Lekë Dukagjini

Lekë Dukagjini (* 1410, † 1481 ) was an Albanian prince who fought against the Turks Skanderbegs on the side. Probably wrong - - According to tradition, the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini be named in which collected the medieval common law of Northern Albania and the tradition was formulated after of this prince after him to.

About the parentage and life of Lekë Dukagjini there is little reliable information - it is more a form of the legend as a historically elusive person. He is said to have been born in Lipjan (Kosovo). In 1446 he succeeded his father Pal Dukagjini as ruler of the small principality Dukagjini his family. Had the Dukagjini previously had also possessions of Kosovo, then Lekës sphere was limited to a narrow strip of land in the northern Mirdita, the valley of the drins with the places Puka, Lura and Luma and the region Polatum northeast of Shkodra. These south of the drins situated mostly landscape is still called Dukagjin today. To the east lay the Kosovo Turkish already become.

In addition to Skanderbeg, he was a leader of the League of Lezha, in a number of Albanian territorial lords had joined together against the Ottoman invasion. After the death of Scanderbeg, he continued the resistance against the Turks for several years. With his death, but the league finally collapsed and the Turks were able to win northern Albania for the Ottoman Empire.