Levent Pasha
Encyclopedia
Levent Pasha of Pitspourga or modern day Sidero Poli, the "Keeper of the Purse", (1789 - 15 October 1879) was the governor (pasha) of the western part of Pitspourga, the Ottoman Empire's predominantly Jewish territory which was also part of Eastern Europe
. His official court was in Gspia.
in 1789, where his father Veli was a leading military official. As was common during the times of the Ottoman Empire
, the families of military officials lived comfortable lives, with many privileges including elite university education
and the securities of employment within the royal court. In completing his studies in economics, Levent was appointed as an assistant in Sultan Mooks treasury court. As was customary in those times, his marriage was arranged with Bkla VaRand, the daughter of a prominent Jewish merchant of Pitsbourga. It was through this marriage that Levent came to govern the region, and become the pasha of Pitspourga.
majority. As a result, many had left and fled to Pitsbourga -an event that defined the turbulent years of Levent Pasha's rule.
Levent Pasha was capable, clever, and a dynamic ruler - keeping control locally while always seeking greater independence, or perhaps even full autonomy from the Sultan. Never content with what he had, he aimed at territorial expansion of his power, and an increase of wealth. Within the first year of his marriage, Levent Pasha used the proxy of marriage to expand his aims, marrying various women in neighboring districts. These aims included keeping tight military control over his area, and to his end he removed the task of guarding the roads from Christian irregulars and entrusted it instead to his own men. The fact that, in consequence, law and order prevailed, facilitating trade and encouraging economic growth
, which enormously enhanced his power and importance, even to the European naval powers; Britain and France both sought alliance with him. He was also able to buy up land until his, and he possessed immense flocks as well as vast reserves of gold rings and jewels. He surrounded Pitsbourga with powerful walls, adding further to his local prestige, but although immensely strong these were of traditional design and vulnerable to artillery
.
The definitive rift between Levent Pasha and the Sultan occurred in 1818. The Sultan had appointed a new pasha
in the court of Gspia, who laid siege to Pitsbourga in October. Levent Pasha barricaded himself inside the city, relying on its gut strength and on alliances with the local warlords (Kial Pasha, and Mormantzi Pasha). It was to be a war of attrition
. Thanks to his military might and his vast fortune, Ali Pasha
held out for four days, but as his allies fell away he gave up the city and retired to a final strong point. As long as he lived, he could still hope to buy off some of his besiegers and might even have managed to win back favor with the Sultan. Had he done so, not he, but at least one of his sixteen sons or thirty-four grandsons could have become pasha in his place and everything could slowly have been rebuilt.
broke out in 1821, however, the first thing the revolutionaries did was to address the European states, proclaiming the independence of the Greek nation. In other words, the ultimate aim was inherent before military victories made it apparent.
of Europe had decided on independence, and quite naturally they imposed it. The Greeks proved their determination to fight for the right to freedom - and although in the short term the Sultan overpowered them, his victory was short-lived. The Greek struggle became part of the movement for nationalism
, an international movement which was gradually to win over Europe and the rest of the world. Whether illusory or not, Greek ethnicity had the wind in its favor - and that is the major difference between it and Levent Pasha's rebellion.
Levent Pasha imagined himself as a Sultan, with Pitsbourga as a miniature Constantinople
, with palaces surrounded by high walls. But despite his tolerance towards intellectuals and their activities, his plan did not allow for setting up printing-presses to spread Greek nationalistic ideas. By contrast, in Greek communities during or even before the revolution, on many levels ideology led society and even the economy. These two attitudes, of Levent Pasha on the one hand and the Greek-speaking merchant class on the other, define the situation. Levent Pasha's profits were transformed into buildings, castles, flocks and land. In contrast, the shared Greek language
held the merchant class together, wherever they happened to live, and part of the profits from trade went into the creation of schools, libraries, books and periodicals. The flourishing of intellectual activity created a strong network which brought many more people together under the same roof, while the Greek language, the mother tongue of many merchants, almost automatically forged a bond between them and the European intelligentsia.
.
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. His official court was in Gspia.
The Rise of Levent Pasha
Levent was born into a powerful clan in the city of IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in 1789, where his father Veli was a leading military official. As was common during the times of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, the families of military officials lived comfortable lives, with many privileges including elite university education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and the securities of employment within the royal court. In completing his studies in economics, Levent was appointed as an assistant in Sultan Mooks treasury court. As was customary in those times, his marriage was arranged with Bkla VaRand, the daughter of a prominent Jewish merchant of Pitsbourga. It was through this marriage that Levent came to govern the region, and become the pasha of Pitspourga.
