje.
Principality of Albania
The Principality of Albania was founded by Karl Thopia in 1359 who ruled the lands in central Albania between the rivers of Mat and Shkumbin. The principality was also able to conquer Durazzo from the Anjou who had controlled it at the time. He was later succeeded by his ill son Gjergj Thopia, who married Serbian princess Teodora Branković and had no issue. The remaining lands were split and fought between Helena Thopia and Karl’s illegitimate son Niketa Thopia.
Religion and language