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European Journal of Social Sciences Studies ISSN: 2501-8590 ISSN-L: 2501-8590 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/soc Volume 2 │ Issue 6 │ 2017 doi: 10.5281/zenodo.841841 THE INVASION OF KOSOVO FROM THE OTTOMANS IN THE XIV CENTURY Bedri Muhadrii Dr. Sc., Professor Assistant, Institution of History “li Hadri , Head of Department of the Medieval History, Prishtina, Kosovo Abstract: After the death of King Dusan which resulted with the fall of Raska, the economically advanced cities in Kosova: Novobërda, Trepça, Prishtina, Prizreni, Peja etc., remained partially under the Slavic reign of Stefan Lazar and Gjergj Brankoviq, whereas the western cities remained under the reign of Albanian aristocratic families such as Balshaj and Dukagjini. After the successful campaigns of Ottomans in 1427-1428 and 1441, the territory of Kosova was conquered by the Ottomans. The successful Hungarian and Polish campaigns against the Ottomans in the Battle of Nish in 1443, managed to overthrow the Ottomans from the Balkans. However, after the Battle of Varna in November of 1444, the Ottomans regained reign on the territory of Kosova. Seeing that Gjergj Brankoviq resurfaced as an Ottoman ally during this time, the Ottomans acknowledged him the right to reign over a large part of the Kosovar territory, as a vassal. After the fall of Constantinople on the 19th of May 1453, Sultan Mehmet II in the spring of 1455 initiated a strong military operation, and managed to ultimately include a large part of the Balkans, including Kosova, under the Ottoman reign. In 1455, the Ottomans conquered: Novobërda, Trepça, Prishtina, Janjeva, Vuçitërna and Lipjan. After the conquest of Novobërda, Bellasica and Klina were conquered as well. Prizren was initially conquered in 1455, but thereafter an insurgency against the Turkish conquest erupted and as a result the Ottomans only managed to ultimately conquer it in 1459. The Turkish conquest of Peja as well as a large part of Dukagjini Plain occurred in 1462. After these events, Kosova fell under the Turkish reign which lasted until 1912. Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 237 Bedri Muhadri THE INVASION OF KOSOVO FROM THE OTTOMANS IN THE XIV CENTURY Keywords: The Ottomans, the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, Kosovo, Prizren, Dukagjini Plain, Novobërdo, Skopje, Peja, Trepça, Pristina, Janjeva Balshaj, Gjergji I Balsha, Sultan ”ajzazit, Stefan Lazarevic, Serbia, Gjergj ”ranković, the Hungarian, Llesh Spani, the Hungarian, Janosh Hunyadi, Skanderbeg, the Sultan Mehmeti II (known in Ottoman history as Mehmet Fatih, Mehmet Conqueror) Introduction The Ottoman state's victory in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 and the consolidation of Ottoman rule at the end of the 14th century facilitated further Ottoman invasions in Albania and Kosovo. With the takeover of Skopje (1392) by the Ottomans, the very favorable geographic position where the shorter roads linking the Ottoman Empire to all Albanian lands and the other Balkan regions were transformed the city of Skopje into a very powerful military base, Declaring it pashasanxhak or a mansion of Bejlerbeu of Rumelia, who was the commander-in-chief of Ottoman armies for its European part.ii In 1393, the Ottomans took Zvecan and thus the Ottomans strengthened their presence in Kosovo. Part of the territory of Kosovo namely Dukagjini Plain with its territories in: Peja, Istog, Klina, Gjakova, Prizren and Suhareka were under the administration of the Dukagjinians. The aristocratic feudal dynasty of the Dukagjinans created vassal relations with the Ottoman state. For the creation of these reports, the letters of the noblemen of the Dukagjinas of 1387 testify to the Ragusa authorities that they can freely pass through their lands because they have entered into agreements with the Ottomans.iii This proves that under the Dukagjinian governing authority were the territories along the Lezha-Prizren road, as well as the exit to the coast.iv At this time in the second half of the 16th century. XIV Balshares, the arboreal aristocrats, formed their own state that extended to the northern part of the arboreal area. The territory on which the power of the Balshina lay in the early 1960s. XIV was called Zeta. v At first, they governed Budva (Budva), Tivari, Ulcinj and Shkodra, which also made their Historia e Popullit Shqiptar I : Ilirët Mesjeta Shqipëria nën Perandorinë Osmane gjatë shek. XIV - vitet 20 të shek. XIX, Tiranë: Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë Instituti i Historisë 2002, 378. iii The letter of Lek Dukagjini sent to Ragusa on December 30, 1387, has this content: "Nobles of the honorable city of Dubrovnik, I write to you with my covenant and my brother: come freely to my land, do not be afraid of anything". Regarding the customs stamp, you pay the legal duty tax you paid earlier to other nobles who were previously in these countries. And do not be afraid of anything, because I have peace with the Turks. Burime të zgjedhura për Historinë e Shqipërisë Vëllimi II, Shek. VIII - XV, Tiranë, 1962, 190. ivS. Rizaj, Kosova gjatë shekujve XV, XVI dhe XVII: administrimi, ekonomia, shoqëria dhe lëvizja popullore, Prishtinë: Rilindja 1982, 29. v G. Gelcich, Zeta dhe Dinastia e Balshjave, Tiranë, 2009, 18. ii European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 6 │ 2017 238 Bedri Muhadri THE INVASION OF KOSOVO FROM THE OTTOMANS IN THE XIV CENTURY headquarters.vi Balshaj in the years 1371 - 1385 extends power over the city of Peja, Prizren and the area of Novobërdo. Since these territories were under the rule of Balsha's state, it proves the document or political-trade agreement between George II Balsha and Ragusa, issued on November 20, 1379. With this document Balsha's state through its ruler Balsha II confirms to Ragusa town the old trade-related privileges, but also had to pay the customs tax on the territory of the state of Balsha where it is said; "... to pass freely the merchants of Dubrovnik (ex Ragusa) through my land ..., and in Dania (customs place) and in Kriva Reka (customs near Novobërdo) to pay the customs tax as much as they paid when he was alive My brother, Mr. Gjergji (Gjergji I Balsha, BM).vii For downloading the full article, please access the following link: http://oapub.org/soc/index.php/EJSSS/article/view/167 Historia e Popullit Shqiptar I, 301. Burime të zgjedhura, 186. vi vii European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 6 │ 2017 239