The Sanjak of Ohri ( tr, Ohri Sancağı, sq, Sanxhaku i Ohrit, bg, Охридски санджак, mk, Охридски санџак) was one of the
sanjak
Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ)
* Armenian language, Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province")
* Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region")
* el, Διοίκησι ...
s 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) ...
established in 1395. Part of it was located on the territory of the
Lordship of Prilep
The Lordship of Prilep ( sr, Господство Прилепа, translit=Gospodstvo Prilepa), also known as the Realm of King Marko ( sr, Област краља Марка, translit=Oblast kralja Marka) or the Kingdom of Prilep ( Macedonian an ...
, a realm in
Macedonia ruled by the Ottoman vassal
Prince Marko
Marko Mrnjavčević ( sr-cyr, Марко Мрњавчевић, ; – 17 May 1395) was the ''de jure'' Serbian king from 1371 to 1395, while he was the ''de facto'' ruler of territory in western Macedonia centered on the town of Prilep. He ...
until his death in the
Battle of Rovine
The Battle of Rovine took place on 17 May 1395. The Wallachian army led by Voivod Mircea the Elder opposed the Ottoman invasion personally led by Sultan Bayezid I the Thunderbolt. The Turkish force heavily outnumbered the Wallachian troops. ...
.
Administrative division
When the Sanjak of Ohrid was established in 1395, it was a part of the
Rumelia Eyalet
The Eyalet of Rumeli, or Eyalet of Rumelia ( ota, ایالت روم ایلی, ), known as the Beylerbeylik of Rumeli until 1591, was a first-level province ('' beylerbeylik'' or ''eyalet'') of the Ottoman Empire encompassing most of the Balkans (" ...
and was one of its earliest established sanjaks. Before it became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1395, its territory belonged to the
realm
A realm is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules. The term is commonly used to describe a monarchical or dynastic state. A realm may also be a subdivision within an empire, if it has its own monarch, e.g. the German Empire.
Etym ...
of
Prince Marko
Marko Mrnjavčević ( sr-cyr, Марко Мрњавчевић, ; – 17 May 1395) was the ''de jure'' Serbian king from 1371 to 1395, while he was the ''de facto'' ruler of territory in western Macedonia centered on the town of Prilep. He ...
. At first its
county town
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
was
Bitola
Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...
and later it was
Ohrid
Ohrid ( mk, Охрид ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the List of cities in North Macedonia, eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording ...
, which is why it has also been referred to in sources as Sanjak of Monastir (or ''Bitola''). This should not be confused with the later
Sanjak of Monastir
The Sanjak of Monastir or Manastir ( tr, Manastir Sancağı) or Bitola, was a ''sanjak'' within the Rumelia Eyalet (1465–1867) and then the Manastir Vilayet (1874–1912). The administrative seat was in Manastir (Bitola).
Sub-districts 1880
T ...
, established in 1826 from the eastern part of the Sanjak of Ohrid, and which entirely replaced the latter in 1864.
The territory of the Sanjak of Ohrid changed over time.
In 1406, the sanjakbey of Ohrid was
Junayd of Aydın
Juneyd or Junayd Bey ( tr, İzmiroğlu Cüneyd; ) was the last ruler (bey) of the Aydınid principality in what is now central western Turkey. His exact relationship with the Aydınid dynasty is unclear. His father was a long-time and popular gov ...
. In 1464 and 1465, the
sanjakbey
''Sanjak-bey'', ''sanjaq-bey'' or ''-beg'' ( ota, سنجاق بك) () was the title given in the Ottoman Empire to a bey (a high-ranking officer, but usually not a pasha) appointed to the military and administrative command of a district (''sanjak' ...
of the Sanjak of Ohrid was
Ballaban Badera
Ballaban Badera (also known as Ballaban Pasha or Ballaban Badheri) was an Albanian Ottoman military officer from Albania. A conscript of the Devshirme system, he became a Pasha. Ballaban Badera was said to be the first climbing the walls of Const ...
, famous for his battles against
Skanderbeg
, reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468
, predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti
, successor = Gjon Kastrioti II
, spouse = Donika Arianiti
, issue = Gjon Kastrioti II
, royal house = Kastrioti
, father ...
, replacing Şeremet bey on this position. Although
Halil Inalcik Halil is a common Turkish male given name. It is equivalent to the Arabic given name and surname Khalil or its variant Khaleel.
Notable persons with the name include:
* Halil Akbunar (born 1993), Turkish footballer
* Halil Akkaş (born 1983), Tu ...
explains that the
Sanjak of Elbasan
The Sanjak of Elbasan ( tr, İlbasan Sancağı) was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire. Its county town was Elbasan in Albania.
