Eyalet of Rumelia Eyalet-i Rumeli | |
|---|---|
| 1365–1867 | |
Flag | |
The Rumelia Eyalet in 1609 | |
| Status | Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire |
| Capital | Edirne (1362–1530) Sofia (1530–1836) Monastir (1836–1867) 41°1′N21°20′E / 41.017°N 21.333°E /41.017; 21.333 |
| History | |
• Established | 1365 |
• Disestablished | 1867 |
| Area | |
| 1844[1] | 124,630 km2 (48,120 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 1844[1] | 2,700,000 |
TheEyalet of Rumeli, orEyalet ofRumelia (Ottoman Turkish:ایالت روم ایلی,romanized: Eyālet-i Rūm-ėli),[2] known as theBeylerbeylik of Rumeli until 1591,[3] was a first-level province (beylerbeylik oreyalet) of theOttoman Empire encompassing most of theBalkans ("Rumelia"). For most of its history, it was the largest and most important province of the Empire, containing key cities such asEdirne, 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 48,119 square miles (124,630 km2).[4]
Initially termedbeylerbeylik or genericallyvilayet ("province") of Rumeli, only after 1591 was the termeyalet used.[3]
The firstbeylerbey ofRumelia wasLala Shahin Pasha, who was awarded the title by SultanMurad I as a reward for hiscapture 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 toAnatolia.[3][5][6] 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 likeAkkerman, until the creation of furthereyalets in the 16th century, beginning with theArchipelago (1533),Budin (1541) andBosnia (1580).[5][6]
The first capital of Rumelia was probably Edirne (Adrianople), which was also, until theFall of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottomans' capital city. It was followed bySofia for a while and again by Edirne until 1520, when Sofia once more became the seat of thebeylerbey.[6] At the time, thebeylerbey of Rumelia was the commander of the most important military force in the state in the form of thetimariotsipahi cavalry, and his presence in the capital during this period made him a regular member of theImperial Council (divan). For the same reason, powerfulGrand Viziers likeMahmud Pasha Angelovic orPargalı Ibrahim Pasha held thebeylerbeylik in tandem with the grand vizierate.[5]
In the 18th century,Monastir emerged as an alternate residence of the governor, and in 1836, it officially became the capital of theeyalet. At about the same time, theTanzimat reforms, aimed at modernizing the Empire, split off the neweyalets ofÜsküb,Yanya andSelanik and reduced the Rumelia Eyalet to a few provinces around Monastir. The rumpeyalet survived until 1867, when, as part of the transition to the more uniformvilayet system, it became part of theSalonica Vilayet.[5][7][8]
Eastern Rumelia became a new Ottoman province in 1878 (formally until 1908 but united to thePrincipality of Bulgaria since 1885).
The governor of the Rumelia Eyalet was titled "Beylerbey of Rumelia" (Rumelibeylerbeyi) or "Vali of Rumelia" (Rumelivali).
| Governor | Reign | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lala Shahin Pasha | the firstbeylerbey of Rumelia, thelala (tutor) ofMurad I.[9][better source needed] | |
| Timurtaş Bey | fl. 1385 | |
| Süleyman Çelebi | before 1411 | son of Bayezid I[10] |
| Mihaloğlu Mehmed Bey | 1411 | Son ofKöse Mihal, the advisor ofOsman I. |
| Mustafa Bey | 1421[11] | |
| Hadım Şehabeddin | 1439–42[12] | Devshirme |
| Kasım Pasha | 1443[13] | |
| Ömer Bey | fl. 1453[14] | |
| Turahan Bey | before 1456 | Son ofPasha Yiğit Bey. |
| Mahmud Pasha | before 1456 | Angelos family,Devshirme. |
| Ahmed | after 1456[citation needed] | |
| Hass Murad Pasha | c. 1469–1473 | Palaiologos dynasty,devshirme. |
| Hadım Süleyman Pasha | c. 1475[15] | Eunuch. |
| Koca Davud Pasha | c. 1478[16] | Devshirme. |
| Sinan Pasha | c. 1481[17] | |
| Mesih Pasha | after 1481[18] | |
| Hasan Pasha | fl. 1514[19] | |
| Hadım Sinan Pasha | fl. 1515 | Previouslybeylerbey of Anatolia. |
| Ahmed Pasha | 1519-[20]-fl. 1521[21]-? | |
| Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha[22] | 1523-? | |
| Güzelce Kasım Pasha | c. 1527[23] | |
| Khusrow Pasha | June 1538[24]–? | |
| Kara Ahmed Pasha | fl. 1543[25] | FormerAgha of the Janissaries, married daughter of SultanSelim I. |
| Ali Pasha | fl. 1546[26] | |
| Sokollu Mehmed Pasha | fl. 1551[27] | Devshirme who rose through military distinction. |
| Şemsi Ahmed Pasha | 1564 – 1569[28] | Candar dynasty member who grew up in Topkapı and served Suleiman. |
| Doğancı Mehmed Pasha | [29] | |
| Osman Yeğen Pasha | 1687[30] | Sekban commander who was elevated byMehmed IV through threats of rebellion. |
| Sari Ahmed Pasha | 1714[31]–1715[32] | |
| Topal Osman Pasha | 1721–27, 1729–30, 1731[33] | Kapıcıbaşı who rose further due to military distinction. |
| Hadji Mustafa Pasha | summer of 1797[34]–? | Appointed to deal withOsman Pazvantoglu, but failed and was dismissed. |
| Ahmed Kamil Pasazade Hakki Pasha | [35] | |
| Hakki Pasha | fl. August 1801 | [36] |
| Ali Pasha | 28 January 1803[37]–1804 | Powerful Pasha in Ioannina. |
| Veli Pasha | 1804–[38] | Son of Ali Pasha. |
| Hurshid Pasha | fl. 1808[39] | |
| Marashli Ali Pasha | fl. 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 |
A list dated to 1475 lists seventeen subordinatesanjakbeys, who controlled sub-provinces orsanjaks, which also functioned as military commands:[5]
Another list, dating to the early reign ofSuleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–1566), lists thesanjakbeys of that period, in approximate order of importance.:[5]
TheÇingene,Müselleman-i Kirk Kilise and Voynuks were not territorial circumscriptions, but rather represented merely asanjakbey appointed to control these scattered and often nomadic groups, and who acted as the commander of the military forces recruited among them.[5] ThePasha-sanjak in this period comprised a wide area in westernMacedonia, including the towns of Üskub (Skopje), Pirlipe (Prilep), Manastir (Bitola) and Kesriye (Kastoria).[5]
A similar list compiled c. 1534 gives the samesanjaks, 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).[5]
In 1538 there are listed 29 liva (sanjaks) during the reign of Sultan Suleiman I.[40]
Furthersanjaks were removed with the progressive creation of neweyalets, and an official register fromc. 1644 records only fifteensanjaks for the Rumelia Eyalet:[5]

The administrative division of the beylerbeylik of Rumelia between 1700–1730 was as follows:[41]
Sanjaks in the early 19th century:[42]

According to the state yearbook (salname) of the year 1847, the reduced Rumelia Eyalet, centred at Manastir, encompassed also thesanjaks of Iskenderiyye (Scutari), Ohri (Ohrid) and Kesrye (Kastoria).[5] In 1855, according to the French traveller A. Viquesnel, it comprised thesanjaks of Iskenderiyye, with 7kazas or sub-provinces, Ohri with 8kazas, Kesrye with 8kazas and thepasha-sanjak of Manastir with 11kazas.[43]
Sjedište beglerbega Rumelije ...prvi namjesnik, Lala Šahin-paša,...