
STATE OF ALBANIA before the advent of Islam
writes: Abedin Rakipi
During 10-13 centuries since the Albanian lands were one of the main key points Venetian Empire, Venice was held in the Albanian lands an imperial defense system. This system consisted in the protection of key points as they were closing the passage of Slavs who came out to Shkodra and Dyrrachion ZETA (Westmoreland) and for this protective role was Lissus Castle (Alessio or current Lezha. According to Anne Comnéne Lezha had a major role in military coverage since she defended Shkoder and Durres. In 1022 Papa Benedetto's 8th Raguza here gives all Albanian lands north of Alessios (Clarendon) (1). Lezha However being close to Spring (Kruja) there remains isolated. In 1082 Alexis Comnéne installs its troops in the square Deabolis, in the valley of Devoll (2) of which can be achieved lakes of Macedonia, and beyond the heart of the empire. Belagrade (Berat) reached between Osumi, while Gllavinica (Ballshi) between Drinos or Vjosa. But the determinant role in the economy plays Albanian coast, which is equipped with numerous castles and castle that serves as the epoch Justiniane transballkanike transit trade, and also the castles of his plays a protective role. In these centuries the Byzantine Empire interesohej not at all except for the coast of Albania which, as we said played very strong role to the Byzantine smund to leave it. But given that the number of Greek colonies in the service of Byzantium were scarce, despite the efforts made for the installation of numerous Byzantine Greeks in the Albanian coast, Byzantium had to get you in cooperation with local indigenous Albanians because if that were the Albanian coast fall, then the road was open to Thessaloniki, as was observed also in Norman attack of 1185 (3). The Albanian population lived in conditions of mizershme given that all the country's natural resources were taken and shipped from Venice, Byzantium, and Ragusa to Albanian ports and then sold in other countries. Albania was mjafueshem timber to maintain all ports and vessels in the Byzantine Albanian coast but he also transported in Italy and elsewhere. Grains and cereals were so abundant in the area of \u200b\u200bVlora, that the ones enough Norman to feed all their hosts (4). The first Crusade began, and Robert de Flanders with his army after spending the Slavic countries and came to Albania said: Finally we came to a place where nothing missing SDO us (5). Atkeqesisht banoheshin Albanian towns and controlled by foreign trade and some rare local quisling who had achieved some very gentle, where as the first Albanian prince was Progoni autonomous Albanian who fought hard to achieve its autonomy given that he had constant pressure from the Greek colonies and Byzantine masters who control the economy and the situation political change in Albania. A concrete example was the Westmoreland Chryseloi family which owned a large part of the land in that area. They were of Bulgarian origin and were helenizuar but were allied with the Tsar Samuel and Armenian and spend time here under the Bulgarians and the Byzantine empire, here below according to their strategic interests and economic. Examples of such land master had hundreds of thousands (6). Dissatisfaction of the domestic population was increasing day by day and reaching its peak and this is shown clearly when in 1185 the Thessaloniki Eustathe admits openly that they were Albanians who facilitated getting Westmoreland king of Sicily. Anne Comnéne writes that in 1081 during the Norman attack in Durres majority of colonies were tragtare Greek, Venetian and Veneto-Byzantine amalfitane.Luftrat 12th century city of Durres do that and many other Albanian cities fell into the hands of time Greeks and once in the hands of Italians taking into account the fact that after every battle and Albanians burned many countries taken as a robe domestic war on both sides. These wars of varferuan local population even more. At that time the Genoa preparing a military intervention in Albania and the fear of this thing in 1205 Venice occupied Durres. Even Pisa in that period had eyes on Albanian soil, waiting for the right moment to be conquered. In 1270 the Albanian coast passes under the King of Naples of CIL ive very high taxes which leads to removal of the Venetians and raguzianeve Etheria in this way bringing the decadence of Durres and other coastal cities. Ragusa and Venetians, then flow to countries that are not controlled by Napoletanet especially in the south where the possessions belonging to Byzantium. Ragusa exportonte Slavic Albanian products to markets and for its internal consumption in Dalmatia while Venice to Italy. French author Alain Ducellier in his book "Byzantium and Venice BETWEEN ALBANIA" writes local seprodhuesit suffered more because the economy was driven by foreign colonies and was turned into a slavery for the locals who worked as slaves living in very primitive conditions and often through tents and dilapidated houses in the cities aristokrateveshqiptare except some who had returned to being complicit in slavery quisling who had impozuar colonial Byzantium (with its Greek columns) Venice (in Italian) and Ragusa veta.Ne armies of the early century to 15 further worsened the situation for the Albanians since the Venice of rimorri Durres in 1392 and continued theft of Albanian products which served to fuel up in Dalmatia Zadar from Kotor (7). After the 1385 Venice began to give paramount importance given that the Ottoman Albania is go near and Albania was a strategic location with its castles that would serve as the basis Venice against the Ottomans. Despite the sacrifices of the Albanian princes local autonomy not only as Venice but also encouraged them fought starting in 1385 and by the time of Scanderbeg Albanian where strong families as Balshajt was fought bitterly by Venice. While the author K. Jirecek in my Valona Mitteralter (Illyrische-Albanische Forchungen) says that the Albanian princes asked help Venice against the Ottoman rulers. While Alain Ducellier calls Venice a very negative role in Albania because of severe fiskaliteti Albanians and they exert enormous abuse