Osman Pazvantoglu
Encyclopedia
Osman Pazvantoğlu was a Bosnian
Ottoman
soldier, a governor of the Vidin district after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule. He is also remembered as the friend of Rigas Feraios
, a Greek
revolutionary poet, whom he tried to rescue from the Ottoman authorities in Belgrade
.
, and part of the guards of the city of Sofia
, hence Osman's name: pasban-oğlu, "son of the guard". Initially a mercenary in service to the Wallachian prince Nicholas Mavrogenes, Osman Pazvantoğlu disobeyed the latter on one occasion, and was saved from reprisals through Feraios' intervention.
Having gathered a large army of mercenaries, he rebelled against the Ottoman sultan
Selim III
, and, acting as an independent ruler, he minted his own coins and had diplomatic relations with foreign states (including the French Republic). In 1798, he held territories which spread from the Danube to the Balkan Mountains
and from Belgrade to Varna
. In 1793, he undertook a military expedition to the Pashaluk of Belgrade but was soundly defeated by the Serbs in Ottoman service at the Battle of Kolar.
The 1798 military expedition of Hüseyin Küçük (having 100,000 soldiers) failed in its goal to conquer Vidin and capture Pazvantoğlu, and indirectly resulted in the fall and execution of Prince Constantine Hangerli
, after Küçük accused him of not having provided the Ottoman Army
with enough funds.. He also attempted to annex the Sanjak of Smederevo
but was stopped by 16,000 Serbian soldiers in Ottoman
service. In 1799, the Ottoman sultan forgave Pazvantoğlu's rebellion and agreed to make him a pasha
.
Pazvantoğlu often made violent raids in Wallachia
, where he often set on fire the cities which he plundered. In 1800, his troops, colloquially known as pasvangii, set on fire a large portion of the city of Craiova
: out of 7,000 houses, only around 300 were still standing after the fire stopped. This caused Prince Alexander Mourousis
to hand in his resignation to Sultan Selim, a rare statement of defeat in the context of Phanariote reigns.
In late January 1802, Bucharest
was gripped by panic after rumors spread that the pasha had sent his army in its direction. Prince Michael Soutzos
left the city and ordered its defense by the remaining garrison of Albanians
, but disagreements over payment owed led the troops themselves to discard the place; the city soon fell to widespread disorder and the brief rule of beggars and vagabonds (who apparently mimicked a coronation
ceremony) — this episode was ended by the violent intervention of Ottoman troops stationed in the vicinity, and ultimately led to Soutzos' deposition.
In 1809, retaliation campaign of Oltenia
n hajduk
s led by Iancu Jianu
culminated in the attack and partial destruction of Turnu Măgurele
(which was officially administered as an Ottoman kaza, but had become a base for the rebellion leader).
Pazvantoğlu's incursions soon became infamous in all of Wallachia. The expression "as in the time of Pazvante", rather common in Romanian
, was meant to indicate a time of trouble and ill-government; in time, it simply came to mean "extremely old".
In Vidin, Bulgaria
, the capital of Pazvantoğlu's domain, there are several landmarks built during his rule that still stand today. These include a mosque
(built in 1801-1802) and a library (1802-1803) dedicated to the pasha's father. Both are classed as monuments of culture.
The complex is also thought to have also included a madrasah
(Islam
ic school) and a small Muslim cloister, both of which have not survived until today.
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
Ottoman
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...
soldier, a governor of the Vidin district after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule. He is also remembered as the friend of Rigas Feraios
Rigas Feraios
Rigas Feraios or Rigas Velestinlis was a Greek writer and revolutionary of Aromanian origin, active in the Modern Greek Enlightenment, remembered as a Greek national hero, a victim of Balkan uprising against the Ottoman Empire and a forerunner of the Greek War of Independence.-Early...
, a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
revolutionary poet, whom he tried to rescue from the Ottoman authorities in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
.
Activities
His grandfather was originally from Bosnia ProvinceBosnia Province, Ottoman Empire
The Bosnia Vilayet was an Ottoman vilayet, mostly based on the territory of the present-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as most of Slavonia, Lika and Dalmatia in present-day Croatia. It bordered Kosovo Vilayet to the south. Before the administrative reform in 1864, it was called the...
, and part of the guards of the city of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, hence Osman's name: pasban-oğlu, "son of the guard". Initially a mercenary in service to the Wallachian prince Nicholas Mavrogenes, Osman Pazvantoğlu disobeyed the latter on one occasion, and was saved from reprisals through Feraios' intervention.
Having gathered a large army of mercenaries, he rebelled against the Ottoman sultan
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...
