Andrea II Muzaka

Andrea II Muzaka (1318-1372) was an Albanian nobleman of the Muzaka family and the ruler of the Principality of Muzaka in the 14th century. He inherited the principality from his father, Teodor I Muzaka, who died around 1331. Andrea II is known for having expanded the Principality of Muzaka to its greatest extent, from the southern Adriatic coastline of Albania in the west to Kastoria in the east by the time of his death in 1372.

He was recognized Despot of the Kingdom of Albania and as Marshal of Albania by the Angevin Kingdom of Albania in 1336-37. In the next decade, he led resistance against the Serbian invasions of Albania, and after the fall of the Serbian Empire, he regained his former territories and began to expand again. During his wars against the Serbian successor states, Andrea II succeeded in defeating both Vukašin of Serbia and his son, Prince Marko, solidifying his family's principality. He was recognized as Despot of Epirus by the Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos for his victories against the Serbians.

Early reign
Andrea II Muzaka came from the wealthy Albanian Muzaka noble family of southern Albania. His grandfather, Andrea I Muzaka, established de facto independent territorial rule around 1280 in the Myzeqe region west of Berat, which was later named after the family. Andrea I was succeeded by Teodor known as "Këshetisi". Teodor's son, Andrea II, would become the most prominent ruler of the Muzaka noble family in the medieval era. Like his father, Andrea II served the Angevins as the titular marshal of Albania. He held various other titles such as sebastokrator, and was recognized as despotus Regni Albaniae (despot of the Kingdom of Albania) and Marshal of Albania by the Angevins. His father, Teodor, was recognized as prothosevastor. At the beginning of his rule he exercised nominal control over much of the country's Adriatic Sea between the Vjosa and Devoll rivers eastwards. In practice this continued to be dominated by the historic Albanian noble families who paid little heed to Muzaka's authority. A 1336 agreement between the Angevins and Andrea II allowed members of the Muzaka family to travel freely to and from Durrës, and the friendly ties between the two noble families remained up until the Muzaka family fled from the Ottoman conquest of Albania.

Resistance against the Serbians


During 1341–1347, the Byzantine Empire was engaged in a civil war, and the Serbians capitalised on this situation by invading much of the Byzantine holdings within the southern Balkans. Andrea II led the resistance against the Serbs and formed various alliances with other Albanian noble families, as well as maintaining ties with his traditional Angevin allies. In 1336, the Kingdom of Serbia under Stefan Dušan captured Angevin-controlled Durrës. Although the Angevins managed to recapture Durrës, Dušan continued his expansion, and during the years of 1337–1345 he had captured Kanina and Valona.

Andrea II Muzaka waged war against the Serbian forces around 1340. In an alliance with the Gropa family, he would have several successful campaigns against Dušan, but his domains were soon invaded by the Serbian king, along with the other Albanian principalities. In 1345, all Albanian lands were under Serbian rule except for Durrës, which was under Angevin control. In 1350, Andrea II seized Berat from the Serbians, which forced John Komnenos Asen, the local lord appointed by Stefan Dušan to govern the region, to move his seat to Kanina. It is uncertain whether the Serb troops were able to capture any towns or exert control over these areas of southern Albania, despite their incursions into the region. Although some historians attribute the acquisition of several towns to this period, others suggest that the Serbs only obtained submission, which may have been nominal, from different Albanian tribes.

Later reign
After the death of Stefan Dušan in 1355 and the collapse of the short-lived Serbian Empire, Andrea II regained control over parts of south-eastern modern-day Albania and significantly expanded the principality. In the late 1360's, Andrea II was engaged in a conflict over the southwestern provinces of Macedonia (including Kastoria) against Vukašin Mrnjavčević, the King of Serbia. Both rulers had claims to inherit these regions after the death of Simeon Uroš; Vukašin had claimed it as the co-ruler of Stefan Uroš V, whereas Andrea II claimed it on the grounds that the border between Albania and Bulgaria lied at the Pelister mountain, specifically the Dobrida spring. Vukašin gathered an army and marched towards Muzaka's territory, prompting Andrea to gather an army of his own and confront the king at Pelister in 1369. The battle at Pelister ended with the victory of Andrea II, and, according to chronicler Gjon Muzaka, Vukašin himself was taken prisoner. As a result of this battle, the Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos presented Andrea II with the imperial emblem, and granted him the title of "despot of Epirus". In this occasion, Andrea II Muzaka adopted as his new coat of arms, the double-headed eagle under a star as a replacement for the traditional coat of arms of the Muzaka, which was a water spring that erupted from the ground and split in two.

During the same period, Andrea II must have controlled part of the hinterland of Vlorë, while after the death of Alexander Komnenos Asen (c. 1371) who possessed Vlorë and Kanina, Muzaka came to an agreement with Balsha II. Under the agreement, Balsha II would support Muzaka against enemies like Marko, while Muzaka would recognize Balsha's claims to Kanina and Vlorë. It's unclear whether Muzaka had previously managed to conquer them and then gave them to Balsha as part of the agreement or whether Balsha was planning to conquer them himself and the agreement simply reaffirmed his rights.

In 1371, Andrea II Muzaka came to another agreement with Andrea Gropa, his son-in-law, and waged war against Prince Marko, capturing Kastoria (which passed to Muzaka) and Ohrid, which passed to Gropa. Having lost heavy manpower at the Battle of Marica, Prince Marko was not able to resist the expansions of these neighbouring states. The loss of territory that Marko suffered during the subsequent wars significantly weakened his power and hindered his ability to raise new armies.

At its greatest extent, just before Andrea II's death, his expansion of the principality covered the regions of Myzeqe, Berat, Tomorricë, Skrapar, Këlcyrë, Përmet, Opar, Devoll, Kolonjë and Kastoria. Andrea II would die in 1372 and his lands were divided by his three sons: Teodor II, Gjin and Stoja.



Family
Andrea II married Lady Euphemia Matranga (Efimia Matrënga) also called: Eythvmia, Etinia or Onorata; who was the daughter of Paul Matranga, the Albanian Lord of Gora. The couple had five children:


 * 1) Gjin Muzaka (* around 1337; † 1389), who inherited most of his fathers lands, with the exception of Berat, Myzeqe and Kastoria. He married Lady Suina Arianiti-Comneniates, a daughter of the Albanian Lord Materango Arianiti, with whom he had 5 sons: Andrea III Muzaka, Materango Muzaka, Vlash Muzaka, Bogdan Muzaka and Laldi Muzaka
 * 2) Teodor II Muzaka (* 1337; † after 1389), who inherited Myzeqe and Kastoria, which he co-ruled with his brother Stoja.
 * 3) Lord Stoja († after 1384), who inherited Kastoria with his brother Teodor as well as its villages and estates. Unfortunately, he died early with no heirs, therefore his lands were passed down to his elder brother Gjin.
 * 4) Lady Comita (or Komnene) Muzaka († 1392), who married Balsha II and secured an alliance between the Muzaka family and the Balsha family
 * 5) Lady Chiranna Muzaka (also: Kyranna), who married Andrea Gropa of Ohër and Dibra. The couple had no living issue, thus their property was inherited by the Muzakas.

Despot Andrea II and his wife Despotess Euphemia were both buried in the town of Durrës, within the Church of Saint Anthony, to the right side of the main altar, in a beautiful grave made of marble and containing the following epitaph: 'Here lies Lord Andrew Molosachi, Despot of Epirus'.