Ali Pasha, Lion of Ioannina

by Eugenia Russell

  Ali Pasha

  Yet in his lineaments ye cannot trace

  While gentleness her Milder radiance throws

  Along that aged venerable face

  The deeds that lurk beneath, & stain him with disgrace

  Fig. 1: Illustration from the English translation of the History of Suli and Parga by Christophoros Perraivos.

  On my having paid him some slight compliment, Ali received me with so much courtesy of speech and of manner, that, had I not been certain, from general report, that he was a most barbarous and cruel man, and if, before entering his palace, I had not, in seeing fastened up on stakes some heads still dropping with blood, been a witness of his barbarity, I would have formed the most favourable opinion of him, and would have looked on him as the gentlest and most agreeable of men.

  Carlo Gherardini, Italian translator of the History of Suli and Parga

  Ali Pasha

  Lion of Ioannina

  The Remarkable Life of the

  Balkan Napoleon

  By

  Drs Quentin and Eugenia Russell

  First published in Great Britain in 2017 by

  Pen & Sword Military

  an imprint of

  Pen & Sword Books Ltd

  47 Church Street

  Barnsley

  South Yorkshire

  S70 2AS

  Copyright © Quentin and Eugenia Russell, 2017

  ISBN 978 1 47387 720 7

  eISBN 978 1 47387 722 1

  Mobi ISBN 978 1 47387 721 4

  The right of Quentin and Eugenia Russell to be identified as Authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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  Contents

  Frontispiece

  List of Illustrations

  Maps

  Some Major Historical Events during the Life of Ali Pasha

  Place Names

  The Principal Protagonists

  Introduction

  Chapter 1 Historical Background

  Chapter 2 The Creation of a Legend

  Chapter 3 Ali Pasha’s Life: The Rise

  Chapter 4 Ali Pasha’s Life: The Fall

  Chapter 5 Emissaries, Diplomats and Spies: Ali Pasha the Statesman

  Chapter 6 Life under Ali Pasha

  Chapter 7 Cultural Impact

  Chapter 8 The Aftermath

  Glossary

  Bibliography and Sources

  List of Illustrations

  Fig. 1: Illustration from the English translation of the History of Suli and Parga.

  Fig. 2: The artist crossing the Pindus Mountains from Ioannina to Trikkala.

  Fig. 3: Ioannina and the lake.

  Fig. 4: The Pindus Mountains.

  Fig. 5: Suliotes in traditional costume.

  Fig. 6: Janissary musketeer.

  Fig. 7: Janissary from Ioannina.

  Fig. 8: ‘The plumb-pudding in danger: or state epicures taking un petit souper’ (1805).

  Fig. 9: Warrior of Sellaida (1825).

  Fig. 10: Carnival in the early nineteenth century.

  Fig. 11: The Abduction of a Herzegovenian Woman.

  Fig. 12: French cavalry engage with the heroic-looking Pasha of Rhodes.

  Fig. 13: Engraving by Edward Finden.

  Fig. 14: Ali Pasha hears the pleas of a supplicant.

  Fig. 15: The Palace of Ali Pasha at Ioannina.

  Fig. 16: The house of Nicolo Argyris in Janina.

  Fig. 17: Lord Byron in Albanian dress.

  Fig. 18: Ali’s grandsons, Ismail and Mehmet.

  Fig. 19: Ioannina with Ali’s citadel.

  Fig. 20: Ali’s second son Veli.

  Fig. 21: The region around Tepelene.

  Fig. 22: Wandering Bektashi dervish.

  Fig. 23: Albanian palikars in pursuit of an enemy.

  Fig. 24: The Turkish Army advances on Sofia in Bulgaria.

  Fig. 25: Ioannina.

  Fig. 26: Ioannina and Corfu.

  Fig. 27: Map of Suli.

  Fig. 28: ‘Suli’.

  Fig. 29: ‘Kimara’.

  Fig. 30: Louis-Auguste Camus de Richemont directing the building of a trench at the Battle of Nicopolis.

  Fig. 31: Lieutenant Richemont taking down an Albanian horseman.

  Fig. 32: Being shown the severed head of a French soldier by Ali’s men.

  Fig. 33: Field Officer.

  Fig. 34: ‘The Vizier Ali Pacha, giving the fatal signal, for the slaughter of the Gardikiotes shut up in the Khan of Valiare’.

  Fig. 35: The quarantine station at Santa Maura.