Administration
Although Halil Inalcik explains that the Sanjak of Elbasan was established as soon as the fortr ...
was established as soon as the
fortress of Elbasan was constructed in 1466, based on
Tursun Beg
Tursun Beg ( tr, Tursun Bey; probably born in mid-1420s in Bursa)Woodhead, Christine. "Ṭūrsūn Beg." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Brill, 2011. was an Ottoman bureaucrat and historian who wrote a chronicle dedicated to Mehmed II.
...
's records there is a possibility that Elbasan was first part of the Sanjak of Ohrid.
Official Ottoman censuses ( tr, Tapu tahrir defterleri) were organized in 1467, 1519 (collective census) and 1583 on the territory of the Sanjak of Ohrid.
The census from the beginning of the 16th century registered that the Sanjak of Ohrid had the
kazas (districts) of Ohrid, Debar, Akçahisar (Krujë) and Mat, and had 4 towns, 6 fortresses, 849 villages, 32,648 Christian families and 623 Muslim families.
According to the census of 1583, the Sanjak of Ohrid had three kazas with 13
nahiye
A nāḥiyah ( ar, , plural ''nawāḥī'' ), also nahiya or nahia, is a regional or local type of administrative division that usually consists of a number of villages or sometimes smaller towns. In Tajikistan, it is a second-level division w ...
. After a later expansion, the Sanjak of Ohrid had 22
nahiyah
A nāḥiyah ( ar, , plural ''nawāḥī'' ), also nahiya or nahia, is a regional or local type of administrative division that usually consists of a number of villages or sometimes smaller towns. In Tajikistan, it is a second-level division w ...
s, 6 in the region of
Macedonia and 16 in
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
. There was a substantial presence of ethnic
Albanians
The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
in this sanjak.
In the autumn of 1794,
Kara Mahmud Bushati
Kara Mahmud Pasha ( tr, Kara Mahmud Paşa, Albanian: Mahmud Pashë Bushati, 1749–22 September 1796) was a hereditary Ottoman Albanian governor (''mutasarrıf'') of the Pashalik of Scutari and de jure ruler of Albania, belonging to the Otto ...
, who was the pasha of the
Pashalik of Scutari
The Pashalik of Scutari, Iskodra, or Shkodra (1757–1831), was an autonomous and ''de facto'' independent '' pashalik'' created by the Albanian Bushati family from the previous Sanjak of Scutari, which was situated around the city of Shkod ...
, gained control over the Sanjak of Ohrid. From 1796 to 1797, it was ruled by Muhtar Pasha, son of
Ali Pasha. From 1820 to 1831, the Sanjak of Ohrid was under the control of another pasha of the
Pashalik of Scutari
The Pashalik of Scutari, Iskodra, or Shkodra (1757–1831), was an autonomous and ''de facto'' independent '' pashalik'' created by the Albanian Bushati family from the previous Sanjak of Scutari, which was situated around the city of Shkod ...
,
Mustafa Reshit Pasha Bushati.
The administrative division of the
Rumelia Eyalet
The Eyalet of Rumeli, or Eyalet of Rumelia ( ota, ایالت روم ایلی, ), known as the Beylerbeylik of Rumeli until 1591, was a first-level province ('' beylerbeylik'' or ''eyalet'') of the Ottoman Empire encompassing most of the Balkans (" ...
was reformed, based on the sultan's hatisherif of 21 June 1836, and the territories of its sanjaks were substantially changed while Sanjak of Ohrid became an
arpalik Under the Ottoman Empire, an arpalik or arpaluk ( tr, Arpalık) was a large estate (i.e. sanjak) entrusted to some holder of senior position, or to some margrave, as a temporary arrangement before they were appointed to some appropriate position. Ar ...
of
Valide Sultan #REDIRECT Valide sultan #REDIRECT Valide sultan
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{{redirect category shell, {{R from move{{R from miscapitalization{{R unprintworthy ...
. Until 1864, it was part of the
.
in 1864, the Sanjak of Ohrid ceased to exist and its territory was incorporated into the Sanjak of Monastir (first established as a sanjak, separate from the Sanjak of Ohrid, in 1826).
. In 1467 many Christians from
, a new Ottoman fortress in Albania.
Peasants of the Sanjak of Ohrid participated for ten years in the
. On 25 July 1571 it was proposed to divide Sanjak of Ohrid on two part, in order to increase public security in situation of constant rebellions in this sanjak.
In 1613 Ottoman authorities ordered the destruction of all newly built Christian churches in the villages of the Sanjak of Ohrid.
'' to the Sanjak of Ohrid.