Rumeli Eyalet

The Eyalet of Rumeli, or Eyalet of Rumelia (), known as the Beylerbeylik of Rumeli until 1591, was a first-level province ('' beylerbeylik'' or ''eyalet'') of the Ottoman Empire encompassing most of the Balkans ("Rumelia"). For most of its history, it was the largest and most important province of the Empire, containing key cities such as Edirne, Yanina (Ioannina), Sofia, Filibe (Plovdiv), Manastır/Monastir (Bitola), Üsküp (Skopje), and the major seaport of Selânik/Salonica (Thessaloniki). It was also among the oldest Ottoman eyalets, lasting more than 500 years with several territorial restructurings over the long course of its existence.

The capital was in Adrianople (Edirne), Sofia, and finally Monastir (Bitola). Its reported area in an 1862 almanac was .

History

Initially termed ''beylerbeylik'' or generically ''vilayet'' ("province") of Rumeli, only after 1591 was the term ''eyalet'' used.

The first ''beylerbey'' of Rumelia was Lala Shahin Pasha, who was awarded the title by Sultan Murad I as a reward for his capture of Adrianople (Edirne) in the 1360s, and given military authority over the Ottoman territories in Europe, which he governed effectively as the Sultan's deputy while the Sultan returned to Anatolia. Also, Silistra Eyalet was formed in 1593.

From its foundation, the province of Rumelia encompassed the entirety of the Ottoman Empire's European possessions, including the trans- Danubian conquests like Akkerman, until the creation of further ''eyalets'' in the 16th century, beginning with the Archipelago (1533), Budin (1541) and Bosnia (1580).

The first capital of Rumelia was probably Edirne (Adrianople), which was also, until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottomans' capital city. It was followed by Sofia for a while and again by Edirne until 1520, when Sofia once more became the seat of the ''beylerbey''. At the time, the ''beylerbey'' of Rumelia was the commander of the most important military force in the state in the form of the timariot ''sipahi'' cavalry, and his presence in the capital during this period made him a regular member of the Imperial Council (''divan''). For the same reason, powerful Grand Viziers like Mahmud Pasha Angelovic or Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha held the ''beylerbeylik'' in tandem with the grand vizierate.

In the 18th century, Monastir emerged as an alternate residence of the governor, and in 1836, it officially became the capital of the ''eyalet''. At about the same time, the ''Tanzimat'' reforms, aimed at modernizing the Empire, split off the new ''eyalets'' of Üsküb, Yanya and Selanik and reduced the Rumelia Eyalet to a few provinces around Monastir. The rump ''eyalet'' survived until 1867, when, as part of the transition to the more uniform ''vilayet'' system, it became part of the Salonica Vilayet.

Eastern Rumelia became a new ottoman province in 1878 (formally until 1908 but united to the Principality of Bulgaria since 1885).

Governors

The governor of the Rumelia Eyalet was titled "Beylerbey of Rumelia" (Rumeli ''beylerbeyi'') or "Vali of Rumelia" (Rumeli ''vali'').

Administrative divisions

1475

A list dated to 1475 lists seventeen subordinate ''sanjakbeys'', who controlled sub-provinces or ''sanjaks'', which also functioned as military commands:

# Constantinople
# Gallipoli
# Edirne
# Nikebolu/Nigbolu
# Vidin
# Sofia
# Serbia (Laz-ili)
# Serbia (Despot-ili)
# Vardar (under the Evrenosoğullari)
# Üsküb
# Arnavut-ili (under Iskender Bey, i.e. Skanderbeg)
# Arnavut-ili (under the Arianiti family)
# Bosnia
# Bosnia (under Stephen)
# Arta, Zituni and Athens
# Morea
# Monastir

1520s

Another list, dating to the early reign of Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–1566), lists the ''sanjakbeys'' of that period, in approximate order of importance.:

# Bey of the ''Pasha-sanjak''
# Bosnia
# Morea
# Semendire
# Vidin
# Hersek
# Silistre
# Ohri
# Avlonya
# Iskenderiyye
# Yanya
# Gelibolu
# Köstendil
# Nikebolu
# Sofia
# Inebahti
# Tirhala
# Alaca Hișar
# Vulcetrin
# Kefe
# Prizren
# Karli-eli
# Ağriboz
# Çirmen
# Vize
# Izvornik
# Florina
# Elbasan
# ''Sanjakbey'' of the ''Çingene'' ("Gypsies")
# Midilli
# Karadağ (Montenegro)
# ''Sanjakbey'' of the ''Müselleman-i Kirk Kilise'' ("Muslims of Kirk Kilise")
# ''Sanjakbey'' of the Voynuks

