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).
Governor Reign Notes Lala Shahin Pasha the first beylerbey of Rumelia, the lala (tutor) of Murad I. Timurtaş Bey 1385 Süleyman Çelebi before 1411 son of Bayezid I Mihaloğlu Mehmed Bey 1411 Son of Köse Mihal, the advisor of Osman I. Mustafa Bey 1421 Hadım Şehabeddin 1439–42 Devshirme Kasım Pasha 1443 Ömer Bey 1453 Turahan Bey before 1456 Son of Pasha Yiğit Bey. Mahmud Pasha before 1456 Angelos family, Devshirme. Ahmed after 1456 Hass Murad Pasha 1469–1473 Palaiologos dynasty, devshirme. Hadım Süleyman Pasha 1475 Eunuch. Koca Davud Pasha 1478 Devshirme. Sinan Pasha 1481 Mesih Pasha after 1481 Hasan Pasha 1514 Hadım Sinan Pasha 1515 Previously beylerbey of Anatolia. Ahmed Pasha 1519-islam ansiklopedisi- 1521-? Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha 1523-? Güzelce Kasım Pasha 1527 Khusrow Pasha June 1538–? Kara Ahmed Pasha 1543 Former Agha of the Janissaries, married daughter of Sultan Selim I. Ali Pasha 1546 Sokollu Mehmed Pasha 1551 Devshirme who rose through military distinction.Şemsi Ahmed Pasha1564 – 1569 Candar dynasty member who grew up in Topkapı and served Suleiman. Doğancı Mehmed Pasha Osman Yeğen Pasha 1687 Sekban commander who was elevated by Mehmed IV through threats of rebellion. Sari Ahmed Pasha 1714–1715 Topal Osman Pasha 1721–27, 1729–30, 1731 Kapıcıbaşı who rose further due to military distinction. Hadji Mustafa Pasha summer of 1797–? Appointed to deal with Osman Pazvantoglu, but failed and was dismissed. Ahmed Kamil Pasazade Hakki Pasha Hakki Pasha August 1801 Ali Pasha 28 January 1803–1804 Powerful Pasha in Ioannina. Veli Pasha 1804– Son of Ali Pasha. Hurshid Pasha 1808 Marashli Ali Pasha 1815 Köse Ahmed Zekeriya Pasha 1836–March 1840 Mehmed Dilaver Pasha May–July 1840 Yusuf Muhlis Pasha Serezli July 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 (2nd term) 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:
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 from 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.
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