Albania under the Ottoman Empire refers to a period in Albanian history from the Ottoman conquest in the late 14th century to the Albanian declaration of Independence and official secession from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. The Ottomans first entered Albania in 1385 upon the invitation of the Albanian noble Karl Thopia to suppress the forces of the Serbian noble Balša II during the battle of Savra. They had some previous influence in some Albanian regions after the battle of Savra in 1385 but not direct control. The Ottomans placed garrisons throughout southern Albania by 1420s and established formal jurisdiction in central Albania by 1431. Even though The Ottomans claimed rule of all Albanian lands, most Albanian ethnic territories were still governed by medieval Albanian nobility who were free of Ottoman rule. The Sanjak of Albania was established in 1420 or 1430 controlling mostly central Albania, while Ottoman rule became more consolidated in 1481, after the fall of Shkodra and League of Lezhe with the country being mostly free in the period of 1443-1481. Christian Albanians revolted again in 1481 but the Ottomans finally controlled Albania by 1488.
Ali Pasha of Ioannina, was an Albanian ruler who served as pasha of a large part of western Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territories, which was referred to as the Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina, and the territory he governed incorporated central and southern Albania, most of Epirus and the western parts of Thessaly and Greek Macedonia. Ali had three sons: Muhtar Pasha, who served in the 1809 war against the Russians, Veli Pasha, who became Pasha of the Morea Eyalet and Salih Pasha, governor of Vlorë.
Mustafa Pasha Bushatli, called Işkodralı, was a semi-independent Albanian Ottoman statesman, the last hereditary governor of the Pashalik of Scutari. In 1810 he succeeded Ibrahim Bushati and ruled Scutari until 1831.
The Bushati family was a prominent Ottoman Albanian family that ruled the Pashalik of Scutari from 1757 to 1831.
The Pashalik of Scutari, Iskodra, or Shkodra (1757–1831), was an autonomous and de facto independent pashalik created by the Albanian Bushati family from the previous Sanjak of Scutari, which was situated around the city of Shkodër in modern-day Albania and large majority of modern-day Montenegro. At its peak during the reign of Kara Mahmud Bushati the pashalik encompassed much of Albania, most of Kosovo, western Macedonia, southeastern Serbia and most of Montenegro. Up to 1830 the Pashalik of Shkodra controlled most of the above lands including Southern Montenegro.
The Pashalik of Yanina, sometimes referred to as the Pashalik of Ioanina or Pashalik of Janina, was an autonomous and de facto independent pashalik within the Ottoman Empire between 1787 and 1822 covering large areas of Greece, Albania and North Macedonia. The pashalik acquired a high degree of autonomy under the Ottoman Albanian ruler Ali Pasha, though this was never officially recognized by the Ottoman Empire. Its core was the Ioannina Eyalet, centred on the city of Ioannina in Epirus. At its peak, Ali Pasha and his sons ruled over southern and central Albania, the majority of mainland Greece, including Epirus, Thessaly, West Macedonia, western Central Macedonia, Continental Greece, and the Peloponnese, and parts of southwestern North Macedonia around Ohrid and Manastir.
Ahmet Kurt Pasha was an Albanian pasha and the founder and the first ruler of the Pashalik of Berat, a semi-autonomous area within the Ottoman Empire. He descended from the Muzaka family, which in the late Middle Ages had founded the Lordship of Berat.
Ibrahim Pasha of Berat was the second and last ruler of the Pashalik of Berat, in office from 1787 to 1809.
The Albanian Pashaliks were three semi-independent Albanian states ruled by Albanian pashas from 1760 to 1831 and covering the territory of modern Albania, Kosovo, most of Montenegro, southern Serbia, western North Macedonia and most of mainland Greece. The degree of independence of these states varied over time, from semi-autonomous to de facto independent.
The Muzaka were an Albanian noble family that ruled over the region of Myzeqe in the Late Middle Ages. The Muzaka are also referred to by some authors as a tribe or a clan. The earliest historical document that mention Muzaka family is written in 1090 by the Byzantine historian Anna Komnene. At the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century members of the Muzaka family controlled a region between the rivers of Devoll and Vjosë. Some of them were loyal to the Byzantine Empire while some of them allied with Charles of Anjou who gave them impressive Byzantine-like titles in order to subdue them more easily. During a short period, Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan occupied Albania including domains of Muzaka family but after Dušan's death they regained their former possessions. After the Battle of Savra in 1385 the territory of Albania came under the Ottoman Empire; they served the Ottomans until 1444 when Theodor Corona Musachi joined Skanderbeg's rebellion. When the Ottomans suppressed Skanderbeg's rebellion and captured the territory of Venetian Albania in the 15th century many members of the Muzaka family retreated to Italy. Those who stayed in Ottoman Albania lost their feudal rights, some converted to Islam and achieved high ranks in the Ottoman military and administrative hierarchy.
The Massacre of the Albanian beys occurred on 9 August 1830, when around 500 Albanian leaders (beys) and their personal guards were killed by Ottoman forces in the town of Manastir. The massacre led to the weakening of the power of the beys of southern Albania and also set the basis for the destruction of the powerful northern Albanian Pashalik of Scutari.
The Vilayet of Janina, Yanya or Ioannina was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire, established in 1867. In the late 19th century, it reportedly had an area of 18,320 square kilometres (7,070 sq mi). It was created by merging the Pashalik of Yanina and the Pashalik of Berat with the sanjaks of Janina, Berat, Ergiri, Preveze, Tırhala and Kesriye. Kesriye was later demoted to kaza and bounded to Monastir Vilayet and Tırhala was given to Greece in 1881.
The Sanjak of Delvina was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire which county town was Delvinë but during the 18th century became Gjirokastër, Albania. It was created in the mid-16th century, came under the control of the Pashalik of Yanina during 1785−1822, and was disestablished after the Balkan Wars in 1913. It was divided between Albania Albania and Greece in 1913.
The Sanjak of Avlona was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire which county town was Berat in Albania. It was established in 1466, after the construction of the Elbasan Castle of the territory that belonged to the preceding Ottoman sanjak, Sanjak of Albania.
The Sanjak of Ioannina was a sanjak of the Ottoman Empire whose capital was Ioannina in Epirus.
The House of Taushani was an Albanian aristocratic family prominent from the 15th to 19th century. According to prof. Stavri Naci, the most powerful families of Albania that played an important economic and political role were, "in Shkoder, the Bushati and Caushollaj; in Peja, Begollaj; in Elbasan, Taushani and Bicaku; in Vlora, Velabishtaj and Vlora; in Delvina, Kapllanpashalli; in Kruja, Toptani; and in Kavaja, the Alltuni."
Veli Pasha was an Ottoman Albanian governor (pasha) of the Pashalik of Yanina in Epirus, and the second son of Ali Pasha. As an Ottoman commander, he is known for his participation against the Souliotes, the Septinsular Republic, and the Serbian rebels.
The Souliote War was an armed conflict between Ali Pasha of Ioannina and a coalition of Souliotes and their Muslim allies. The war lasted between February 1789 and April 1793 and was fought in the context of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) and local power struggles. The Souliotes achieved a defensive victory but failed to foment a big Christian insurrection as originally planned.
Zylyftar Poda, born Iljaz Poda, (1768-1835) was an Albanian leader, who led several revolts against the Ottoman Empire.