  Fig. 36: The town and harbour of Vathi, Ithaka.

  Fig. 37: The tomb of Ali Pasha.

  Fig. 38: Ali’s Audience Chamber.

  Fig. 39: Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Napoleon I of France embrace after the Treaties of Tilsit.

  Fig. 40: Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson.

  Fig. 41: Portrait of François Pouqueville.

  Fig. 42: William Martin Leake.

  Fig. 43: The Oath of Initiation into the Society.

  Fig. 44: Germanos.

  Fig. 45: Ali Pasha hunting on the lake of Butrinto.

  Fig. 46: Ali Pasha and Kira Vassiliki.

  Fig. 47: A view of ‘monastic Zitsa’.

  Fig. 48: Congreve Rocket troop in action.

  Fig. 49: ‘Ioannina the capital of Albania: Turkey in Europe’.

  Fig. 50: ‘The Castle of Parga in Epirus’.

  Fig. 51: ‘Seraglio of Suli’.

  Fig. 52: Zekate House.

  Fig. 53: The fortress at Argyrocastro.

  Fig. 54: Nikopolis.

  Fig. 55: Mr TP Cook as Zenocles.

  Fig. 56: Haidée, a Greek Girl.

  Fig. 57: The Greek Slave.

  Fig. 58: The Greek Slave on display in New York.

  Fig. 59: Ali Pasha and Vassiliki.

  Fig. 60: The Refugees of Parga.

  Fig. 61: The Suliote Women.

  Fig. 62: Kolokotronis and his personal escort.

  Fig. 63: Nikos Mitropoulos hoists the flag at Salona.

  Fig. 64: Yannis Gouras fighting under the command of Odysseus Androutsos.

  Fig. 65: Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi.

  Fig. 66: Botsaris surprises the Turkish camp and falls fatally wounded.

  Fig. 67: The Murder of Kapodistrias.

  Fig. 68: Ali Pasha’s statue in Tepelene.

  Fig. 69: Frontispiece to Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage.

  Maps

  The European territories of the Ottoman Empire in 1814 by John Thomson (1815).

  Map of Albania and central Greece showing the Ottoman administrative units with the contemporary place names.

  Engraved by J & C Walker, published by Baldwin & Cradock, London, for the Society for the Diffusion of Useful
Knowledge (1829).

  Some Major Historical Events during the Life of Ali Pasha

  1734–1739 Austro-Russian war with Turkey.

  1739–1748 War of Jenkins’s Ear between Britain and Spain.

  1740 Empress Anne of Russia dies, 1741 Elizabeth seizes power from Ivan VI (a baby).

  1740–1748 War of the Austrian Succession when Marie Theresa succeeds as Holy Roman Empress; Frederic II (the Great) of Prussia invades Silesia; France declares war on Britain and Austria (1744).

  1754 Osman III succeeds Mahmud I as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

  1754–1763 Anglo-French War in North America (‘The French and Indian War’), from 1756, part of the Seven Years War: the struggle between Prussia and Austria becomes a world conflict fought between shifting alliances containing Britain and France in opposition. Treaty of Paris: Britain gains New France in North America and Florida from Spain, islands in the West Indies, Senegal and trading supremacy in India; Treaty of Hubertusburg maintains the status quo between Prussia and Austria.

  1757 Mustafa III Sultan of the Ottoman Empire: a modernizer.

  1760 George III succeeds his grandfather George II to the British throne.

  1762 Peter III succeeds as Emperor of Russia; is murdered, accession of Catherine II, the Great (Ivan VI murdered 1764).

  1766 Anglo-Russian treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation.

  1767–1772 Ali Bey rebels against the Ottoman Empire and attempts to make Egypt independent, eventually driven into exile by his troops.

  1768–1774 Russio-Turkish War; 1771 Austria allies with Turkey; Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, Russia consolidates its gains at the expense of Turkey.

  1773 Unrest in Britain’s American colonies: Boston Tea Party, protest against tea duty.

  1775–1783 American War of Independence: France, Spain and the Netherlands ally to the colonies; Treaty of Versailles, Britain recognizes their independence.

  1774 Louis XVI succeeds Louis XV as King of France. Abdul Hamid I succeeds as Sultan.

  1780 Emperor Joseph II succeeds Maria Theresa of Austria.

  1786 Frederick William II succeeds Frederick the Great of Prussia.

  1787–1792 Russio-Turkish War: Austria allies with Russia (1788–1790), Prussia with Turkey (1790-1792); Turkey defeated; 1789 the reformist Selim III becomes Sultan.

