Samtskhe Province, Ottoman Empire

The Eyalet of Childir ( ota, ایالت ایالت چلدر; Eyālet-i Çıldır) or AkhalzikOther variants of this name include Akalzike (from ) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire in the Southwestern Caucasus. The area of the former Çıldır Eyalet is now divided between Samtskhe-Javakheti and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in Georgia and provinces of Artvin, Ardahan and Erzurum in Turkey. The administrative center was Çıldır between 1578 and 1628, Ahıska between 1628 and 1829, and Oltu between 1829 and 1845.

History

Samtskhe was the only Georgian principality to permanently become an Ottoman province (as the eyalet of Cildir). In the eighty years after the battle of Zivin the region was gradually absorbed into the empire.

The Ottomans took the Ahıska region from the Principality of Meskheti, a vassal state of Safavid dynasty. In 1578, when the new province was established, they appointed the former Georgian prince, Minuchir (who took the name of ''Mustafa'' after converting to Islam) as the first governor. This eyalet expanded after taking of Ottomans Adjara region from Principality of Guria in 1582. From 1625 onwards the entire eyalet was a hereditary possession of the now-Muslim atabegs of Samtskhe, which administered it as hereditary governors, with some exceptions, until the mid-18th century.

During the Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829), Russians occupied much of the province. The administrative centre was moved from Akhaltsikhe, which was ceded to Russia, to Oltu.

By the treaty of Adrianople, much of the pashalik was ceded to Russia, and became part of the Russian Akhalzik uzeyd of Kutaisi Governorate. The remaining, smaller inner part was united with the eyalet of Kars (later part of Eyalet of Erzurum) in 1845 and coastal parts was united with Trabzon Eyalet in 1829.

Governors

* Ishak Pasha, who oversaw the completion of the Ishak Pasha PalaceOVER 50,000 PEOPLE VISIT ISHAK PASHA PALACE IN EASTERN TURKEY
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Administrative divisions

Sanjaks of the Eyalet in the 17th century:
# Sanjak of Oulti (Oltu)
# Sanjak of Harbus
# Sanjak of Ardinj (Ardanuç)
# Sanjak of Hajrek (Hanak)
# Sanjak of Great Ardehan
# Sanjak of Postkhu
# Sanjak of Mahjil (Macahel)
# Sanjak of Ijareh penbek

*Hereditary sanjaks:
# Sanjak of Purtekrek (Yusufeli)
# Sanjak of Lawaneh (Livane/Artvin)
# Sanjak of Nusuf Awan
# Sanjak of Shushad (Şavşat)

See also

* Jaqeli
* Meskhetian Turks

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Childir, Eyalet of
Eyalets of the Ottoman Empire in Anatolia
Ottoman period in Georgia (country)
History of Adjara
History of Ardahan Province
History of Artvin Province
History of Erzurum Province
1578 establishments in the Ottoman Empire
1845 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire