Principality of Theodoro
Encyclopedia
The Principality of Theodoro , also known as Gothia
, was a small principality in the south-west of Crimea
from the 13th through 15th centuries. Its capital was Doros
, which was also sometimes called Theodoro and is now known as Mangup
. The state was closely allied with the Empire of Trebizond
.
out of parts of the Byzantine thema of Klimata which were not occupied by the Genoese
. Its population was a mixture of Greeks
, Crimean Goths
, Alans
, Bulgars
, Kypchaks and other nations, which confessed Orthodox Christianity
. The principality's official language was Greek. The territory was initially under the control of Trebizond
, and possibly part of its Crimean possessions, the Perateia
. Theodore II Gabras, a scion
of the noble Gabras
family (also called Chowra in Turkish
) was appointed as the governor.
The Gabras family soon refortified Doros, and named the new citadel St. Theodore , after its patron saint. This became the administrative center of the new principality, from which it took its name. The principality had peaceful relations with the Golden Horde
to its north, paying an annual tribute as vassals, but was in constant strife with the Genoese
colonies to the south over access to the coasts and the trade that went through the Crimean harbours. A narrow strip of the coastal land from Yamboli (Balaklava
) in the west to Aluston (Alushta
) in the east initially part of the principality soon fell under Genoese control. Local Greeks called this region Parathalassia ( - sea shore), while under Genoese rule it was known as Captainship of Gothia. After they had lost harbours on the southern coast Theodorites built a new port called Avlita at the mouth of the Chernaya River
and fortified it with the fortress of Kalamita (modern Inkerman
).
On 6 June 1475, the Ottoman commander Gedik Ahmet Pasha conquered Caffa and at the end of the year, after six months of besieging Mangup
, the city fell to the assailants. While much of the rest of Crimea remained part of the Crimean Khanate
, now an Ottoman vassal, the former lands of Theodoro and southern Crimea was administered directly by the Sublime Porte.
Gothia
Gothia is a name given to various places where the Goths lived during their migrations:* Götaland, the traditional original homeland of the Goths.* Dacia was referred to as Gothia during the fourth century, when it was settled by Goths....
, was a small principality in the south-west of Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
from the 13th through 15th centuries. Its capital was Doros
Mangup
Mangup also known as Mangup Kale is a historic fortress in Crimea, located on a plateau about 9 miles due east of Sevastopol . In medieval times it was known as Doros, later it was given the Kipchak name Mangup .- History :The settlement dates back to the 3rd century CE and was fortified by...
, which was also sometimes called Theodoro and is now known as Mangup
Mangup
Mangup also known as Mangup Kale is a historic fortress in Crimea, located on a plateau about 9 miles due east of Sevastopol . In medieval times it was known as Doros, later it was given the Kipchak name Mangup .- History :The settlement dates back to the 3rd century CE and was fortified by...
. The state was closely allied with the Empire of Trebizond
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
.
History
The Principality was formed after the Fourth CrusadeFourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
out of parts of the Byzantine thema of Klimata which were not occupied by the Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
. Its population was a mixture of Greeks
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....
, Crimean Goths
Crimean Goths
Crimean Goths were those Gothic tribes who remained in the lands around the Black Sea, especially in Crimea. They were the least-powerful, least-known, and almost paradoxically, the longest-lasting of the Gothic communities...
, Alans
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
, Bulgars
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
, Kypchaks and other nations, which confessed Orthodox Christianity
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
. The principality's official language was Greek. The territory was initially under the control of Trebizond
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
, and possibly part of its Crimean possessions, the Perateia
Perateia
Perateia was the overseas territory of the Empire of Trebizond, comprising the Crimean cities of Cherson, Kerch and their hinterlands. The territory was probably administered during Byzantine rule from Trebizond before the Comneni established a separate empire a few weeks before the Crusader sack...
. Theodore II Gabras, a scion
Kinship
Kinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin, through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. And descent groups, lineages, etc. are treated in their own subsections....
of the noble Gabras
Gabras
Gabras , feminine form Gabraina , is the surname of an important Byzantine aristocratic family, which became especially prominent in the late 11th and early 12th centuries as the semi-independent and quasi-hereditary rulers of Chaldia....
family (also called Chowra in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
) was appointed as the governor.
The Gabras family soon refortified Doros, and named the new citadel St. Theodore , after its patron saint. This became the administrative center of the new principality, from which it took its name. The principality had peaceful relations with the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
to its north, paying an annual tribute as vassals, but was in constant strife with the Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
colonies to the south over access to the coasts and the trade that went through the Crimean harbours. A narrow strip of the coastal land from Yamboli (Balaklava
Balaklava
Balaklava is a former city on the Crimean peninsula and part of the city of Sevastopol which carries a special administrative status in Ukraine. It was a city in its own right until 1957 when it was formally incorporated into the municipal borders of Sevastopol by the Soviet government...
) in the west to Aluston (Alushta
Alushta
Alushta is a resort town in Crimea, Ukraine, founded in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian. It is situated on the Black Sea on the road from Gurzuf to Sudak, as well as on the Crimean Trolleybus line....
) in the east initially part of the principality soon fell under Genoese control. Local Greeks called this region Parathalassia ( - sea shore), while under Genoese rule it was known as Captainship of Gothia. After they had lost harbours on the southern coast Theodorites built a new port called Avlita at the mouth of the Chernaya River
Chernaya River (Ukraine)
The Chorna, Chornaya or Chorhun River , which translates from the Ukrainian and Russian as "Black River", is a small river in Crimea, Ukraine. Its length is 34,5 km....
and fortified it with the fortress of Kalamita (modern Inkerman
Inkerman
Inkerman is a town in Crimea, Ukraine. It is situated 5 kilometres east of Sevastopol, at the mouth of the Chernaya River that flows into Sevastopol Inlet . Administratively, Inkerman is subordinate to the municipality of Sevastopol which does not constitute part of the Autonomous Republic of...
).
On 6 June 1475, the Ottoman commander Gedik Ahmet Pasha conquered Caffa and at the end of the year, after six months of besieging Mangup
Mangup
Mangup also known as Mangup Kale is a historic fortress in Crimea, located on a plateau about 9 miles due east of Sevastopol . In medieval times it was known as Doros, later it was given the Kipchak name Mangup .- History :The settlement dates back to the 3rd century CE and was fortified by...
, the city fell to the assailants. While much of the rest of Crimea remained part of the Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
, now an Ottoman vassal, the former lands of Theodoro and southern Crimea was administered directly by the Sublime Porte.
Princes of Theodoro
- Demetrios (after 1362 — before 1368)
- ?
- Basil
- Stephen, son of Basil, (?—1402)
- Alexios I, son of Stephen, (1402—1434)
- Alexios II, son of Alexios I, (1434—1444)
- John (Olubey), son of Alexios I, (1444—1460)
- ?
- Isaac, son of Alexios I, (1471—1474)
- Alexander, son of Alexios II, (June — December 1475)
Sources
- А. В. Васильев, М. Н. Автушенко «Загадка княжества Феодоро» Севастополь, 2006
- Т. М. Фадеева, А. К. Шапошников «Княжество Феодоро и его князья» Симферополь, 2005
- Kazanski Michel , "Sites on the mountainous areas of the SW Crimea in the medieval period" (undated).