  1789–1794 Short-lived Belgian Republic breaks from Austrian domination.

  1789–1799 The French Revolution: 1792 France declared a Republic; 1793 execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, Louis XVII dies in prison (1795); Reign of Terror; Revolutionary army formed; The First Coalition (Austria, Spain, Great Britain, et al.) against France.

  1790 Leopold II Holy Roman Emperor followed by Francis II (1792).

  1796 Paul I succeeds Catherine the Great.

  1797–1802 France’s armies under Napoleon successful in Austria and Italy; Treaty of Campo Formio, Austria keeps Venice but Venetian territories that include the Ionian Islands go to France (1797); 1798 Napoleon victorious in Egypt but Nelson defeats the French Fleet (Battle of the Nile); Osman Pazvantoğlu Ottoman governor of Vidin (Bulgaria) sets up a rebel state (1798–1807); 1799 Napoleon returns to France, overthrows the Directory and sets up the Consulate. Russia and Turkey take the Ionian Islands. 1800 sees the French defeat the Austrians (Morengo). 1801 sees the British defeat the French at Copenhagen, Britain and Turkey defeat the French in Egypt; France makes peace with Austria, Spain, Portugal and Naples. Paul I of Russia murdered, succeeded by Alexander I. In 1802 Napoleon becomes Consul for life and President of the Italian Republic; Peace between Britain and France (Treaty of Amiens), Sri Lanka recognized as British colony.

  1803–1815 Napoleonic Wars; 1804 Napoleon crowned Emperor; Serbia rises in revolt against Turkey. 1805 Alliance between Britain, Russia, Austria, Naples and Sweden; Battle of Trafalgar; Napoleon crowned king in Italy, deposes King of Naples, takes Venice and Ancona; Austria and Russia defeated (Austerlitz), Austria makes peace. Mehemet Ali Pasha takes control of Egypt. 1806 Napoleon abolishes the Holy Roman Empire (Francis II becomes Francis I of Austria), defeats Prussia (Jena), successful in Italy and Poland, invades Portugal (the Peninsular War 1807–14).

  1806–1812 Russo-Turkish War.

  1807 Napoleon routs the Russians (Friedland); Treaty of Tilsit, France and Russia become allies dividing Europe between them; France agrees to help Russia against Turkey if Russia joins against the British Empire; the Ionian Islands handed to the French; British expedition to Egypt. The janissaries depose Selim III in favour of Mustafa IV. 1808 Congress of Erfurt, Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I’s secret plan to partition the Ottoman Empire breaks down over Constantinople and the Straits; France subdues Sweden and Spain, Russia invades Finland, Moldavia and Wallachia. Selim III assassinated by Mustafa IV, in turn deposed and killed by Mahmud II. 1809 War between Austria and France; the British begin taking the Ionian Islands.

  1810–1836 Spain loses control of its American colonies.

  1812–15 Napoleon invades Russia, the retreat from Moscow; Treaty of Bucharest between Russia and Turkey grants Serbia autonomy, which Turkey ignores, second Serbian revolt 1815–17 leading to the semi-independent Principality of Serbia. 1814 Napoleon defeated, Louis XVIII becomes king; Treaty of Paris, Ionian Islands a British protectorate. 1815 Napoleon escapes from Elba, defeated at Waterloo; Congress of Vienna reverses all French gains.

  1821–1832 Greek War of Independence.

  Place Names

  The places referred to in the contemporary literature have changed their names and spellings often on numerous occasions reflecting changes in ethnic distribution and political authority. Here are the common nineteenth century versions, their modern equivalents and other variants. The nineteenth century versions, which are used in the contemporary literature discussed in the book, are the names that the reader would require when delving deeper into those texts or conducting word searches. To facilitate further enquiry and study, we have mostly used those versions. When quotations from other authors are used, the spellings of those authors are preserved. Place names containing only small spelling differences and not a different name as such, e.g. Souli or Suli, Vostitsa or Vostizza, which the reader can easily identify, have been omitted for simplicity. This table provides information on additional and alternative names as well as the country to which each of these locations belong today.

