Hamza Kastrioti ( la, Ameses Castriota) or Bernardo Kastrioti (after his conversion to Christianity), was a 15th-century Albanian nobleman and the nephew of

George Kastrioti Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

. Probably born in Ottoman territory, after the death of his father Stanisha he was raised by Skanderbeg, who took him in his military expeditions. After the Battle of Nish he deserted Ottoman troops together with his uncle Skanderbeg, converted to Christianity and changed his name to Bernardo. He supported Skanderbeg's uprising and was the vice captain of Skanderbeg's troops when they captured

Krujë Krujë ( sq-definite, Kruja; see also the etymology section) is a town and a municipality in north central Albania. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is only 20 km north from the capital of Albania, Tirana. Kruj ...

in 1443. In 1448,

Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

's forces under the command of Hamza Kastrioti and Marin Spani occupied the abandoned fortress town of Balec and reconstructed it while Skanderbeg began his war against Venice. Hamza Kastrioti did not wish to stay in the fortress and went to Drivast leaving Marin Span with 2,000 soldiers in Balec. Marin found the newly reconstructed fortress insecure and retreated with his soldiers toward

Dagnum Dagnum ( sq, Danjë or Dejë, sr, Danj, it, Dagno) was a town, bishopric and important medieval fortress located on the territory of present-day Albania, which has been under Serbian, Venetian and Ottoman control and remains a Latin Catholic t ...

as soon as he was informed by his relative Pjetër Spani about the large Venetian forces heading toward Balec. Venetian forces recaptured Balec, burned wooden parts of the construction and destroyed reconstructed walls of the fortress. After the marriage of Skanderbeg and the birth of his son

Gjon Gjon (definite form: ''Gjoni'') is an Albanian male given name, clan, surname and onomastic element. As given name Etymology and history ''Gjon'' as a given name is a form of the English name John. It is the name of the apostle Saint John in Al ...

, Hamza Kastrioti lost every hope of inheriting the

Principality of Kastrioti Principality of Kastrioti ( sq, Principata e Kastriotit) was one of the Albanian principalities during the Late Middle Ages. It was formed by Pal Kastrioti who ruled it until 1407, after which his son, Gjon Kastrioti ruled until his death in 14 ...

.Noli, Fan Stylian, George Castroiti Scanderbeg (1405–1468), International Universities Press, 1947 pp. 52-53 He deserted to the Turkish Sultan

Mehmed II Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...

in 1457 and converted back to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

Scanderbeg Authors Harry Hodgkinson, Bejtullah D. Destani, Westrow Cooper, David Abulafia Editor Bejtullah D. Destani Edition illustrated Publisher Centre for Albanian Studies, 1999 , p.144 and along with

Isak-Beg Ishak Bey or Ishak-Beg or Ishak-Beg Hranić was an Ottoman governor and soldier, the sanjakbey of Üsküb from 1415 to 1439. Biography According to some sources he was a member of the Bosnian Hranušić family, released slave and adopted son ...

he was one of the commanders of the Ottoman troops in the

Battle of Ujëbardha The Battle of Albulena, also known as the Battle of Ujëbardha, was fought on 2 September 1457 between Albanian forces led by Skanderbeg and an Ottoman army under Isak bey Evrenoz and Skanderbeg's nephew, Hamza Kastrioti. Skanderbeg had be ...

. In that battle he was captured by Skanderbeg's forces and placed in detention in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

on charges of treason. He was later freed and went to join his wife and children in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, and continued to serve in the Ottoman high ranks. His loss was regarded as a tragedy by Albanians. He was one of the most brilliant generals of Skanderbeg and was very popular among the soldiers for his manners, second only to Skanderbeg. According to historians, along with him, League of Lezhë lost the chance to continue what Skanderbeg had begun.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kastrioti, Hamza 15th-century Albanian people 1460s deaths Albanians from the Ottoman Empire Hamza Military personnel of the Ottoman Empire Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

See also

References