Post by todhrimencuri on Jun 4, 2009 16:27:36 GMT -5
This idea I read mostly in the Ukranian scholar Treptow, who wrote an article on the 1481 revolt. However, within it Treptow put forward an interesting interpretation of Scanderbeg's revolt.
15th century Albania is marked by three significant revolts against the Ottoman Empire: 1421(two years),1444 (over 30), and 1481(2 years). The first was launched by Gjergj Arianit Komneni, whose family is first mentioned in an Italian treaty with prince Philip of Taranto as one of the 12 Albanian warlords in southern Albania. By the 15th century the family had expanded from its mountain stronghold and taken control of most of southern Albania, intermarried with Byzantine nobility and was starting to see itself increasingly as a settled nobility and less and less as a "warlord family". The family members of this "clan" launched a revolt against the Ottomans when they saw their family lands takenover by Muslim Ottoman lords. In an effort to take back their lands, the family used pan-Christian rhetoric and managed to bring most Albanians on their side. The revolt lasted two years and was marked by two major victories against the Ottoman realm (the first of which was the first major set back for the Ottomans in the Balkans).
The revolt is characterized as that of a nobility against a new Muslim overlord who is taking their lands.
The second revolt, that of Scanderbeg is a bit more complicated. Although the revolt still had Christian rhetoric in it (the symbolic impalement of the Muslims at Kruja no doubt is to be understood in that sense) but there was some other complex features of it. In effect the revolt was imbued with various social rhetoric that Gjergj Kastriot may himself (as I see it) have picked up from the Ottomans. Between 14-15th century Albania saw the increasing "nobilization" of its warlords. Families like Arianiti-Komneni and Dukagjin saw themselves less and less as tribal leaders but rather as Byzantine or European nobility. They adopted the symbols and strappings (such as detailed lineage). This wasnt exactly going well with Albanian peasants, to whom the "warrior lord" aspect of a ruler appealed to them. Historically power went to the "best man" and the idea that these men were becoming stable dynastic nobles was a sort of alien concept.
Well, something that marks Scanderbeg's revolt is a reversal of this process, at least in rhetoric. In an effort to subvert the allegiance of the peasants he appealed to their yearning for a more "warlord" like figure. In this way he could centralize power in Albania to him. In reality Scanderbeg was also trying to consolidate power in Albania more and more in order to perhaps eventually become its "king"(titles like Rex Albanae no doubt appealed to him). This subversion is perhaps one of the reasons why he had such major fallouts with Dukagjin (although the fact that he snubbed him by not marrying one of his daughters to him was also a part of it).
In this sense the appeal of being Albanian and part of an Albanian nation (regnum, kingdom) played an important role in the rhetoric of a person who was trying to look like he was identifying more and more with the people, whether or not he actually meant it. The consolidation of European states like Spain or France was probably a model for him.
15th century Albania is marked by three significant revolts against the Ottoman Empire: 1421(two years),1444 (over 30), and 1481(2 years). The first was launched by Gjergj Arianit Komneni, whose family is first mentioned in an Italian treaty with prince Philip of Taranto as one of the 12 Albanian warlords in southern Albania. By the 15th century the family had expanded from its mountain stronghold and taken control of most of southern Albania, intermarried with Byzantine nobility and was starting to see itself increasingly as a settled nobility and less and less as a "warlord family". The family members of this "clan" launched a revolt against the Ottomans when they saw their family lands takenover by Muslim Ottoman lords. In an effort to take back their lands, the family used pan-Christian rhetoric and managed to bring most Albanians on their side. The revolt lasted two years and was marked by two major victories against the Ottoman realm (the first of which was the first major set back for the Ottomans in the Balkans).
The revolt is characterized as that of a nobility against a new Muslim overlord who is taking their lands.
The second revolt, that of Scanderbeg is a bit more complicated. Although the revolt still had Christian rhetoric in it (the symbolic impalement of the Muslims at Kruja no doubt is to be understood in that sense) but there was some other complex features of it. In effect the revolt was imbued with various social rhetoric that Gjergj Kastriot may himself (as I see it) have picked up from the Ottomans. Between 14-15th century Albania saw the increasing "nobilization" of its warlords. Families like Arianiti-Komneni and Dukagjin saw themselves less and less as tribal leaders but rather as Byzantine or European nobility. They adopted the symbols and strappings (such as detailed lineage). This wasnt exactly going well with Albanian peasants, to whom the "warrior lord" aspect of a ruler appealed to them. Historically power went to the "best man" and the idea that these men were becoming stable dynastic nobles was a sort of alien concept.
Well, something that marks Scanderbeg's revolt is a reversal of this process, at least in rhetoric. In an effort to subvert the allegiance of the peasants he appealed to their yearning for a more "warlord" like figure. In this way he could centralize power in Albania to him. In reality Scanderbeg was also trying to consolidate power in Albania more and more in order to perhaps eventually become its "king"(titles like Rex Albanae no doubt appealed to him). This subversion is perhaps one of the reasons why he had such major fallouts with Dukagjin (although the fact that he snubbed him by not marrying one of his daughters to him was also a part of it).
In this sense the appeal of being Albanian and part of an Albanian nation (regnum, kingdom) played an important role in the rhetoric of a person who was trying to look like he was identifying more and more with the people, whether or not he actually meant it. The consolidation of European states like Spain or France was probably a model for him.