  Names used in the sources Modern names

  Adrianoupolis, Adrianople Edirne (East Thrace, Turkey)

  Agios Vasilis Shen Vasil (Albania)

  Argyrocastro (Argyro Kastro) Gjirokastër (Albania)

  Avlona, Valona (It.) Avlonya (Turk.) Vlorë, Vlora (Albania)

  Brusa, Proussa Bursa (Turkey)

  Buthrotum, Vouthroton Butrint (Albania)

  Chimara, Khimara Himara, Himarë (Albania)

  Constantinople Istanbul (Turkey)

  Durazzo (Dyrrachium, Epidamnos) Durrës (Albania)

  Elbasan (Neokastron) Elbasan (Albania)

  Ghardiki, Gardiki Kardhiq (Albania)

  Hormovo (Chormovo) Hormovë (Albania)

  Janina, Yannina Ioannina (Greece)

  Jassy Iaşi, Iassy (Romania)

  Karaferi Veroia (Macedonia, Greece)

  Klissura Këlcyrë (Albania)

  Korytsa Korçë, Goritsa (Albania)

  Leghorn Livorno (Italy)

  Lepanto Naupactus, Nafpaktos (Greece)

  Libokovo (Libkhobo) Libohovë (Albania)

  Moldavia part of modern Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova

  Moscopole (Bossigrad) Voskopojë (Albania)

  Monastir (Manastir, Voutelion) Bitola (Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia)

  Morea, the Peloponnese, Peloponnesos, Morias (colloquial) (Greece)

  Navarino Pylos (Greece)

  Negosti Naousa (Macedonia, Greece)

  Negroponte (Chalkis, Euripos) Euboea (Greece)

  Nivitza Nivice (Albania)

  Ochrid (Achrida, Lychnidos) Ohrid (Former Yugoslav
ian Republic of Macedonia)

  Ostanitsa, Ostanizza Aidonochori (Greece)

  Paramithia (Ajdonat, Aghios Donatos) Paramythia (Greece)

  Patraziki (Neopatras, Neai Patrai, Patrai Helladikai) Ypati (Greece)

  Philippopolis (Filibe) Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

  Premeti Përmet (Albania)

  Ragusa Dubrovnik (Croatia)

  Rumeli, Rumelia refers to either the administrative eyalet of the Balkans or Central Greece

  Salona, La Sole Amfissa (Greece)

  Salonika Thessalonika, Thessaloniki (Greece)

  Saloniki (village) Saloniki Paramythias (Greece)

  Santi Quaranta (The Scala of the Forty Saints, Aghioi Saranda) Saranda (Albania)

  Scutari Shkodër, Shkodra (Albania)

  Septinsular Republic Ionian Islands (Greece)

  Corfu Kerkyra, Korkyra

  Paxos & Antipaxos Paxos & Antipaxos (coll. Paxi)

  Santa Maura Leukas, Lefkada

  Ithaka (Thiaki) Ithaka, Ithaki

  Cephalonia (Kephalonia) Kefalonia, Kefallinia

  Zante Zakynthos

  Cerigo, Carigo Kythera

  Spalatro Split (Croatia)

  Techovo Karydia (Macedonia, Greece)

  Tepelen, Tepalen, Tepelenë Tepelena, Tepelenë (Albania)

  Tilsit Sovetsk (Russian Federation, formerly in East Prussia)

  Tirhala Trikkala, Trikala (Greece)

  Tripolitza Tripolis, Tripoli (Greece)

  Vodena Edessa (Macedonia, Greece)

  Vostitsa, Vostizza, Votitza (Lagostica) Aigio (Greece)

  Vrachori Agrinion (Greece)

  Wallachia part of Romania

  Widin, Widdin Vidin (Bulgaria)

  Zitouni Lamia (Greece)

  The Principal Protagonists

  Grand Tourists, Travellers and Diplomats

  In essence the travellers and writers who saw Ali Pasha fall into two categories, before and after Byron. There were a number of foreigners in Ioannina at the turn of the century and the French and British had a significant presence. The first group of writers, few in number, were connected to diplomatic or military affairs. After Lord Byron’s visit in 1809, Ioannina was established on the tourist trail and all the subsequent travel writers walk in the shadow of his poetic description and express philhellenic sentiments. Most of the precursors were French diplomats, soldiers and even prisoners. Notable among them are Guillaume de Vaudoncourt of the French Army who assisted Ali in his defences and François Pouqueville who had been captured by the Turks and became French ambassador to Ali, 1806–14. He travelled and made a study of Albania with his British counterpart William Leake. During 1801 Leake was in the employ of the Turks to help as a military attaché. In 1804 he made a survey of Albania for the British and Turkish allies, and from 1807 to 1810 he was British ambassador to Ali.