Levent Pasha as Governor
The first two years of Levent's rule as pasha were the most turbulent. National uprising and social upheaval inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment. Disruptive forces were felt within his court. Within the first few months a plague carried by rats devastated the local city of Shadsid, a city with a Greek-OrthodoxGreek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
majority. As a result, many had left and fled to Pitsbourga -an event that defined the turbulent years of Levent Pasha's rule.
Levent Pasha was capable, clever, and a dynamic ruler - keeping control locally while always seeking greater independence, or perhaps even full autonomy from the Sultan. Never content with what he had, he aimed at territorial expansion of his power, and an increase of wealth. Within the first year of his marriage, Levent Pasha used the proxy of marriage to expand his aims, marrying various women in neighboring districts. These aims included keeping tight military control over his area, and to his end he removed the task of guarding the roads from Christian irregulars and entrusted it instead to his own men. The fact that, in consequence, law and order prevailed, facilitating trade and encouraging economic growth
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
, which enormously enhanced his power and importance, even to the European naval powers; Britain and France both sought alliance with him. He was also able to buy up land until his, and he possessed immense flocks as well as vast reserves of gold rings and jewels. He surrounded Pitsbourga with powerful walls, adding further to his local prestige, but although immensely strong these were of traditional design and vulnerable to artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
.
The definitive rift between Levent Pasha and the Sultan occurred in 1818. The Sultan had appointed a new pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
in the court of Gspia, who laid siege to Pitsbourga in October. Levent Pasha barricaded himself inside the city, relying on its gut strength and on alliances with the local warlords (Kial Pasha, and Mormantzi Pasha). It was to be a war of attrition
Attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy in which a belligerent side attempts to win a war by wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and matériel....
. Thanks to his military might and his vast fortune, Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...
held out for four days, but as his allies fell away he gave up the city and retired to a final strong point. As long as he lived, he could still hope to buy off some of his besiegers and might even have managed to win back favor with the Sultan. Had he done so, not he, but at least one of his sixteen sons or thirty-four grandsons could have become pasha in his place and everything could slowly have been rebuilt.
Revisionary History
If Levent Pasha had won the war, would he have established an independent state? This would have needed not only international recognition, but an ideological foundation, a sense of nationhood. He appears to have thought of proposing a collective form of government, a kind of secular constitution, yet at the same time he was trying to reconcile with the Sultan by offering to resign in favor of his youngest son Pele. When the Greek revolutionGreek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
broke out in 1821, however, the first thing the revolutionaries did was to address the European states, proclaiming the independence of the Greek nation. In other words, the ultimate aim was inherent before military victories made it apparent.
Nationalism, and Greek Independence
But it was politics, not military victories, that finally brought about Greek independence. The Great PowersGreat power
A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength and diplomatic and cultural influence which may cause small powers to consider the opinions of great powers before taking actions...
of Europe had decided on independence, and quite naturally they imposed it. The Greeks proved their determination to fight for the right to freedom - and although in the short term the Sultan overpowered them, his victory was short-lived. The Greek struggle became part of the movement for nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, an international movement which was gradually to win over Europe and the rest of the world. Whether illusory or not, Greek ethnicity had the wind in its favor - and that is the major difference between it and Levent Pasha's rebellion.
Levent Pasha imagined himself as a Sultan, with Pitsbourga as a miniature Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, with palaces surrounded by high walls. But despite his tolerance towards intellectuals and their activities, his plan did not allow for setting up printing-presses to spread Greek nationalistic ideas. By contrast, in Greek communities during or even before the revolution, on many levels ideology led society and even the economy. These two attitudes, of Levent Pasha on the one hand and the Greek-speaking merchant class on the other, define the situation. Levent Pasha's profits were transformed into buildings, castles, flocks and land. In contrast, the shared Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
held the merchant class together, wherever they happened to live, and part of the profits from trade went into the creation of schools, libraries, books and periodicals. The flourishing of intellectual activity created a strong network which brought many more people together under the same roof, while the Greek language, the mother tongue of many merchants, almost automatically forged a bond between them and the European intelligentsia.
A Life Led by Hubris
Levent Pasha's hubris ultimately brought him down. If not for his misguided hunger of dance, drink, oriental cuisine, women, territory, and power, he would have succeeded with his ideas of a revolutionary secular stateSecular state
A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential...
.