Eyalet of Childir

Eyalet-i Çıldır Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire ← 1578–1845 → Childir Eyalet in 1609 Capital Çıldır 1578-1628; Oltu 1629-1845 History  - Battle of Çıldır 1578  - Disestablished 1845

The Eyalet of Childir^[1] (Turkish: Çıldır Eyaleti) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire in the Southwestern Caucasus. The area of the former Çıldır Eyalet is now divided between Samtskhe-Javakheti and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in Georgia and provinces of Artvin, Ardahan and Erzurum in Turkey. The administrative center was Çıldır between 1608-1829 and Oltu between 1829-1845.

History

The Ottomans took the Ahıska region from the Principality of Guria, a vassal state of Safavid dynasty. In 1578, when the new province was established, they appointed the former Georgian prince, Minuchir (who took the name of Mustafa after converting to Islam) as the first governor.^[2] From 1625 onwards the entire eyilet was a hereditary possession of the now-Muslim atabegs of Samtskhe,^[3] which administered it as hereditary governors, with some exceptions, until the mid-18th century.^[2]

Samtskhe was the only Georgian principality to permanently become an Ottoman province (as the eyalet of Cildir).^[3] In the eighty years after the battle of Zivin the region was gradually absorbed into the empire.^[3] During the Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829), Russians occupied much of the province. The administrative centre was moved from Ahıska, which was ceded to Russia, to Oltu. The greater part of the eyalet was ceded to Russia, while remaining, smaller part was united with the eyalet of Kars.^[4]

Governors

• Ishak Pasha, who oversaw the completion of the Ishak Pasha Palace^[5]

Administrative divisions

Sanjaks of the Eyalet in the 17th century:^[6]

1. Sanjak of Oulti
2. Sanjak of Harbus
3. Sanjak of Ardinj
4. Sanjak of Hajrek
5. Sanjak of Great Ardehan (Ardahan)
6. Sanjak of Postkhu
7. Sanjak of Mahjil
8. Sanjak of Ijareh penbek

• Hereditary sanjaks:

1. Sanjak of Purtekrek
2. Sanjak of Lawaneh
3. Sanjak of Nusuf Awan
4. Sanjak of Shushad

See also

• Jaqeli
• Meskhetian Turks

References

1. ^ The penny cyclopædia at Google Books By Society for the diffusion of useful knowledge
2. ^ ^{a b} Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire at Google Books By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters
3. ^ ^{a b c} An Historical Geography of the Ottoman Empire at Google Books
4. ^ The Penny cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge at Google Books By Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Great Britain)
5. ^ OVER 50,000 PEOPLE VISIT ISHAK PASHA PALACE IN EASTERN TURKEY
6. ^ Narrative of travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa in the ..., Volume 1 at Google Books By Evliya Çelebi, Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall