biography
| name: |
Skanderbeg
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| |
nickname of George Castriota or Kastrioti
|
pronunciation:
[skanderbek]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1405–68)
|
| biography:
| Albanian patriot, the son of a prince of Emathia. Carried away by Ottoman Turks at the age of seven, he was brought up a Muslim, and became a favourite commander of Sultan Murad II (ruled 1421–51), who gave him his nickname, a combination of Iskander (‘Alexander’) and the rank of Bey. In 1443 he changed sides, renounced Islam, and drove the Turks from Albania. For 20 years he maintained Albanian independence, but after his death opposition to the Turks collapsed. |
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