Vlachs (Latin:Valachi;Ottoman Turkish:Eflak,pl.Eflakân;Serbo-Croatian:Vlah /Влах,pl.Vlasi /Власи) was a social and fiscal class in severallate medieval states ofSoutheastern Europe, and also a distinctive social and fiscal class within themillet system of theOttoman Empire, composed largely ofEastern Orthodox Christians who practicednomadic and semi-nomadic pastoral lifestyle, including populations in various migratory regions, mainly composed of ethnicSerbs,Vlachs andAlbanians.[1][2] From the middle decades of the 17th century the amalgamation of the process ofsedentarization of the Orthodox Vlachs and their gradual fusion with Serbian rural population reached a high level and was officially recognized by the Ottoman authorities.[3][4]
Following theOttoman conquest of the Balkans, theVlachs, being bothOrthodox andCatholic,[5] and still a largely nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoral non-Slavic-speaking[6] people, played a dual role in the relations with the newOttoman ruler. Although a few of the Orthodox Vlachs and part of the Catholic Vlachs fromDuklja andBosnia fled before theinvading Ottoman armies, toChristian lands in the West (i.e.Croatia andRagusa);[5] the remaining of them, both Orthodox in the centralBalkans and Catholics inHerzegovina and Duklja, welcomed with joy the new situation created, since the conquerors vouchsafed to them vast ranges for themselves and their cattle and promised to improve their social position.[5] It thus propitiated special arrangements between theTurks and the Vlachs,[7] who in turn, while preserving theirreligion (excepting some, largely high-ranking members of society, who converted toIslam in order to secure for themselves and their families special privileges andprominent administrative positions from theOttoman authorities), placed themselves in theSultan's service;[5] all this made possible that the Vlachs would come to form a considerably privileged class within theMillet system in the Ottoman Empire, compared to the class of theReaya, for more than a century.[8] Inmedieval Serbia the term Vlachs had more meaning, primarily denote the inhabitants ofAromanian origin and also dependent shepherds in the medieval Serbian state.[9] In addition, with the beginning of Ottoman rule, within this social class also came to be included other Vlach-like (pastoral semi-nomad) populations,[10] such as cattle-breeding Orthodox Serbs;.[4] Serbs inOttoman Hungary in great numbers served asMartolos, which were Christian origin members largely recruited from the Vlach and Vlach like population.[10]
During the early history of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, there was Vlach people members of military class living in Serbia and Macedonia which had the same rights as Muslims. They might have been the descendants of Christians but their origin is not entirely clear.[11]
Due to their experience in carrying goods and the skill and speed with which they crossed the mountain regions; the Turks began to take advantage of it by employing them as auxiliary troops (voynuk), thus entrusting to them the conveyance of military supplies, the carrying out ofspying operations and quicklooting-scorchingraids in enemyChristian territory, and the patrol ofmountain gorges and boundaries in general. In addition, they always accompanied the Ottoman armies in their expeditions throughout the Balkans, up to the North-West, in whole communities; being intended for populating the newly conquered territories as border military colonies, calledkatun ordžemaat (which were composed of about 20 to 50 houses); at the head of which there was akatunar orprimikur ("headman").[5] They also formed important as well as highly numberedChristian military garrisons (martolos) attached to theOttoman army, in the newly conquered towns.[10] In exchange for their regular duties, they were granted privileges which were denied to all otherZimmîs by theŠerijat or Islamic Law; for example, as they served regularly as Ottoman auxiliary troops, they were allowed to bear arms and to ride horses.[7] This rewarding privileges were also extended to the economic sphere; these communities were largely exempted of paying any tax but only that of an annual rent of one gold 'ducat' or 'florin' to pay by each one of their households, hence coming to be called as "Florin" or "Ducat Vlachs" (Ottoman Turkish:Filurîci Eflakân).[5] At the same time, greatTurkish andSlavic Muslim landholding military nobles (Sipahi andTimarli) often brought with them significant quantities of these Vlachs[12] (sometimes Serbs as well),[13] in order that they farmed their lands.[a]
However, during the course of time, with centralisation and changes to state structure, the economic system and military organisation occurring, many of the services that the Vlachs used to provide for the Ottomans became superfluous. As a result, the 1520s saw the beginning ofVlachsedentarisation and a reduction of their privileges. By the end of the 16th century, these privileges resulted in the majority of Vlachs’ social standing being equalled to that of thefilurîci, and later with ordinaryreaya peasants.[8] Lastly, thesound Ottoman defeat at Sisak in 1593 triggered the beginning of loss of faith by these Vlachs, (bothgenuine Vlachs andSerbs) inthose who until then had been their masters, and propitiated the passing of the Vlachs and the Serbs over to theHabsburg side (seeUprising in Banat).[14]
TheRüsûm-i Eflakiye was a tax onVlachs in theOttoman Empire. Vlachs in the Balkans were granted tax concessions under Byzantine and Serb rulers in return for military service; and this continued under Ottoman rule. Instead of some of the customary taxes, they paid a special "Vlach tax",Rüsûm-i Eflakiye: One sheep and one lamb from each household on St. Georges Day each year. Because Vlachs were taxed differently, they were listed differently indefters.[15]
[After the fall of Bihać in 1592 the Bosnian Beylerbey Hasan Pasha Predojević settled Orthodox Vlachs from Eastern Herzegovina, especially those of his own Predojević clan, in the central part of Pounje around Brekovica, Ripač, Ostrovica and Vrla Draga up to Sokolovac.]