Lekë Dukagjini

Portrait of Lekë Dukagjini by Simon Rrota (1887-1961)

Lekë Dukagjini, son of Pal, was one of the central figures of medieval Albanian history before the Ottoman era. In Albanian folklore and local traditions, he is remembered as the author of the "Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini", the customary law of many northern Albanian regions. This connection to the customary laws of Albania, has given him the sobriquet "the Lawgiver" (ligjvënësi).

In the context of the Dukagjini genealogy, Lekë is usually referred to as Lekë III to distinguish him from other members of the family who held the same name including his great-grandfather Lekë, grandson of Duka Gjin Tanushi. His mother possibly was a sister of Gjergj Arianiti. Before 1445-1450, he was too young to be a participant in the wars of the Albanian League. He becomes frequently attested since 1456 because of events related to the castle of Dejë.

About 20 years before these events, Nikollë Dukagjini who controlled Dejë had been betrayed by the Venetians and the castle passed to the Ottomans which in turn gave it again to the Venetians per another agreement they signed. The castle was held afterwards by local noblemen who recognized Venetian rule but was semi-autonomous. Lekë Zaharia who ruled Dejë joined the League of Lezhë in 1444 effectively breaking with Venetian overlordship. After the death of Lekë Zaharia (1446) Skanderbeg supported the acquisition of the castle-town Dejë by Pal Dukagjini who was considered the rightful ruler of the area. Venice intervened against the Albanian League and captured Dejë and so began the Albanian-Venetian war of 1447-48. The Albanians were victorious but because of a new Ottoman campaign, a truce was signed. Dejë remained in Venetian control but all the lands south of the Drin passed to the control of the Dukagjini and subsequently the Albanian League. Venice exploited the truce to postpone the question of its final control indefinitely. A permanent Venetian garrison was installed in the fortress under a Venetian commander who was named castellan of Dejë and local leaders were bribed to support Venetian subjecthood.

To maintain control of Dejë, the Venetians tried to bribe Lekë to turn him against Skanderbeg and simultaneously spread rumors that members of his branch were not the "legitimate Dukagjini" and even circulated rumors that he was involved in the murder of Lekë Zaharia. Nonë of these actions was forgotten by the Dukagjini who still remembered the broken agreement between them and Venice. Secretly, Lekë had been gathering supporters inside Dejë and even bribed one of the Venetian commanders so that he would assist him in case he attacked Dejë. Around October 29 1456, Lekë gathered his supporters and in a surprising night attack took Dejë. Most soldiers were killed in the battle including the Venetian castellan’s son. As was the custom of the time, Lekë beheaded the Venetian castellan de Forluxijs after the battle and cut the right arm of his Albanian vassal, Basil Ungrej (as was the customary punishment for traitors). Then he sent the family of de Forluxijs during the night to Shkodra to notify the Venetian command that he had defeated them and had retaken Dejë. Immediately, the Venetians placed a bounty for Lekë in all Venetian territories: 1500 ducats if he was captured alive, 1000 ducats for his body. Lekë tried to push forwards and also take Drisht but his attack was repulsed by Venetian forces assisted by its pro-Venetian citizens. The turmoil which existed in the country gave the opportunity to Ottomans to launch a new campaign. Venice exploited this series of events propagated that Lekë had collaborated with the Ottomans and led them deep in Albania. Venetian propaganda led to his excommunication by the Pope. By the autumn of 1457, Venice retook Drisht. During this period, Skanderbeg considered that battles in the Albanian-Venetian frontier in the previous years had weakened defense against the Ottomans, although he considered the Venetians untrustworthy and hostile towards Albanians. It seems that relations between Lekë and Skanderbeg were tense until 1463, when they reunited their forces. From this moment and for all years which followed, Skanderbeg and Lekë were strong allies. When Skanderbeg died in 1468, Marin Barleti writes that Lekë Dukagjini sang a gjamë, which is a mourning ritual performed publicly by men of northern Albania to honor their close ones. The motiffs of the lyrics of the gjamë as written by Barleti in a literary form closely correspond in content to the gjamë of Lekë Dukagjini in honor of Skanderbeg as recorded in the Arbëreshë folk songs of southern Italy by Jeronim de Rada in the 19th century.

After Skanderbeg's death he was the leader of Albanian resistance as Ottomans were increasing their military presence in Albania. In 1477-1479, Lekë defended Drisht and other castles against the new Ottoman campaign which ended with the siege of Shkodra and effectively concluded the main part of Ottoman conquest of Albania. Durrës would fall in 1501. In the campaign, Venice often betrayed local resistance and even actively collaborated with the Ottomans to deliver Lezha to the Ottomans. In Drisht, which was defended by Lekë, Venetians stopped delivering supplies and assistance during the siege. In local folk legends, it is remembered that Lekë stood strong against Ottoman besiegers until they found a weak spot in Drisht's west wall andentered the town. Lekë escaped and wasn't captured by the Ottomans. The route which he used in his retreat through Shosh is known as Guri i Lekës. He died in 1481 at an advanced age during another anti-Ottoman rebellion.

He had two sons, Kolë (Niccolo) and Stefano. Stefano's descendants are last mentioned in central Italy in the 16th century. From Niccolo's branch via Progon Dukagjini began the Dukaginzade branch of the family.