Markos Botsaris (; 1790 – 21 August 1823) was a Souliot chieftain, general of the Greek revolutionary army and hero of the Greek War of Independence.Brigands with a Cause, Brigandage and Irredentism in Modern Greece 1821–1912, by John S. Koliopoulos, Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1987. p. 53. He played a key role in relieving the First Siege of Missolonghi in 1822–1823 and was awarded the title of General of Western Greece by the revolutionary Greek government. He was killed during the Battle of Karpenisi and was buried in Missolonghi with full honors. Botsaris is among the most revered national heroes in Greece.
Family and early life (1790–1820) Markos was born in 1790 in Souli, the fifth child of Kitsos Botsaris from his first marriage with Chrysoula, one of the daughters of Papazotos Yotis, the priest of Variades, a village of Lakka (Tsarkovista). The Souliotes spoke Albanian originally, but during the eighteenth century they learnt to also use Greek via communication with their mostly Greek-speaking surroundings. Marko's native language was a dialect of Albanian and not Greek, as such, he was known by his Albanian name, Marko Boçari (), rather than by Markos Botsaris, though he certainly also spoke Greek. Markos was born into the most powerful Souliot fara, the Botsaris clan (, ), which up until the end of the Greek Revolution was known in Greek as "Botsarates" (, ).: "Ο Μάρκος Μπότσαρης ήταν μέλος της σουλιώτικης φάρας, γνωστής έως το τέλος ακόμη της Επανάστασης, με το όνομα Μποτσαράτες. Υπήρξε, μέχρι το 1800, η πιο ισχυρή φάρα του Σουλίου. Πολυπληθής, η πρώτη φάρα σε δύναμη τουφεκιών και πλούσια.": "Μποτσαράτες (και: Μποτζαράτες, Μποτζιαραίοι), γένος Μπότσαρη)": "μεγάλη φάρα των Μποτσαραίων" According to an unclear narrative recorded by Christoforos Perraivos, which is considered implausible by contemporary historiography, the Botsaris clan came from the village of Dragani (today Ambelia), near Paramythia. Botsaris clan were one of the oldest clans from Souli. Their name may be related to the Albanian word buzë as hinted by written variants of the name in the 19th century. The patron saint of the clan was Donatus of Euroea. The Botsaris had built a church dedicated to Saint Donatus in the areas of Souli they directly controlled.
They were the biggest of the Souliot clans which negotiated and eventually collaborated with Ali Pasha. Perraivos (1815) is one of the contemporary historians who recorded the collaboration with Ali Pasha since the spring of 1800. Perraivos attributes this shift to the "madness of greed" of George Botsaris (grandfather of Markos Botsaris) whom he calls a "paid traitor". Other historians of the 19th century follow the same assessment. In modern historiography, the explanation of his political stance through "greed" is considered an oversimplification. Like all other Souliot clans, the Botsaris first and foremost worked for the interests of their own clan, and sought to improve the wealth and political position of their clan, hence the stance of George Botsaris and all Souliot leaders is interpreted in this framework. For the Botsaris clan, since 1799 when Ali Pasha took control of the villages of Lakka Souli which were previously under the sphere of influence of the Botsaris clan, integration in the Ottoman system was the only viable political option. In 1800, George Botsaris received a large sum and the position of the armatolos of Tzoumerka, and the Botsaris clan left Souli and settled in Vourgareli of Arta. This was the first time that a Souliot clan became part of the Ottoman political system. The departure of the Botsaris clan weakened Souli as they were a significant part of its force and Souli was led to surrender to Ali in 1803, after a three-year siege. Thirteen year-old Markos used his limited literacy to record his anguish for the besieged Christians of Souli in a remembrance note of 3 November on the book cover of a Menaion of a chapel of Palaiokatouna (Voulgareli).: Δεκατριών ετών ο Μάρκος, εκείνη την εποχή, παρακολουθεί από μακριά όσα συμβαίνουν στο Σούλι. Με την ευαισθησία της ηλικίας του και τα λίγα γράμματα που γνωρίζει έχει ήδη καταγράψει την αγωνία του για την τύχη των πολιορκημένων Σουλιωτών, σε ιδιόχειρο σημείωμά του, σε κάλυμμα Μηναίου του παρεκκλησίου της Παλαιοκατούνας (Βουλγαρέλι): «1803 νοεμβρίου 3 κάνο θήμησι το καιρό οπου μπικε το ασκερι μεσα στο σουλι και καμαν απο τα ευγα του σεμτεμβρίου εος [...]βριου και ο θεος να καμη τα δηκα του δυατη εσταβροθικα οι χριστιανοι απο τη μπινα και ο θεος να τους βγαλι σε σελυαμετι του χριστουγενου εξ αποφασεος μαρκο μποτζιαρις»
After the surrender of Souli, Souliot clans chose divergent paths but many were ultimately led to move to the Ionian Islands and in south Greece. Kitsos Botsaris who had succeeded his father as armatolos of Tzoumerka became a target. Botsaris gathered his clan and 1,200 Souliots who retreated to Agrafa. In January 1804, they were attacked by Ali Pasha's army under Beqir Bey with support from the local armatoloi Zikos Michos, Tzimas Alexis and Poulis. As the Botsaris clan was given the important armatolik of Tzoumerka, other armatoloi had targeted them. The Souliots were besieged for 3 months on the grounds of the monastery of the Assumption of Mary. In the final battle, on 7 April, most Souliotes were killed and of those who survived many were taken hostage. About 80 escaped from this battle. Ali Pasha at the same time published a firman which targeted the Botsaris clan which was hunted down. Kitsos Botsaris and his family with a few others managed to escape to Parga and later settled in the Ionian Islands. He returned to the Pashalik of Yanina in 1813 when Ali Pasha gave him again the armatolik of Tzoumerka but as soon as he returned he was murdered by a Gogos Bakolas.
