Silistra Eyalet

The eyalet Silistrien ( Turkish Silistre Eyaleti ) was a province of the Ottoman Empire.

It included a quarter of a millennium not only the north and east of present-day Bulgaria, but also areas of four other states: the Romanian Dobrogea and the Ukrainian regions Budschak (southern Bessarabia to Bendery, Moldova) and Jedisan (southern Transnistria from Odessa to Balta ), ie almost all dominated by Ottoman Turks Black Sea coast between Istanbul and the Crimean Khanate, including all coastal towns between Varna and Ochakiv.

Administrative center of Silistra was the most important Ottoman fortress on the Danube and a flourishing city under the Ottomans. The Bulgarian cities Silistra, Rustchuk ( Ruse ), Shumen and Varna formed a powerful Quadrilateral.

Construction

First, in 1388 or 1393/1416 from the conquered Bulgarian Dobruja Principality of Kavarna ( Dobruja Despotat ) was formed a sanjak and the present-day Bulgarian oblasts been extended (districts ) Silistra and Dobrich. Added to this were the Wallachian enclaves Giurgiu and Brăila.

Two hundred years later, in 1599, the province of Dobrogea, the Budschak and Burgas was extended, converted into a large province and placed under a Crimean Tatar governor. The Sanjak of Silistra were Actually incorporated into the against the Russian-Ukrainian and Polish Cossacks created eyalet Özü ( Ochakiv ). Together presented Turks, Tatars and Nogai meantime a brief Muslim majority against Orthodox Christian Bulgarians, Romanians and Ukrainians.

Reorganization

After the 17th century, the coastal towns of Cossacks had plundered down to the gates of Istanbul, the eyalet was also increased by Jedisan. After a reorganization, however, the present-day Russian oblasts, Targovishte, Razgrad and Shumen were hived off and placed under the eyalet Rumelia. In 1700, the eyalet Silistra comprised only Dobrich, Silistra, the Dobrudja, the Budschak and Jedisan - but Otshakoff and Jedisan fell as a result of the Turkish wars in 1792 to Russia.

After the loss of Bessarabia and 1812 Silistrien was transformed in the 19th century, instead of the lost territories of the Bulgarian cities of Plovdiv, Burgas, Varna and Vidin and Turkish Edirne were added. Braila and Giurgiu were lost in 1829, Edirne in 1830 spun off again.

Resolution

As part of the reforms in the Ottoman Empire, the eyalet 1864 was transformed again by the vilayet Tuna replaced (Bulgaria north of the Balkan Mountains and including the Serbian Nis, first Wali was Midhat Pasha ), and finally assumed Rumelia, but the Turkish rule over Dobruja and Bulgaria ended in 1878, 1885 and those over Eastern Rumelia (Bulgaria south of the Balkan Mountains ).