Sanjak of Albania

Sanjak of Albania
sanjak of the Ottoman Empire
←   ← 30px 1385–1466 →   →
Coat of arms
Capital		Gjirokastër from 1419
History
•	Battle of Savra	1385
•	Construction of Elbasan Castle	1466
Today part of		Albania Greece Montenegro

The Sanjak of Albania (also known as the Albanian Sancak, or simply Arvanid;Turkish: sancak-i Arvanid), was a sanjak of the Ottoman Empire from 1385–1466, a subdivision of the Rumelia Eyalet. Its territory stretched between Mat River on the north and Kalamas river to the south.

Background

Further information: Battle of Savra

During the 14th century, Ottoman rule began to extend over the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans. The division of the Albania into small, quarreling fiefdoms ruled by independent feudal lords and tribal chiefs made them easy prey for the Ottoman armies. In 1385, the ruler of Durrës, Karl Thopia, appealed to the sultan for support against his rivals, the Balšić family. An Ottoman force quickly marched into Albania along the Via Egnatia and routed Balša II in the Battle of Savra. The principal Albanian clans soon swore fealty to the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans allowed conquered Albanian clan chiefs to maintain their positions and property, but they had to pay tribute, send their sons to the Ottoman court as hostages, and provide the Ottoman army with auxiliary troops.

Sanjak

The Sanjak of Albania was one of the first Ottoman Administrative units in the Balkans which included of most of the territory of both southern and central Albania. Its territory also included Krujë and its surrounding (together with the territory which today belongs to Tirana) which formed separate administrative unit within the Sanjak of Albania. Its name was Krujë Subaşilik because it was governed by subaşi. The Sanjak of Albania represents the first definition of Albania by the Ottoman Empire as a territorial unit, linking the Albanian language to a specific territory.

The Sanjak of Albania was part of Rumelia Eyalet which consisted of all sanjaks of the Balkans. Shijak became part of Sanjak of Albania after 1400, while previously it was part of the timar of Skurrje. Gjirokastra became the county town of the Sanjak of Albania in 1419.

During the reign of Mehmed I (1413–21), Hadim Suleiman Pasha, who previously held the sanjak of Semadrek, was appointed sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Albania. As contemporary sources attest his rule was brief as he was attacked and captured along with his retainers and servants and afterwards sold to a Catholic state (possibly Venice). When Albanian Revolt of 1432–1436 started the sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Albania was Ali Bey Evrenos-ogly.

In 1437, when Teodor Muzaka revolted against Ottoman Empire, a sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Albania was his son Jakub Bey. The first position of Hadim Sehabeddin Pasha outside the sultan's palace was the position of sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Albania, which he held until 1439 when he was appointed as beylerbey of the Rumelia Eyalet.

When in 1441 Përmet was annexed to the sanjak of Albania, Jakub Bey is mentioned as its sanjakbey. He remained on the position of the sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Albania until September 1442 when he was killed as one of 16 Ottoman sanjakbeys under command of Hadim Sehabeddin Pasha who were all killed by Christian forces commanded by Janos Hunyadi in a battle near Ialomița River.

Arvanid register

In period 1431—1432 all rural and urban households and their property were registered in all ten districts of the sancak of Arvanid. The 1432 register shows that districts in the Sanjak of Albania were further divided on 335 timars, each composed by two or three villages. The Arvanid register is one of the earliest available land registers in Ottoman Empire's archives, and was published in 1954.

Administrative units

The Sanjak of Albania was divided to the following smaller administrative units:

• Ergiri (Gjirokastër)
• Këlcyrë
• Kaninë
• Belgrad-i Arnavud (Berat)
• Timorindža
• Iskarapara (Skrapar)
• Pavlo-Kurtik
• Čartalos
• Akçahisar (Krujë)

Albanian revolt of 1432—1436

In 1432 Andrew Thopia and Gjergj Arianiti revolted against the empire. The uprising was finally suppressed during the campaigns of 1435 and 1436 led by Ali Beg (sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Albania) and Turakhan Beg.

Disestablishment

The Sanjak of Albania was disestablished in 1466, after the construction of Elbasan Castle (July 1466). Its territory was then divided between newly established Ottoman Sanjak of Avlona and Elbasan.