Markos Botsaris lived since the age of fourteen in the Ionian Islands, in particular in Lefkada where the family resettled. In Lefkada he lived in the same household (corporate household/extended patrilineage) like his father Kitsos who headed the household even after Markos was married, his father's third wife, his own wife (Eleni Karakitsou), his brothers and sisters, his deceased uncle's widow (Zoitsa Bakopani) and their housemaid. Kitsos was married three times and had in total 18 children; 12 of them survived into adulthood. Markos was married for the first time in 1806 to the daughter of A. Karakitsos, Eleni. They were divorced a few years later ca. 1810. Botsaris accused his wife of cheating in the petition to get a divorce, she defended herself by claiming that her father-in-law (Kitsos) would have killed her as is the custom of the Albanians (nomos eis tous Alvanitas) if such an accusation was true. The real reason of the divorce possibly had to do with her not being able to bear children, which was seen as extremely important in Souliot society. Markos eventually was remarried, this time to Chrysoula Kalogerou, the daughter of Christos Kalogeros, commander of the third order of the Albanian Regiment, where Markos's father served as a major.
Markos Botsaris had joined with other Souliots the Albanian Regiment of the French army at an early age.Giannopoulos, Nikos (2008): Μάρκος Μπότσαρης, το απόλυτο πρότυπο ηρωισμού ["Markos Botsaris, the absolute exemplar of heroism"]. Στρατιωτική Ιστορία ("Military History") (in Greek). Περισκόπιο (Periskopio) (138): p. 10. He served the regiment until 1813 and also became one of the regiment's officers. In 1815 he returned to Epirus, and settled with his family at Kakolakkos Pogoniou, which was granted to him by Ali Pasha.
Epirus (1820–1821)
In 1820, with other Souliotes and his uncle Notis Botsaris, he came back to Epirus and fought against Ali Pasha and the Ottoman army at the Siege of Ioannina, but soon the Souliotes changed side and fought the Ottoman army together with the troops of Ali Pasha, in exchange for a promise of regaining their former region, Souli.Giannopoulos, Nikos (2008): Μάρκος Μπότσαρης, το απόλυτο πρότυπο ηρωισμού ["Markos Botsaris, the absolute exemplar of heroism"]. Στρατιωτική Ιστορία ("Military History") (in Greek). Περισκόπιο (Periskopio) (138): p. 11.
Botsaris, with about 300–350 men appeared on Mount Satovetza, opposite the sultan's camp, and attacked in December 1820. Then, he captured the fortress of Variades and fortified himself in it (7 December 1820). From there, at the head of 200 horsemen, he attacked a sultan's convoy at Kompsades (22 December 1820). Immediately afterwards he occupied the position of "Pente Pigadia", a junction between Arta and Ioannina, where he crushed a force of 5,000 Albanians sent against him. In January 1821, an anti-Ottoman coalition was formed between the Souliot chieftains and Ali Pasha's lieutenants, aiming to break the siege of Ioannina. Negotiations began with the Ottomans and continued until March 1821, when Christoforos Perraivos arrived at Epirus and informed the Souliotes about the existence of Filiki Eteria and the upcoming war of independence.
Greek War of Independence
In 1821, Botsaris took part in the revolution against the Ottoman Empire. He and other Souliot captains, including Kitsos Tzavelas, Notis Botsaris, Lampros Veikos, and Giotis Danglis only enlisted fellow Souliot kin into their bands. At the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence, he distinguished himself by his courage, tenacity and skill as a leader of the Souliots. Several battles took place at Bogortsa, Variades, Pente Pigadia and Derviziana; in the latter, Botsaris used an elaborate plan to terminate a Turkish mercenary regiment from Macedonia. Meanwhile, several fortresses, such as those of Lelova and Riniassa, fell, and in early May 1821 even the city of Preveza was put in danger of the revolutionary operations.
Despite the pressure of Ali Pasha for the immediate breaking of the siege of Ioannina, Botsaris avoided for a few months more intensive actions, aiming the extension of the siege for the interest of the revolution. During autumn of 1821, Botsaris participated in the siege of Arta, which eventually led to the termination of the cooperation between Ali and the Souliots, when the lieutenants of the former were informed of the atrocities committed by the Greek revolutionaries against Muslim populations.Giannopoulos, Nikos (2008): Μάρκος Μπότσαρης, το απόλυτο πρότυπο ηρωισμού ["Markos Botsaris, the absolute exemplar of heroism"]. Στρατιωτική Ιστορία ("Military History") (in Greek). Περισκόπιο (Periskopio) (138): pp. 12–13.
Ali's lieutenants eventually deserted to the Ottomans, and during winter of 1822 he was put to death. Shortly after his demise, Hurshid Pasha's troops besieged Souli. Botsaris sought reinforcements from the Greek revolutionaries and gained the support of Alexandros Mavrokordatos. The latter's expedition that followed resulted in the battle of Peta, which proved to be disastrous for the revolutionary cause. By September 1822, Souli surrendered once more and Botsaris fled to Missolonghi.Giannopoulos, Nikos (2008): Μάρκος Μπότσαρης, το απόλυτο πρότυπο ηρωισμού ["Markos Botsaris, the absolute exemplar of heroism"]. Στρατιωτική Ιστορία ("Military History") (in Greek). Περισκόπιο (Periskopio) (138): pp. 13–14.