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Eyalet of RumeliaEyalet-i Rumeli
1365–1867
The Rumelia Eyalet in 1609
Status	Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire
Capital	Edirne (1362–1530) Sofia (1530–1836) Monastir (1836–1867) 41°1′N 21°20′E / 41.017°N 21.333°E / 41.017; 21.333
History
• Established	1365
• Disestablished	1867
Area
1844	124,630 km (48,120 sq mi)
Population
• 1844	2,700,000
Preceded by Succeeded by Byzantine Empire Second Bulgarian Empire Despotate of Serbia Despotate of Dobruja Lordship of Prilep Gazaria (Genoese colonies) Principality of Theodoro Kingdom of Bosnia League of Lezhe Venetian Albania Latinokratia Kingdom of Hungary Eyalet of the Archipelago Kefe Eyalet Bosnia Eyalet Ioannina Eyalet Principality of Serbia Salonica Eyalet Adrianople Eyalet Silistra Eyalet Niš Eyalet Vidin Eyalet Habsburg Monarchy

The Eyalet of Rumeli, or Eyalet of Rumelia (Ottoman Turkish: ایالت روم ایلی, romanized: Eyālet-i Rūm-ėli), 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 48,119 square miles (124,630 km).

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).

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 (Laz-ili)
8. Serbia (Despot-ili)
9. Vardar (under the Evrenosoğullari)
10. Üsküb
11. Arnavut-ili (under Iskender Bey, i.e. Skanderbeg)
12. Arnavut-ili (under the Arianiti family)
13. Bosnia
14. Bosnia (under Stephen)
15. Arta, Zituni and Athens
16. Morea
17. 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.:

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 ("Gypsies")
30. Midilli
31. Karadağ (Montenegro)
32. Sanjakbey of the Müselleman-i Kirk Kilise ("Muslims of 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 (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.

1. Sofya (Pasha Sanjak of Rumelia)
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 c. 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

Early 19th century

Sanjaks in the early 19th century:

1. Manastir
2. Selanik
3. Tirhala
4. Iskenderiyye
5. Ohri
6. Avlonya
7. Köstendil
8. Elbasan
9. Prizren
10. Dukagin
11. Üsküb
12. Delvina
13. Vulcetrin
14. Kavala
15. Alaca Hișar
16. Yanya
17. 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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• Ottoman period in the Balkans
• Eyalets of the Ottoman Empire in Europe
• History of the Balkans
• Macedonia under the Ottoman Empire
• Ottoman Albania
• Ottoman period in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Ottoman period in the history of Bulgaria
• Ottoman Greece
• Ottoman period in the history of North Macedonia
• Ottoman Serbia
• Ottoman Thrace
• States and territories established in the 1360s
• States and territories disestablished in 1867
• 1360s establishments in the Ottoman Empire
• 1867 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire