Rumelia Eyalet


The Eyalet of Rumeli, or Eyalet of 'Rumelia, known as the Beylerbeylik of Rumeli' until 1591, was a first-level province of the Ottoman Empire encompassing most of the Balkans. For most of its history, it was the largest and most important province of the Empire, containing key cities such as Edirne, Yanina, Sofia, Filibe, Manastır/Monastir, Üsküp, and the major seaport of Selânik/Salonica. 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, Sofia, and finally Monastir. Its reported area in an 1862 almanac was.

History

Initially termed beylerbeylik or generically vilayet 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 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, Budin and Bosnia.
The first capital of Rumelia was probably Edirne, 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. 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.

Governors

The governor of the Rumelia Eyalet was titled "Beylerbey of Rumelia" or "Vali of Rumelia".
GovernorReignNotes
Lala Shahin Pashathe first beylerbey of Rumelia, the lala of Murad I.
Timurtaş Bey 1385-
Süleyman Çelebibefore 1411son of Bayezid I
Mihaloğlu Mehmed Bey1411Son of Köse Mihal, the advisor of Osman I.
Mustafa Bey1421-
Hadım Şehabeddin1439–42Devshirme
Kasım Pasha1443-
Ömer Bey 1453-
Turahan Beybefore 1456Son of Pasha Yiğit Bey.
Mahmud Pashabefore 1456Angelos family, Devshirme.
Ahmedafter 1456-
Hass Murad Pasha 1469–1473Palaiologos dynasty, devshirme.
Hadım Süleyman Pasha 1475Eunuch.
Koca Davud Pasha 1478Devshirme.
Sinan Pasha 1481-
Mesih Pashaafter 1481-
Hasan Pasha 1514
Hadım Sinan Pasha 1515Previously beylerbey of Anatolia.
Ahmed Pasha1519-- 1521-?-
Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha1523-?-
Güzelce Kasım Pasha 1527-
Khusrow PashaJune 1538–?-
Kara Ahmed Pasha 1543Former Agha of the Janissaries, married daughter of Sultan Selim I.
Ali Pasha 1546-
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha 1551Devshirme who rose through military distinction.
Şemsi Ahmed Pasha1564 – 1569Candar dynasty member who grew up in Topkapı and served Suleiman.
Doğancı Mehmed Pasha
Osman Yeğen Pasha1687Sekban commander who was elevated by Mehmed IV through threats of rebellion.
Sari Ahmed Pasha1714–1715-
Topal Osman Pasha1721–27, 1729–30, 1731Kapıcıbaşı who rose further due to military distinction.
Hadji Mustafa Pashasummer of 1797–?Appointed to deal with Osman Pazvantoglu, but failed and was dismissed.
Ahmed Kamil Pasazade Hakki Pasha
Hakki Pasha August 1801
Ali Pasha28 January 1803–1804Powerful Pasha in Ioannina.
Veli Pasha1804–Son of Ali Pasha.
Hurshid Pasha 1808-
Marashli Ali Pasha 1815-
Köse Ahmed Zekeriya Pasha1836–March 1840
Mehmed Dilaver PashaMay–July 1840
Yusuf Muhlis Pasha SerezliJuly 1840–February 1842
Yakub Pasha Kara Osmanzade
Mustafa Nuri Paşa, Sırkatibi
Mehmed Said Paşa, Mirza/Tatar
Mehmed Ziyaeddin Paşa, Mezarcızade
Ömer Paşa, Kızılhisarlı--
Mehmed Ziyaeddin Paşa, Mezarcızade--
Mehmed Emin Pasha--
Asaf Pasha--
Mehmed Reşid Paşa, Boşnakzade--
Ömer Paşa, Kızılhisarlı --
Mehmed Hurshid Pasha Arnavud--
Ahmed Nazır Paşa--
İsmail Paşa, Çerkes--
Abdülkerim Nadir Paşa, Çırpanlı--
Ali Paşa, Hacı, Kütahyalı/Germiyanoğlu--
Hüseyin Hüsnü Paşa--
Mehmed Tevfik Paşa, Taşcızade--

Administrative divisions

1475

A list dated to 1475 lists seventeen subordinate sanjakbeys, who controlled sub-provinces or sanjaks, which also functioned as military commands:
  1. Constantinople
  2. Gallipoli
  3. Edirne
  4. Nikebolu/Nigbolu
  5. Vidin
  6. Sofia
  7. Serbia
  8. Serbia
  9. Vardar
  10. Üsküb
  11. Arnavut-ili
  12. Arnavut-ili
  13. Bosnia
  14. Bosnia
  15. Arta, Zituni and Athens
  16. Morea
  17. Monastir

    1520s

Another list, dating to the early reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, lists the sanjakbeys of that period, in approximate order of importance.:
  1. Bey of the Pasha-sanjak
  2. Bosnia
  3. Morea
  4. Semendire
  5. Vidin
  6. Hersek
  7. Silistre
  8. Ohri
  9. Avlonya
  10. Iskenderiyye
  11. Yanya
  12. Gelibolu
  13. Köstendil
  14. Nikebolu
  15. Sofia
  16. Inebahti
  17. Tirhala
  18. Alaca Hișar
  19. Vulcetrin
  20. Kefe
  21. Prizren
  22. Karli-eli
  23. Ağriboz
  24. Çirmen
  25. Vize
  26. Izvornik
  27. Florina
  28. Elbasan
  29. Sanjakbey of the Çingene
  30. Midilli
  31. Karadağ
  32. Sanjakbey of the Müselleman-i Kirk Kilise
  33. 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, Pirlipe, Manastir and Kesriye.
A similar list compiled c. 1534 gives the same sanjaks, except for the absence of Sofia, Florina and Inebahti, and the addition of Selanik.

1538

In 1538 there are listed 29 liva during the reign of Sultan Suleiman I.
  1. Sofya
  2. Ağrıboz
  3. Alacahisar
  4. Avlonya
  5. Bosna
  6. Çirmen
  7. Gelibolu
  8. Hersek
  9. İlbasan
  10. İskenderiye
  11. İzvornik
  12. Karlıili
  13. Kefe
  14. Köstendil
  15. Mora
  16. Niğbolu
  17. Ohri
  18. Prizrin
  19. Rodos
  20. Semendire
  21. Silistre
  22. Tırhala
  23. Vidin
  24. Vize
  25. Vulçıtrın
  26. Yanya
  27. Müselleman-ı Kızılca
  28. Müselleman-ı Çingane
  29. Voynugan-ı Istabl-ı Amire

    1644

Further sanjaks were removed with the progressive creation of new eyalets, and an official register from 1644 records only fifteen sanjaks for the Rumelia Eyalet:
  1. Köstendil
  2. Tirhala
  3. Prizren
  4. Yanya
  5. Delvine
  6. Vulcetrin
  7. Üskub
  8. Elbasan
  9. Avlonya
  10. Dukagin
  11. Iskenderiyye
  12. Ohri
  13. Alaca Hișar
  14. Selanik
  15. Voynuks

    1700/1730

The administrative division of the beylerbeylik of Rumelia between 1700–1730 was as follows:
  1. Pasha-sanjak, around Manastir
  2. Köstendil
  3. Tirhala
  4. Yanya
  5. Delvina
  6. Elbasan
  7. Iskenderiyye
  8. Avlonya
  9. Ohri
  10. Alaca Hisar
  11. Selanik
  12. Dukagin
  13. Prizren
  14. Üsküb
  15. Vulçıtrin
  16. Voynuks
  17. Çingene
  18. Yoruks