Dukagjini in Albania and Ottoman Turks

08/12/2023

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History shows that the originator of this Dukagin Law is “Le Dukagin”, that is, “Le Dukagin”, who was one of the princes of the Normandy of France and who came to Albania during the Eastern Roman period and later rose to the rank of Principality, thanks to the delegation he formed. Then he established the term “Lek Dukagin” has been introduced in the law. It should not be doubted that the word “Lek” here corresponds to the French word “Leva”, meaning “Law”. Salname‐i Vilayet‐i Kosova, 1318, p. 691.

Dukakin-Oglu: They are one of the Normandy lords who captured some parts of Albania after the power of the Eastern Roman emperors collapsed before the conquest of Istanbul, and they are an Albanian family who captured the Shkodra area. p.166. Hammer Ottoman History

Alphabetical listing of Places in World

Name	Region	Country	Lat	Long	Elev ft.	Pop est

Dukagjin	Durres	Albania	41.56	19.64	13	17324
Dukagjin	Kukes	Albania	42.11	20.28	1669	5364
Dukagjin	Diber	Albania	41.70	20.06.	2509	4588

Alphabetical listing of Places in Albania

Fan

city

Fier

Albania

40.87

19.82

55

16060

Nicholas Dukagjini

Together with many other Albanian noblemen (such as Moisi Arianit Golemi, Pal Dukagjini and Hamza Kastrioti) he abandoned Skanderbeg’s forces and deserted to the Ottomans. Ottomans allowed him to govern 25 villages in Debar and 7 villages in Fandi. Nicholas died before 1454.

To this son were born many other children in direct lineage, many descendants whom I cannot remember, except for one George Dukagjini. He had two brothers, one called Tanusso (Tanush) and one called Dukagjini. The first brother, George, was Lord of Zadrima. The second one, called Tanush, was Lord of Fan and the rest of the country. The third brother, Dukagjini, had as his part of the country, eight villages in Zadrima. He married and set up house in Shkodra.

Many Albanians were recruited into the Ottoman Janissary and Devşirme and Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire were of Albanian origin

Albanian Revolt 1911
Noel Malcolm

The Dukagjin family did have significant influence in the region of Kosovo during the 15th and 14th centuries, but they did not rule the entire region. The Dukagjini were an influential noble family in medieval Albania and Kosovo, and they played a prominent role in the political and military affairs of the region during that time. The Dukagjini family is a historical Albanian noble family known for the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini, a set of traditional Albanian laws. The family has played a significant role in the cultural and historical development of the region.

Mirdita= Söğüt

Robert Guiscard
Hauteville family
Tanush
Dukagjini Family

Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha (died March 1515) (Albanian: Ahmed Pasha Dukagjini), another descendant of the family, was an Albanian Ottoman statesman. He was grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1515. His son, Dukakinzade Mehmed Pasha (Turkish: Dukakinoğlu Mehmed Paşa), was the governor of the Egypt Eyalet from 1544 to 1546, until he was executed.

Many Albanians were recruited into the Ottoman Janissary and Devşirme and 42 Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire were of Albanian origin.

She was the youngest child of Nikollë and Dranafile Bojaxhiu (Bernai). Her father, who was involved in Albanian-community politics in Ottoman Macedonia, died in 1919 when she was eight years old. He was born in Prizren (today in Kosovo), however, his family was from Mirdita (present-day Albania). Her mother may have been from a village near Gjakova, believed by her offspring to be Bishtazhin.

Feriz Beg belonged to the Mihaloğlu family, a noted Byzantine family which converted to Islam and was important in the early Ottoman conquests of the Balkans. When his brother Stefan betrayed him to the Ottomans in 1496, Đurađ proposed to accept the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire and Firuz Bey if they allowed him to remain as governor in Zeta.

1470 Jonima
1858 Lejean

The plain of Gjakova has been partially colonised by Catholic Albanians from the Fani [Fandi] tribe of Mirdita whose land is less productive than the rest of Mirdita. This led them to come and settle on this plain as farmers for the Muslims. The latter, being lazy, villain and haughty by nature, like the hidalgos, were delighted to see their lands prosper without having to do anything themselves. But once the land was in full productivity, they endeavoured brutally to expel those who had made it fertile. Fortunately, the Fani are just as skilled with their rifles as they are with their spades, and the Muslim faithful were forced to limit themselves to cursing their industrious farmers.

The warlike spirit of the Fani to which I have just alluded, broke out recently. At the edge of the plain of Gjakova, there was a fortified home inhabited by Muslims who lived the life of Riley. They went into the surrounding Bulgarian villages and took whatever they wanted – food, money, women, cattle. This went on for quite a while and the authorities then had to intervene. As there were only Turkish police and soldiers, the bandits could do whatever they wanted, but finally, impatient consuls demanded of the Pasha of Prizren that he rid the country of this nest of thieves.

The matter was handed over to an officer from Gjakova, a well-known bandit himself, but a man capable of action. Instead of taking his subordinates with him, he called upon the Fani, assembled seventeen of them and went off to attack the bandits’ fortress (kulla). It was taken by assault, the bandits were slain and two Fani men were seriously wounded. I need not add that these two men, wounded while in public service, never received their promised wages. They were lucky enough to be left alone. After all, they had dared to kill “believers,” and everyone knows that in Muslim countries, the life of a Muslim thief is sacred for any infidel whose wallet he is after. […]

After the Dukagjini family left the League of Lezhë in 1450, together with Arianiti family, they concluded a peace with Ottoman Empire and started their actions against Skanderbeg.

Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha (died March 1515) (Albanian: Ahmed Pasha Dukagjini), another descendant of the family, was an Albanian Ottoman statesman. He was grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1515. His son, Dukakinzade Mehmed Pasha (Turkish: Dukakinoğlu Mehmed Paşa), was the governor of the Egypt Eyalet from 1544 to 1546, until he was executed.[27]

In any case, it’s true that Albanians, who were always present in Kosovo (especially in Western Kosovo (Dukagjin) started settling in the lowland areas after that – not as some sort of ‘large Ottoman settlement’ or ‘land theft’, but as the logical choice of Northern Albanian tribes to leave the harsh Albanian mountains for more inhabitable flatlands next door. Albanians – who descend from ancient populations of the area – slowly became the majority in Kosovo (again). In certain parts of Kosovo, Albanians became the majority very early on, in others, they did not. Important to note for people who may mistake this settlement as some sort of ‘Ottoman muslim colonialization’ – the vast majority of the arriving North Albanian tribesmen and -women were Catholic at that time. They converted to Islam in larger numbers long after their settlement of Kosovo began.