Principality of Balshaj

Balshaj and the efforts for a unified Albanian state

Among the independent Albanian principals, which flourished after the middle of the nineteenth century,the most important was that of the Balshaj family originating from the nearby Balz in Shkodra city. During the Serbian invasion , the name of this family remains in the dark. Yet there is reason to suppose that Balshaj was one of many noble Albanian doors,expropriated and mistreated of this area.However, after the mid-nineteenth century, the three Balshaj brothers, Strazimiri, Gjergji I and Balsha II, set this family at the forefront of Albania's state-building process , utilizing the convenient moment that followed the death of car Stefan Dushan. With the dissolution of his Empire, the Balshaj brothers were working to turn Genta, like the former Diocletian, into an independent state from the Serbian kingdom.For this purpose, they cut off any connection with the new Serbian czar yard, Stefan Urosh, who considered Balshaj as "rebellious" and treated them as his controversial opponents.

Against the Genta Albanian subjugator, he tried to promote the Slavic subjugator as well as the Republic of Venice, which feared the empowerment of Balshaj and in particular the return of the tire principality to a naval principality.With the possession of Ulcinj, Tivar and Skir of Shirgji As well as with the finishing of conquering Budva in 1367, Balshaj were able to control trade flows across the Adriatic.In their hands there were trade routes stretching from the coast to inner areas. The most important of them was the road that started at Deja customs point ,where the roads from the ports of Shengjin, Ulqin and Tivar joined, and continued through the Drin valley to reach the Dukagjini plain, from where it branched into the central areas of Kosovo.All Balshaj's power hastened to exploit for the benefit of his trade the Republic of Ragusa, which in 1361 gave the three brothers Ragusan citizenship. The same step was accomplished a year later by the Republic of Venice, which received Strazimir, Gjergji I and Balsha II as citizens.However, the Republic of St Mark continued to disbelief with the empowerment of the Albanian lords and attempted to create, secretly, an opposing group of Balsha, with the Albanian leaders from the families Gjurashi, (Cërnojeviçi), Dukagjini, Zaharia, Dushmani, Shestani, who Balshaj had deprived of power and privileges. Also, the Venetians encouraged and supported the Slavic rulers, such as Stefan Uroš and Vojno Vojnovin, who had reason to be disturbed by the empowerment and extension of the rule of Albanian princes.

Efforts to stretch the principality's boundaries to the south led Balshaj to the collision with other noble Albanians, Dukagjini, Zaharija, and especially Topiaj, Arber's lords and, since 1364, the lords of Durrës.The clash between the two most powerful Albanian princes became inevitable as long as Topias themselves fought to put in control the centers that traditionally belonged to the Durrës-military administrative and military system, primarily Lezha.In a battle held there from September 1364, Balshaj was broken by the masters of Durrës and Gjergji i Balsha himself was in slave . With the intervention of the Republic of Ragusa, friend of the two noble Albanian houses, Gjergj Balsha was released and the hostility ended with the marriage of Karl Topiaj with Catherine, Balshaj's sister.

Strong resistance also faced Balshaj's efforts to expand north of the Kotor , and especially to conquer this last town.The Republic of Venice, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Papacy, Slavs of the Canal ,Zaklumje and Bosnia, and the Republic of Ragusa itself, joined to force Balsha to give up such an undertaking. In this way, after 1368, the actions of the Balshaj brothers focused on expanding their holdings to Kosovo's lands and deep in the south, in the despotate of Vlora. Temporarily renouncing from Kotor, Balshaj achieved a relaxation of their relationship with all the interested powers. With the Republic of Venice, Balshaj strengthened the trade and military ties. In 1369, Balshaj announced their passage to the Catholic rite to strengthen ties with the Papacy and the Catholic powers of the West. A year later Pope Urban V, accepting the Balsha brothers in the bosom of the apostolic church of Rome, recommended to them the newly-appointed bishops of Arber, Pulti, Sardes (Shurdhah), Lezha and Vlora.Through this fact, it is understood that Balshaj had become Vlora's lords.