Zaharia family

The Zaharia family, also known as the Zakarija, Zakaria, Zacharia or Zaccaria was an Albanian noble family, most prominent during the 14th and 15th century.

CountryMedieval Albania (Zaharia Domains)

Current regionNorthern Albania; Venetian Albania

Place of originBudua & Danjë

Founded14th century

Quick facts Zaharia familyFamilja Zahariajt Zakarija, Zakaria, Zacharia, Zaccaria, Country ...

Zaharia family Familja Zahariajt Zakarija, Zakaria, Zacharia, Zaccaria
Noble family
Country	Medieval Albania (Zaharia Domains)
Current region	Northern Albania; Venetian Albania
Place of origin	Budua & Danjë
Founded	14th century
Founder	Nikollë Zaharia
Current head	Extinct
Final ruler	Lekë Zaharia
Final head	Bosa Dukagjini
Historic seat	Danjë & Shati
Titles	Lord of Budua Lord of Danjë Lord of Shati
Members	Nikollë Zaharia Koja Zaharia Lekë Zaharia Boglia Zaharia Pjetër Zaharia
Connected families	Dukagjini family (by marriage) Balsha family (by marriage)
Estate(s)	Budua, Danjë, Shati, Gladri and Dushmani
Dissolution	15th century
Deposition	1445
The family became extinct in the mid-15th century after the death of Lekë Zaharia and the surrender of Danjë to the Republic of Venice.

Close

History

Nikollë Zaharia

The Zaharia family is mentioned for the first time in the 14th century.^[1] A certain Nicholas Zakarija is first mentioned in 1385 as a Balšić family commander and governor of Budva in 1363.^[2] After more than twenty years of loyalty, Nicholas Zakarija revolted in 1386 and became ruler of Budva. However, by 1389 Đurađ II Balšić had recaptured the city.^[2]

The name of Nicholas Zaharia appears in the form of Nikola Sakat in many original Venetian and Ragusan documents (as governor of Budva in 1383, influential person in Zeta in 1386 and lord of Dagnum during a period of cooperation with Balšić family).^[3]^[4]^[5] That is a basis for some concluding that that Nicholas Zaharia and Nikola Sakat are the same person, who is related to Koja Zaharia.^[6]

Komnen Arianiti of Arianiti family married the daughter of Nicholas Zaharia Sakati, ruler of Budva. They had three sons (Gjergj, Muzaka, and Vladan), and one daughter who married Pal Dukagjini.^[7]

Koja Zaharia

In 1396, due to a favorable political situation, Koja Zaharija captured the castle of Dagnum and declared himself a vassal of the Ottomans. In 1412 or at the beginning of 1413, in his second marriage, Balša III married Bolja, a daughter of Koja Zaharia.^[8] In 1415 their only son and the only male descendant of the Balša family died.^[9] Koja maintained the control of the region until his death.

Lekë Zaharia

Upon the death of Koja Zaharija, control of the region was passed to his only son, Lekë Zaharia. According to Marin Barleti, in 1445, during the wedding ceremony of Skanderbeg's sister Mamica Kastrioti, Lekë Zaharia had a dispute with Lekë Dukagjini. The reason of this dispute was a woman named Irene Dushmani, the heir of Dushmani family. 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. Two years later, in 1447, Lekë Zaharia was killed in an ambush and Lekë Dukagjini was accused of this murder.

Original Venetian documents show that this murder happened in 1444.^[10] According to Venetian chronicler Stefano Magno, it was Nicholas Dukagjin, Zaharia's vassal, who killed Lekë Zaharia in battle, not Lekë Dukagjin, as stated by Marin Barleti.^[11] Stefano Magno also stated that, before he died, Lekë Zaharia expressed the wish that his properties should be handed over to Venetian Republic.^[12]

Bosa Dukagjini

Bosa Dukagjini, the mother of Lekë Zaharia, died in the fire which devastated Venetian Scutari in October 1448.^[13]

After the extinction of the family

Having left no heirs, the fortress of Dagnum was claimed by Skanderbeg in the name of League of Lezhë, in which Lekë Zaharia had been a participant. However, his mother surrendered the castle to the Venice Republic. This events triggered the two-year-long Albanian–Venetian War (1447–1448). In the end the castle of Dagnum remained in Venetian hands toward an annual tribute to Skanderbeg.^[14]

Religious affiliation

According to Eqrem Vlora, some members of the Zaharia family were initially Eastern Orthodox Christians, only converting to Roman Catholicism in 1414, after which they disappeared from history.^[15]

Family tree

Nikollë Zaharia, Lord of Budua, unknown spouse
- Unknown Daughter, married Komnen Arianiti
  - Gjergj Arianiti
  - Muzakë Arianiti
  - Vladan Arianiti
- Koja Zaharia, Lord of Sati and Dagnum, married Bosa Dukagjini
  - Lekë Zaharia, Lord of Sati and Dagnum, married Irene Dushmani
  - Boglia Zaharia, Lady of Zeta, married Balsha III
    - Teodora Balsha, married Petar Vojsalić Hrvatinić who was a Duke of Bosnia
      - Dorothea Vojsalić
    - Unnamed Son, was born in 1415 but died shortly after birth
  - Busha Zaharia, Lady of Paštrovići, married Đurađ Đurašević
    - Đurašin Đurašević
    - Gojčin Crnojević, Lord of Zeta, unknown spouse
      - Aleksandar Crnojević
    - Stefan Crnojević, Lord of Zeta, married Mara Kastrioti
      - Ivan Crnojević, Lord of Zeta, married Goisava Arianiti then Mara Vukčić Kosača
      - Andrija Crnojević
      - Božidar Crnojević
    - Unknown Son

