Koja Zaharia

Koja Zaharia (also rendered as Zacharia, Zakarija; in Italian sources Coia Zaccaria; in Ragusan documents Kojčin or Gojčin) was a late 14th and early 15th-century Albanian nobleman, and the lord of Danjë and Shati. A member of the Zaharia family, he was the son of Nikollë Zaharia and initially served the Balsha rulers of Zeta. He continuously shifted his allegiance between the Ottomans, the Venetians, and the Serbian Despotate, seeking to preserve his family’s holdings in northern Albania.

Often styled in Venetian and Ragusan sources as Koja Albanensis (“Koja the Albanian”), he played a prominent role in the struggles over Shkodër and Lezhë, balancing ties with neighbouring lords such as the Jonima and the Dukagjini. He remained a significant figure in the region until the Ottoman conquest of Danjë in 1430, although his lands would soon be inherited by his son, Lekë.

Name Koja's surname has also been rendered as Zacharia and Zakarija, whilst in Italian sources, his name is recorded as Coia Zaccaria. In Ragusan documents, he is referred to as Lord Kojčin or Gojčin. As a result, numerous scholars, such as Nicolae Iorga, Ludwig Thalloczy and Konstantin Jireček have mistaken him for Gojčin Crnojević, his grandson who was named after him. Koja was often mentioned in Venetian and Ragusan sources as Koja Albanensis ('Koja the Albanian'). The Zaharia of Budva were also known by the surname Sakat/Sakati - this epithet is derived from the village of Sakat near Danjë in the greater Pult region, which may be this family's place of origin. There are two theories regarding the location of this village; the first is that the village sat above Danjë as part of the Zaharia family's possessions, whilst the second is that the village was located in Upper Pult, according to Serbian charters written in the first half of the 14th century. Zaharia became the lord of both Danjë and Shati, Zaharia was often linked with the Jonima family in contemporary records, Zaharia had allowed the Ottomans passage through his lands to attack the Venetians in the Shkodër region, and so the Venetians entered into negotiations with the two lords. In October 1400, Franciscan friars arrived in Shkodër on behalf of Zaharia and Jonima, who wished to shift their allegiance towards Venice. Upon learning of the Sultan's defeat and capture at Ankara, Gjergj II Balsha requested that the Venetians assert their control over the greater Shkodra region, including the lands belonging to Zaharia and Jonima, and that they be "returned" to him. In the meantime, Ottoman vassal Kostandin Balsha - the lord who held Danjë before Gjergj II Balsha's conquest and Zaharia's subsequent rise to power - unsuccessfully attempted to besiege Venetian-controlled Shkodër and was captured and executed in the process. Zaharia was closely associated with Kostandin, and upon learning of Kostandin's demise after returning from the Ottoman defeat at Ankara, he chose to abandon the Ottomans and become a Venetian vassal instead. The Venetians denied Gjergj II's request to have himself appointed as lord of the lands now belonging to Zaharia and Jonima, stating that they wished to maintain peaceful relations with their neighbours.

Second War of Shkodër and conflict with Serbia

Balsha III and the Venetians had resumed their hostilities in 1419, with Balsha capturing Drisht that same year. Eventually, in order to defend Zeta from the Venetians, a sickly Balsha III offered his state to his uncle, Serbian despot Stefan Lazarević. Balsha III would die soon after his arrival to the Serbian court in April 1421, and his widow, Bolja, returned to her family in Danjë together their two daughters. The couple had three children: Lekë Zaharia - Lord of Danjë and one of the founders of the League of Lezhë. He was killed in 1444 by the Dukagjini family, and as his son, Koja II, was still too young to rule, Boksa inherited his lands instead. Busha Zaharia - Married Đurađ Đurašević Crnojević and had four sons; Đurašin Đurašević, Gojčin Crnojević, Stefan Crnojević, and another son whose name is unknown.