of officials to agrikultoreve native Venetian led to a massive and progressive migration of Albanians in the 15th century until the point that Durresi that was one of the cities and ports with strong Balkan 1430 is considered as "nearly empty and very poor" (8). Venice and Ragusa had strong political connections with some Albanian prince who's enabled them multiple benefits at the expense of the Albanian people. In this way quisling rulers who were enriched but also allow the authority of Venice and Raguza on annexation. These princes not like the arrival of the Ottomans in the Albanian lands that would thus lose their economic supremacy and privileges that had oppressed the local population. These princes were Topiajt, Muzakajt, Kastriotët, Arianitet, and who were allied Dukagjinet subjected to Venice and then Raguza against Osmaneve.Ne 1461 that exports large quantities Valona shook towards Raguza (which, after the Venice weakness progressed especially in Vlora and Kanina), traders and villagers around Vlora forced to buy grain on More to mbijetuar.Raguza in that period despite the Ottoman presence was a strong super colony in Vlora and the above fact clearly shows to what extent they use the population local. Ragusa was also the monopoly of salt Albanian which the area of \u200b\u200bVlora transported to Dalmatia taking into account the fact that the Albanian coast in the Ionian Sea had an amount many times higher than the salt Dalmatia. After years when the salt of the Vlore 1450 began to expire or pakesohej Raguzianet Vlora left and headed towards the coast of Puglia in southern Italy. Ragusa also played a very strong economic role in the sale of Albanian slave in early 15th century, who were involved in the Albanian lands to be sold in the Puglia and Marche, and this trade continued for decades rarely and why the government theoretically Raguza z stop this but she secretly support for what it was one of the most lucrative businesses Raguza (cf. slaves sold, "Ab Albanensi-bus", Himara, in 1439 (archives historic Dubrovnik). So the secret of the slave traffic Albanian organized in the early 15th century by Slavic princes who sundoninvloren as Zarkovic MCYS. In this way my boat filled Albanian slaves disembark in the ports of Ancona and Porto Recanati (11). Even in the years 1459 and 1466 charging traffickers ship Raguziane entire Albanian slave. They lie poor Albanians especially around the villages that will employ in Raguz and the pay better, but once we reach the Italian coast with the help of their friends to turn them into slaves and sold ata.Pas serious weakness in the towns and Albanian regions such that some road linking Durres disappeared Slavonia and the French author Alain Ducellier in the book "Albania between Byzantium and Venice "says that for this the Turks should not be charged because they did not destroyed the Albanian coast, but colonization and unscrupulous exploitation of Venice, Byzantium, and Raguza the coast and Albanian territories. After the arrival of the Ottomans in the Balkans always by the same author was gjalleruan other way as "VIA DE Zenta" that linked Lezha Shkodra and continuing to Vau Dejes linking Prizren to Skopje, and many new roads were created as that linking Vlora to Berat and then went to Slavonia, Korca or Kastoria, or new road linking the Himara Gjirokaster, by re-establishing a key role in the Albanian territories in this way who bought the goods in Serbia and Macedonia and has been sold to foreigners the Albanian ports already controlled by the Ottomans. Here comes the Albanian princes and merchants who under the tutelage Ottoman began a real business of domestic goods but also those coming from the east with former users and their offenders Byzantine, Venetian, or Raguziane an important role for this played Vlora which was several decades ago was dominated by Jews, some Albanian Slav but especially from the Greek where the best presenter them is suspect Manoli Vissomati known in the years 1417-1435, but it was a string composed of people who parasitic colonies of served repressive policy and exploitation of the country by foreigners. In order to undeniably changed the situation in Albania thanks to Turkish domination and "pax ottomana" taking away the invaders who and users of old colonial and finding the Albanians loyal ally in the Balkans against the Venetians, especially the Albanians hated the latter, created for the local Albanians a very favorable situation for the development of the country, and especially the trade between East and West. After receiving the Ottoman armies Vlora Vlora was in a shopping center liberal conformity of the Ottoman state in thus becoming one of the most powerful ports of the Balkans (9). But Venice and Ragusa dropped no secret traffic in the area Vlora and especially Himara but traffickers frequently attacked by the Albanian people of Himara frequently of them join forces with the Turks to attack traffickers (10). These developments forced the Ottomans to enable local populations by giving them more freedom and opportunities of creating a military-economic system that both sides strengthen the Ottomans and Albanians already were becoming the undisputed allied invasion of the Balkans and exploitation Bizantino-Venediko-Raguzian and to have an important role installation by the Ottoman government played the "Sharia" or Islamic constitution which rejected aristocracy defending a vision of equality of men and approaching each individual the possibility of developing free and demokratik.___________________________________
(1) Year 1022 THALLOCZY SUFFLAY Acta et res Albanian diplomats aetatis illustrantia Media, Vienna 1913/1918 Tome 1 No. 60. (1) Anne Comnéne Alexiade 5, 4, edition, Tome 2 p. 9 (2). Eustathe Thessaloniki La espugniazione de Tessalonica (3) Anne Comnéne Alexiade, 1, 14, Tome 1 p. 53 (4) ID., 4, 1 Tome 1 p. 144 (5) N. ADONTZ Samuel armeniani king of Bulgarian-Byzantine studies armeno, Lisbon 1965, p. 395-403 (6) Alain Ducellier Albania between Byzantium and Venice (7) Archivi di stato, Venice senato Tues 1 p.4 (8) Alain F. Ducellier KAP 17 62 (9) Lam. For. 39 p. 329-364 (1468) (10) Lam. For. 11 p. 116v