References

[1]
Anamali 2002, p. 268.
[2]
Fine 1994, p. 392.
[3]
Istorija Crne Gore (2): Od kraja XII do kraja XV vijeka. Red. za istoriju Crne Gore. 1970. pp. 42, 51–. почетком 1383... заповједник Будве Никола Сакат...наводно испољили жељу да Ђурђа II Страцимировића лише власти Никола и Андреја Сакат, па их је зетски господар по савету Дукађина, казнио...Никола Сакат помиње се у одлукама дубровчког Малог вијећа крајем марта 1386 год. као утицајна личност у Зети... [Google translation: at the beginning of 1383 ... the commander of Budva Nikola Sakat ... allegedly expressed a wish to deprive Đurđe II Stracimirović of power Nikola and Andrej Sakat, so the lord of Zeta, on the advice of Dukađin, punished them ... Nikola Sakat is mentioned in the decisions of the Dubrovnik Small Council at the end of March 1386 as an influential person in Zeta ...]
[4]
Albanološki institut u Prištini (1968), pp. 123-124, quote: "...je taj isti Nikola Sakat bio ne samo gospodar Budve već i čitave teritorije koju sada drži gospodin Koja, što znači gospodar Danja i okoline, zatim da je bio verni i odani sluga mletački. Valjda se po predaji Skadra 1386 zatekao na njihovoj teritoriji i pokazao gotovost da podrži njihovu politiku" [... that same Nikola Sakat was not only the master of Budva, but also of the entire territory now held by Lord Koja, which means the master of Dagnum and its surroundings, then that he was a faithful and loyal servant of Venice. Apparently, after the surrender of Shkodra in 1386, he found himself on their territory and showed readiness to support their policy.]
[5]
Božić (1979), p. 214, quote: "Једна одлука млетачког Сената из 1417. године говори да је тај исти Никола Сакат био не само господар Будве..." [One decision of the Venetian Senate from 1417 says that the same Nikola Sakat was not only the master of Budva ...]
[6]
Albanološki institut u Prištini (1968), p. 124, quote: "... upućivali bi na zaključak da je i sam Koja Zakarija pripadao istoj porodici" [they would point to the conclusion that Koja Zakarija himself belonged to the same family]
[7]
Anamali 2002, pp. 255–257.
[8]
Albanološki institut u Prištini (1968), p. 125, quote: "Poznato je takođe da se Balša III krajem 1412 ili početkom 1413 godine oženio u drugom braku ćerkom Koe Zaharije" [It is also known that Balsha III at the end of 1412 or the beginning of 1413 married in a second marriage the daughter of Koja Zacharija]
[9]
Spremić 2004, pp. 73–108. Quote: "ускоро је дочекао велику несрећу: 1415. умро му је син јединац. Тако је Јелена сахранила унука, а династија Балшића остала је без мушког наследника" [He soon had a great misfortune: in 1415 his only son died. That is how Jelena buried her grandson, and the Balšić dynasty was left without a male heir.]
[10]
Schmitt (300), p. 300, quote: "In einem Aktenstück von Januar 1445 inseriert ist eine Urkunde des Skutariner Grafen Francesco Querini vom 18. September 1443, in der Lekas Witwe Bozha, seiner Tochter Bolja und deren Söhnchen Koja einge Dörfer aus Lekas Baština und eine Pension..." [A document from January 1445 contains the text of a document issued by Count Francesco Querini of Scutari, dated 18 September 1443, in which Leka's widow Bozha [verb missing; granted?] his daughter Bolja and her son Koja villages from Lekas Baština and a pension...}]
[11]
Božić (1979), p. 364, quote: "Никола Дукађин убио је Леку Закарију. Према млетачком хроничару Стефану Мању убио га је "у битки" као његов вазал. Мада Барлеције погрешно наводи да је убиство извршио Лека Дукађин" [Google translation: Nikola Dukadjin killed Leka Zakaria. According to the Venetian chronicler Stefano Magno, he killed him "in battle" as his vassal. Although Barleti erroneously states that the murder was committed by Leka Dukadjin]
[12]
Božić (1979), p. 364, quote: "Према причању Стефана Мања, и сам Лека Захарија је, пре но што ће умрети, изразио жељу да се његови поседи предају Млечанима." [According to Stefano Magno, Leka Zaharija himself, before he died, expressed his desire for his estates to be handed over to the Venetians.]
[13]
Schmitt (2001), p. 304, quote: "[...] wenige Tage später verwüstete ein Brand die Stadt Skutari; unter den Opfern befand sich auch Bozha Zaharia." [... a few days later a fire ravaged the city of Scutari (Shkodër); Bozha Zaharia was among the victims.]
[14]
Noli 1967, pp. 90–92.
[15]
Vlora (1956), quote: "10. The Zacharias. This name refers to the Zacharias who were Lords of Danjo in the fourteenth century. Originally Orthodox, they converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1414 and subsequently disappeared from history."