Meanwhile, the Turks, known for their brutal treatment of the conquered, now extended their reach west to Bulgaria and Serbia where, due to the capitulation of a succession of competing tribal leaders, soon had the Balkans firmly under their control. Completely under Ottoman control in 1385, Albania's ruling families were allowed to retain their lands and titles, but due to their disunity they were unable to overthrow the invading armies. For the most part, the Albanian people suffered greatly under the brutal regime of their new overlord, Sultan Murad II.
A Childhood Cut Short
Into this hostile world, Kastrioti-Skanderbeg was born in the city of Krujë in northern Albania, on January 17, 1405. His father, Gjon Kastrioti, was a prince of Emathia, although the family could trace its lineage back to serf roots. To assure the loyalty of Albanian princes such as Kastrioti, Sultan Murad II established a practice of kidnapping the sons of royalty and raising them in the court of Adrianopel (now Edirne, Turkey) to become loyal Turks.
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