Lekë Zaharia (? – 1444), was an Albanian nobleman from

Zaharia family The Zaharia family was an Albanian noble family of the 14th and 15th centuries. History Nicholas Zakarija The Zaharia family is mentioned for the first time in the 14th century. A certain Nicholas Zakarija is first mentioned in 1385 as a Balši ...

. He was the only son of his father

Koja Zaharia Koja Zaharia or Koja Zakaria ( it, Coia Zaccaria) (? – before 1442) was an Albanian nobleman and a member of the Zaharia family. Name In Ragusan documents he is referred to as Kojčin or Gojčin. Because of that, many scholars like Nicol ...

and mother Bosa who also had one daughter, Bolja, who named her son Koja after her father.

League of Lezhë

In 1444 he was one of the founders of

League of Lezhë The League of Lezhë ( sq, Lidhja e Lezhës), also commonly referred to as the Albanian League ( sq, Lidhja Arbërore), was a military and diplomatic alliance of the Albanian aristocracy, created in the city of Lezhë on 2 March 1444. The Leag ...

which included some other members of Albanian nobility: # Lekë Zaharia (lord of

Sati Sati or SATI may refer to: Entertainment * ''Sati'' (film), a 1989 Bengali film by Aparna Sen and starring Shabana Azmi * ''Sati'' (novel), a 1990 novel by Christopher Pike *Sati (singer) (born 1976), Lithuanian singer *Sati, a character in ''Th ...

and

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 ...

) and his vassals Pal Dukagjin and Nikolla Dukagjini # Pjetër Spani #

Lekë Dushmani Lekë Dushmani was an Albanian nobleman and one of the founding members of League of Lezhë, formed on 2 March 1444. Life A member of the Dushmani family he ruled over the region of Zadrima, in modern Shkodër District. In Venetian documents ...

# Gjergj Stres Balsha with

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

and Gojko Balsha # Andrea Thopia with nis nephew

Tanush Thopia Tanush Thopia or Tanusio Thopia (, la, Tanusas Thopius; d. 1467) was an Albanian nobleman and one of the closest collaborators of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. Thopia descended from the Thopia family that converted from Orthodox Christianity t ...

# Gjergj Arianiti Thopia Comneni # Theodor Korona Muzaka #

Stefan Crnojević Stefan Crnojević ( sr-cyr, Стефан Црнојевић), known as Stefanica (Стефаница; 1426–1465) was the Lord of Zeta between 1451 and 1465. Until 1441, as a knyaz he was one of many governors in Upper Zeta, which at that t ...

with his sons

Leke's murder

According to

Marin Barleti Marin Barleti ( la, Marinus Barletius, it, Marino Barlezio; – ) was a historian and Catholic priest from Shkodër who was a humanist. He is considered the first Albanian historian because of his 1504 eyewitness account of the 1478 siege o ...

, in 1445 during the ceremony of the marriage of

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 ...

sister

Mamica Kastrioti The House of Kastrioti ( sq, Dera e Kastriotëve) was an Albanian noble family, active in the 14th and 15th centuries as the rulers of the Principality of Kastrioti. At the beginning of the 15th century, the family controlled a territory in the ...

, he had a dispute with

Lekë Dukagjini Lekë III Dukagjini (1410–1481), mostly known as Lekë Dukagjini, was a 15th-century member of the Albanian nobility, from the Dukagjini family. A contemporary of Skanderbeg, Dukagjini is known for the ''Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit'', a code of ...

. The reason of this dispute was a woman named

Irene Dushmani Irene, Princess of Zadrima and Pult (albanian: Jerina Dushmani) was a 15th century Albanian Princess of the Dushmani family that ruled over the north-western part of the country. Her father was Prince Lekë Dushmani, Lord of Zadrima and a partici ...

, the heir of

Dushmani family The Dushmani or Dusmani were an Albanian family that ruled parts of Pilot, a historical province within the territory of the eponymous Dushmani tribe from the Dukagjin highlands in northern Albania, during 15th century rule under the Republic ...

. She seemed to prefer Zaharia, while this was not accepted by Dukagjini. A skirmish happened and Lekë Dukagjini remained wounded, saved only by the intervention of

Vrana Konti Vrana (d. 1458), historically known as Vrana Konti (literally, ''Count Vrana'') was an Albanian military leader who was distinguished in the Albanian-Turkish Wars as one of the commanders of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, of whom he was one of th ...

. Two years later, in 1447, Lekë Zaharia was killed in an ambush and Lekë Dukagjini was accused for this murder. Original Venetian documents show that this murder happened in 1444. According to Venetian chronicler Stefano Magno it was

Nicholas Dukagjin Nicholas Dukagjini ( it, Nicolas Ducagin, sq, Nikollë Dukagjini) was a 15th-century member of the Dukagjini family. Biography Nicholas Dukagjini was the son of Gjergj (George) Dukagjini, who died before 1409 when Nicholas was mentioned for ...

, Zaharia's vassal, who killed Lekë Zaharia in the battle, not Lekë as stated by

. Stefano Magno also stated that, before he died, Lekë Zaharia expressed his wish that his properties should be handed over to Venetian Republic.

Aftermath

Having left no heirs, the fortress of Dagnum was claimed from Skanderbeg in the name of League of Lezhë, whose Lekë Zaharia was a participant. However, his mother surrendered the castle to the

Venice Republic The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

. This events triggered the Albanian Venetian war which lasted two years. In the end the castle of Dagnum remained in Venetian hands toward an annual tribute to Skanderbeg.Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, 1405-1468 Volume 4 of (Vepra të plota) / Fan S(tylian) Noli, Fan Stylian Noli Author Fan Stylian Noli Publisher Naim Frashëri, 1967 p. 90-92

Family tree

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaharia, Leke

Leke Leke is a town in Diksmuide, a part of Belgium in the province of West Flanders ) , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg , flag_size = , image_shield ...

15th-century Albanian people Albanian Roman Catholics Year of birth missing Assassinated Albanian people 1447 deaths