SCANDERBEG, i.e., Iskander (Alexander) Bey, is the Turkish name and title of George Castriota, the youngest son of John Castriota, lord of an hereditary principality in Albania. He was born about the year 1404, and as a boy was sent as a hostage to the Ottoman court, where he was brought up as a Mohammedan for the Turkish military service. He early distinguished himself as a soldier and received high promotion under Amurath II. In 1443 he was of the expedition against the Magyars, but shortly after taking the field he heard of his father’s death and resolved to strike a blow for freedom. Availing himself of the opportunity afforded by John Hunyady’s defeat of the Turks at Nish, he forced from the principal secretary of the sultan a firman making him governor of Croya, his native town, and forthwith left the camp with 300 Albanian horsemen. Once master of the place, he abjured Islam and proclaimed his independence. The Albanians soon recognized him as their head, and flocked to his standard, and pasha after pasha was vainly sent to crush him. Amurath II. in person unsuccessfully besieged him in 1450, and Mohammed II. found it necessary to grant him favourable terms of peace in 1461. Instigated by the legates of Pius II. and the ambassadors of the Venetian republic, Scanderbeg again proclaimed war in 1464, and at least was successful in repelling the sultan, who had invaded Albania. He died in January 1467 at Alessio, leaving an infant son named John, whom he commended to the care of the Venetians. After a twelve years’ war, the Turks finally gained possession of Croya, the representatives of Scanderbeg settling in Calabria.