The ''Çingene'', ''Müselleman-i Kirk Kilise'' and Voynuks were not territorial circumscriptions, but rather represented merely a ''sanjakbey'' appointed to control these scattered and often nomadic groups, and who acted as the commander of the military forces recruited among them. The ''Pasha-sanjak'' in this period comprised a wide area in western Macedonia, including the towns of Üskub (Skopje), Pirlipe (Prilep), Manastir (Bitola) and Kesriye (Kastoria).

A similar list compiled c. 1534 gives the same ''sanjaks'', except for the absence of Sofia, Florina and Inebahti (among the provinces transferred to the new Archipelago Eyalet in 1533), and the addition of Selanik (Salonica).

1538

In 1538 there are listed 29 liva (sanjaks) during the reign of Sultan Suleiman I.

# Sofya (Pasha Sanjak of Rumelia)
# Ağrıboz
# Alacahisar
# Avlonya
# Bosna
# Çirmen
# Gelibolu
# Hersek
# İlbasan
# İskenderiye
# İzvornik
# Karlıili
# Kefe
# Köstendil
# Mora
# Niğbolu
# Ohri
# Prizrin
# Rodos
# Semendire
# Silistre
# Tırhala
# Vidin
# Vize
# Vulçıtrın
# Yanya
# Müselleman-ı Kızılca
# Müselleman-ı Çingane
# Voynugan-ı Istabl-ı Amire

1644

Further ''sanjaks'' were removed with the progressive creation of new ''eyalets'', and an official register c. 1644 records only fifteen ''sanjaks'' for the Rumelia Eyalet:

# Köstendil
# Tirhala
# Prizren
# Yanya
# Delvine
# Vulcetrin
# Üskub
# Elbasan
# Avlonya
# Dukagin
# Iskenderiyye
# Ohri
# Alaca Hișar
# Selanik
# Voynuks

1700/1730

The administrative division of the beylerbeylik of Rumelia between 1700-1730 was as follows:Orhan Kılıç, XVII. Yüzyılın İlk Yarısında Osmanlı Devleti'nin Eyalet ve Sancak Teşkilatlanması, ''Osmanlı'', Cilt 6: Teşkilât, Yeni Türkiye Yayınları, Ankara, 1999, , p. 91.

# ''Pasha-sanjak'', around Manastir
# Köstendil
# Tirhala
# Yanya
# Delvina
# Elbasan
# Iskenderiyye
# Avlonya
# Ohri
# Alaca Hisar
# Selanik
# Dukagin
# Prizren
# Üsküb
# Vulçıtrin
# Voynuks
# ''Çingene''
# Yoruks

Early 19th century

Sanjaks in the early 19th century: — by George Long, Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge

# Manastir
# Selanik
# Tirhala
# Iskenderiyye
# Ohri
# Avlonya
# Köstendil
# Elbasan
# Prizren
# Dukagin
# Üsküb
# Delvina
# Vulcetrin
# Kavala
# Alaca Hișar
# Yanya
#Smederevo

Mid-19th century

According to the state yearbook ('' salname'') of the year 1847, the reduced Rumelia Eyalet, centred at Manastir, encompassed also the ''sanjaks'' of Iskenderiyye (Scutari), Ohri (Ohrid) and Kesrye (Kastoria). In 1855, according to the French traveller A. Viquesnel, it comprised the ''sanjaks'' of Iskenderiyye, with 7 ''kazas'' or sub-provinces, Ohri with 8 ''kazas'', Kesrye with 8 ''kazas'' and the ''pasha-sanjak'' of Manastir with 11 ''kazas''.

References

Bibliography

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{{Albanians under the Ottoman Empire

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Eyalets of the Ottoman Empire in Europe
History of the Balkans
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States and territories established in the 1360s
States and territories disestablished in 1867
1360s establishments in the Ottoman Empire
1867 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire
1365 establishments in Europe