The ''Koinon'' of the Zagorisians ( el, Κοινόν τῶν Ζαγορισίων), alternatively Commons of the Zagorisians, League of the Zagorisians, League of Zagori, or Nohaye Zagor in Turkish, was an autonomous region of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. ''

Koinon ''Koinon'' ( el, Κοινόν, pl. Κοινά, ''Koina''), meaning "common", in the sense of "public", had many interpretations, some societal, some governmental. The word was the neuter form of the adjective, roughly equivalent in the government ...

'' means "Common", it could be attributed with commonwealth, commune or collective but these terms have associated connotations because of already established usage. The ''Koinon'' was a form of government that had existed in various periods in Greek history. In

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...

itself there had in ancient times existed the ''Koinon'' of the

Molossian The Molossians () were a group of ancient Greek tribes which inhabited the region of Epirus in classical antiquity. Together with the Chaonians and the Thesprotians, they formed the main tribal groupings of the northwestern Greek group. On thei ...

s. There was a ''Koinon'' of Laconians, centred on

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

and its old dominions for a period under Roman rule, a ''Koinon'' of the Macedonians, also under Roman rule. In modern Greek history, during the Greek War of Independence, a local self-government termed ''Koinon'' was set up in the islands of Hydra, Spetsai and

Psara Psara ( el, Ψαρά, , ; known in ancient times as /, /) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Together with the small island of Antipsara (Population 4) it forms the municipality of Psara. It is part of the Chios regional unit, which is part of ...

History

In the 1420s,

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...

was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

dominion. In 1430-1431, Sinan Pasha, a general of Sultan

Murad II Murad II ( ota, مراد ثانى, Murād-ı sānī, tr, II. Murad, 16 June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1444 and again from 1446 to 1451. Murad II's reign was a period of important economic deve ...

, led an army into

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...

and fought a series of battles that led to its eventual conquest. Fourteen villages of central Zagori reached a very favourable agreement with Sinan Pasha, following one such battle (near Votsa),Βασίλης Μπινακάκης ''Ζαγοροχώρια'' Explorer 2006, Athens that the Turks would guarantee certain privileges for the region of Zagori in return for vassalage. These privileges included an autonomous government headed by a Head Prelate called ''Vekylis'' ( el, Βεκύλης) (elected every 6 months or every year) and a Council of Elders ( el, Δημογεροντία). The Elders were representing each village and were elected locally. The Zagorisians would not pay taxes to the Ottomans but an obligation was agreed upon to maintain a number of attendants to the Sultan's stables. The Zagorisians maintained a small armed force of

Sipahi ''Sipahi'' ( ota, سپاهی, translit=sipâhi, label=Persian, ) were professional cavalrymen deployed by the Seljuks, and later the Ottoman Empire, including the land grant-holding (''timar'') provincial '' timarli sipahi'', which constituted ...

cavalry (Σπαχῆδες). Fifty years later, the villages of Eastern Zagori, inhabited by

Aromanians The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgaria, northern and ...

, also joined the Treaty. This agreement, called "''Voiniko''" was modified in 1670. The ''Koinon'' of the Zagorisians was set up and further privileges called "''Siouroutia''" were established, thanks to the influence of

Phanariot Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots ( el, Φαναριώτες, ro, Fanarioți, tr, Fenerliler) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumen ...

s of Zagorisian descent. These included the replacement of the obligation to send attendants to the Sultan's stables with a tax, the free exercise of the Christian faith and significantly a prohibition of entry of Turks into

Zagori Zagori ( el, Ζαγόρι; rup, Zagori), is a region and a municipality in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeloi. It has an area of some and contains 46 villages known as ...

. The villages of Western Zagori entered the Koinon of the Zagorisians in 1750. From 1750, the ''Vekylis'' of

took up residence in Ioannina, in a House of the Koinon of the Zagorisians or in private. He was responsible for the collection of taxes and for judging civil law disputes. During the Ottoman period

was one of three

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

regions that enjoyed autonomy under a treaty, the other two were

Mani Mani may refer to: Geography * Maní, Casanare, a town and municipality in Casanare Department, Colombia * Mani, Chad, a town and sub-prefecture in Chad * Mani, Evros, a village in northeastern Greece * Mani, Karnataka, a village in Dakshi ...

in the Peloponnese and Mademochoria in Macedonia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koinon Of The Zagorisians 1670 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 15th century in Greece 16th century in Greece 17th century in Greece 18th century in Greece 19th century in Greece 1868 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire States and territories established in 1670 Former countries in the Balkans Zagori Aromanians in Greece