Republic of Tamrash
Encyclopedia
Pomaks
Pomaks is a term used for a Slavic Muslim population native to some parts of Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. The Pomaks speak Bulgarian as their native language, also referred to in Greece and Turkey as Pomak language, and some are fluent in Turkish,...
, living in the Tamrash region of the Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
. It existed from 1878 to 1886.
Geography
The territory spanned over the area locked between the Vacha RiverVacha River
The Vacha is a river in south Bulgaria, one of the main right tributaries of the Maritsa. It is 105 km long and is formed by the confluence of the Shirokolashka reka and the Byunovska reka. The river passes through Krichim Dam and Vacha Dam that secure drinking water for Plovdiv and its plains...
and the Chepelare River
Chepelare River
The Chepelare River is a river in Bulgaria that takes its source from Rozhen Peak in the Rhodopes. The river's length is about 87 km and two hydroelectric plants are constructed on it, with a total maximum power of 2,400 kW.The Chepelare River runs through the town of Chepelare, the Bachkovo...
. The rebel territory initially consisted of 17 villages but its number increased up to 21 in 1880. Some of those villages were Trigrad, Mugla, Beden, Mihalkovo, Skoblevo, Churukovo and Devin
Devin, Bulgaria
Devin is a town in Smolyan Province in the far south of Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Devin Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 7,054 inhabitants.-Location and geography:...
.
History
The self-governing territory emerged as the PomaksPomaks
Pomaks is a term used for a Slavic Muslim population native to some parts of Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. The Pomaks speak Bulgarian as their native language, also referred to in Greece and Turkey as Pomak language, and some are fluent in Turkish,...
of the Tamrash region struggled to avoid the influence and the rule of the Christian Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
and the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
after the Russo-Turkish War.
President of the territory was Ahmed Agha Tamrashlyata. He had participated in the April Uprising
April Uprising
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, which indirectly resulted in the re-establishment of Bulgaria as an autonomous nation in 1878...
, supported by the dwellers of the Tamrash villages on the 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...
side, so when two years later the Bulgarian and Russian forces advanced to the south, he and his fellows fled even further south to avoid retaliation.
After the Russian army withdrew from the hard to supply Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
, the agha and his party returned to their villages to establish the self-governing territory.
Ahmed Agha Tamrashlyata imposed three times lower taxes which led to expanding the territory from 17 to 21 villages in the autumn of 1880. At the same time the Republic of Tamrash sent a representative in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
and introduced visas. But in the winter of the same year officials from Tamrash, 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...
and the authority of Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
met and agreed that the newly added 4 villages should be returned to Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
.
Officials
- Head of territory - Ahmed Agha Tamrashlyata from the village of Tamrash.
- Commander - Hasan Agha from Trigrad.
- Vice commander - Hadzhi Mehmed from Beden.
- Vice commander - Molla Eyub from Mugla.
- National guard commander - Mehmed Agha (Ahmed Agha's brother) from the village of Tamrash.
The guard of territory consisted of 20 men. The leaders of the villages had great authority. The capital was moved all the time - it was first in Trigrad, later in Nastan, after that in Mihalkovo and so on.
Timeline
- 1878 - the self-governing territory of Tamrash is established.
- 1880 - the leaders of the territory agree to join Eastern RumeliaEastern RumeliaEastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
, but don't do it because they are afraid from forest bandits who would attack them had they disarmed. - 1880 - four more Pomak villages join their rebellious brothers.
- 1880 - after negotiations the four villages are returned to Eastern RumeliaEastern RumeliaEastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
. - 1881 - the Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
secretly recognizes the Republic of Tamrash and awards its officials with medals in order to get a fraction of the taxes they collect. - 1882 - Eastern RumeliaEastern RumeliaEastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
gives up its efforts to gain control over Tamrash. - 1886 - the Bulgarian Army occupies the territory of Tamrash.
- 1886 - the Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
recognizes the unification of Eastern RumeliaEastern RumeliaEastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
and BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , 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...
and in return receives the Republic of Tamrash and several rebellious TurkishTurkish peopleTurkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
villages.