Selim III
Selim III
Selim III was the reform-minded Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissaries eventually deposed and imprisoned him, and placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV...
, and, acting as an independent ruler, he minted his own coins and had diplomatic relations with foreign states (including the French Republic). In 1798, he held territories which spread from the Danube to the Balkan Mountains
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea...
and from Belgrade to Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
. In 1793, he undertook a military expedition to the Pashaluk of Belgrade but was soundly defeated by the Serbs in Ottoman service at the Battle of Kolar.
The 1798 military expedition of Hüseyin Küçük (having 100,000 soldiers) failed in its goal to conquer Vidin and capture Pazvantoğlu, and indirectly resulted in the fall and execution of Prince Constantine Hangerli
Constantine Hangerli
Constantine or Constantin Hangerli was a Prince of Wallachia between 1797 and the time of his death. He was the brother of Alexander Hangerli, who served as Prince of Moldavia in 1807....
, after Küçük accused him of not having provided the Ottoman Army
Military of the Ottoman Empire
The history of military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years between 1300 and 1453 , the classical period covers the years between 1451 and 1606 , the reformation period covers the years between 1606 and 1826 ,...
with enough funds.. He also attempted to annex the Sanjak of Smederevo
Sanjak of Smederevo
The Sanjak of Smederevo , also known as the Pashaluk of Belgrade , was an Ottoman administrative unit , that existed between the 15th and the outset of the 19th centuries...
but was stopped by 16,000 Serbian soldiers in Ottoman
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...
service. In 1799, the Ottoman sultan forgave Pazvantoğlu's rebellion and agreed to make him a 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...
.
Pazvantoğlu often made violent raids in Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, where he often set on fire the cities which he plundered. In 1800, his troops, colloquially known as pasvangii, set on fire a large portion of the city of Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
: out of 7,000 houses, only around 300 were still standing after the fire stopped. This caused Prince Alexander Mourousis
Alexander Mourousis
Alexander Mourousis was a Great Dragoman of the Ottoman Empire who served as Prince of Moldavia and Prince of Wallachia. Open to Enlightenment ideas, and noted for his interest in hydrological engineering, Mourousis was forced to deal with the intrusions of Osman Pazvantoğlu's rebellious troops...
to hand in his resignation to Sultan Selim, a rare statement of defeat in the context of Phanariote reigns.
In late January 1802, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
was gripped by panic after rumors spread that the pasha had sent his army in its direction. Prince Michael Soutzos
Mihai Sutu
Mihai Draco Suţu was a Prince of Moldavia between 1792 and 1795. A member of the Soutzos family of Phanariotes, he was the uncle of Mihail Suţu, himself a ruler of Moldavia between 1819 and 1821.-Third ruler of Wallachia:...
left the city and ordered its defense by the remaining garrison of Albanians
Albanians of Romania
The Albanians are an ethnic minority in Romania. As an officially recognized ethnic minority, Albanians have one seat reserved in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies to the League of Albanians of Romania .-Demographics:In the 2002 census 520 Romanian citizens indicated their ethnicity was Albanian,...
, but disagreements over payment owed led the troops themselves to discard the place; the city soon fell to widespread disorder and the brief rule of beggars and vagabonds (who apparently mimicked a coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
ceremony) — this episode was ended by the violent intervention of Ottoman troops stationed in the vicinity, and ultimately led to Soutzos' deposition.
In 1809, retaliation campaign of Oltenia
Oltenia
Oltenia is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river ....
n hajduk
Hajduk
Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe....
s led by Iancu Jianu
Iancu Jianu
Iancu Jianu was a Wallachian Romanian hajduk.-Biography:Born in Caracal, Oltenia, Wallachia, to the Jianu boyar family, as the youngest of four brothers...
culminated in the attack and partial destruction of Turnu Măgurele
Turnu Magurele
Turnu Măgurele is a city in Teleorman County, Romania . Developed nearby the site once occupied by the medieval port of Turnu, it is situated north-east of the confluence between the Olt River and the Danube....
(which was officially administered as an Ottoman kaza, but had become a base for the rebellion leader).
Pazvantoğlu's incursions soon became infamous in all of Wallachia. The expression "as in the time of Pazvante", rather common in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
, was meant to indicate a time of trouble and ill-government; in time, it simply came to mean "extremely old".
Legacy
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, the capital of Pazvantoğlu's domain, there are several landmarks built during his rule that still stand today. These include a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
(built in 1801-1802) and a library (1802-1803) dedicated to the pasha's father. Both are classed as monuments of culture.
The complex is also thought to have also included a madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
(Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic school) and a small Muslim cloister, both of which have not survived until today.