Liberation of Krujë (1443)

Liberation of Krujë (1443); Çlirimi i Krujës
	Part of Skanderbeg's rebellion and the Albanian-Ottoman Wars
Date	28 November 1443
Location	Krujë,Ottoman Albania,Ottoman Empire
Result	Albanian Victory
Territorial; changes	Krujë is captured by Albanian forces
Belligerents
Albanian defectors from the Ottoman Army	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Skanderbeg; Hamza Kastrioti	Zabel Pasha
Units involved
Skanderbeg's Unit	Garrison of Krujë
Strength
300 troops	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Minimal	All killed

The Liberation of Krujë (Albanian: Çlirimi i Krujës) was an event that happened on 28 November 1443. It marks the start of Skanderbeg's rebellion and is an important event in Albanian history.

Background

According to Chalcocondyles, "Weary after Hunyadi forced the Ottomans to retreat in the Balkans in 1443, the old lords hurried on all sides to regain possession of their fathers' fields".^[1] One of them was Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg who deserted the Ottoman army along with his nephew Hamza Kastrioti and 300 Albanians which were placed on the left flank of the Ottoman army but retreated without engaging Hunyadi.^[2]^[3]

Battle

On 28 November 1443, Skanderbeg's 300 soldiers reached the city of Krujë. Skanderbeg hid his soldiers in the woods as Hamza Kastrioti made his way to the entrance of the castle, giving the leader of the castle, Zabel Pasha, a forged letter from the Sultan where it said that Skanderbeg was to be appointed the new ruler of the city. After Zabel Pasha left the city,Skanderbeg entered the city together with his 300 Albanian soldiers.^[4] When it became nighttime the Albanian forces attacked the Ottoman guards picking them off one-by-one. The remaining Ottoman guards asked for peace, leading to Skanderbeg asking for an ultimatum where the Ottomans were to leave the city, however some of the ottomans didnt accept and charged at the Albanian soldiers, but they were quickly killed. Skanderbeg let the remaining Ottomans escape, however as soon as they left the city walls they were killed by mobs of Albanian civilans, with no Ottoman guard being left alive.^[5]^[6] After the end of the battle Skanderbeg gave a speech where he stated:^[7]

I did not bring you freedom, I found it here among you. As soon as I set foot here, as soon as you heard my name, all of you came to me faster, as if your fathers, brothers and sons had risen from the graves, as if God himself had descended from heaven.

Aftermath

After the Liberation of Krujë, Skanderbeg, together with help from the Dibran forces led by Moisi Golemi captured many other Albanian fortresses that were under the rule of the Ottomans, one of the most crucial fortresses would be the Castle of Svetigrad.^[8] On 2 March 1444 the regional Albanian chieftains and nobles united against the Ottoman Empire and established the League of Lezhë.^[9]

References

^ İnalcık, Halil (1995), From empire to republic : essays on Ottoman and Turkish social history, Istanbul: Isis Press, p. 88, ISBN 978-975-428-080-7, OCLC 34985150, retrieved 4 January 2012, Comme nous le dit Chalcocondy- las après la retraite des Ottomans dans les Balkans en 1443 devant l'Hunyade, les anciens seigneurs se dépêchèrent de tous les côtés à rentrer en possession des domaines de leurs pères....(As Chalcocondyles tells us, "Weary after Hunyadi forced the Ottomans to retreat in the Balkans in 1443, the old lords hurried on all sides to regain possession of their fathers' fields".)
^ Encyclopaedia of the Muslim World, Ed. Taru Bahl, M.H. Syed, (Anmol Publications, 2003), 45.
^ Dialogue, Volume 5, Issues 17-20. Dijalog. 1996. p. 78. Retrieved 27 March 2012. Posle bitke kod Pirota, Skenderbeg zajedno sa sinovcem Hamzom, sinom svog starijeg brata Staniše ...
^ "Çlirimi i Krujës nga Skënderbeu, 1443 (Nëntori i Parë)". inforculture.info.
^ Barleti, Marin. Historia e Skënderbeut. ISBN 9789992799536.
^ Kristo, Frashëri (2002). Skënderbeu, jeta dhe vepra. Toena. ISBN 978-99927-1-627-4.
^ Agron, Shala (2018). "Fjalimi i Skënderbeut!?". telegrafi.com.
^ "Fjalimi i Gjergj Kastriotit pas çlirimit të Krujës". botasot.info. 17 January 2020.
^ Noli 1947, p. 36

Sources

Noli, Fan Stilian (1947), George Castrioti Scanderbeg (1405-1468), International Universities Press, OCLC 732882

[1] İnalcık, Halil (1995), From empire to republic : essays on Ottoman and Turkish social history, Istanbul: Isis Press, p. 88, ISBN 978-975-428-080-7, OCLC 34985150, retrieved 4 January 2012, Comme nous le dit Chalcocondy- las après la retraite des Ottomans dans les Balkans en 1443 devant l'Hunyade, les anciens seigneurs se dépêchèrent de tous les côtés à rentrer en possession des domaines de leurs pères....(As Chalcocondyles tells us, "Weary after Hunyadi forced the Ottomans to retreat in the Balkans in 1443, the old lords hurried on all sides to regain possession of their fathers' fields".)

[2] Encyclopaedia of the Muslim World, Ed. Taru Bahl, M.H. Syed, (Anmol Publications, 2003), 45.

[3] Dialogue, Volume 5, Issues 17-20. Dijalog. 1996. p. 78. Retrieved 27 March 2012. Posle bitke kod Pirota, Skenderbeg zajedno sa sinovcem Hamzom, sinom svog starijeg brata Staniše ...

[4] "Çlirimi i Krujës nga Skënderbeu, 1443 (Nëntori i Parë)". inforculture.info.

[5] Barleti, Marin. Historia e Skënderbeut. ISBN 9789992799536.

[6] Kristo, Frashëri (2002). Skënderbeu, jeta dhe vepra. Toena. ISBN 978-99927-1-627-4.

[7] Agron, Shala (2018). "Fjalimi i Skënderbeut!?". telegrafi.com.

[8] "Fjalimi i Gjergj Kastriotit pas çlirimit të Krujës". botasot.info. 17 January 2020.

[9] Noli 1947, p. 36

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]