The takeover by the Ottoman Empire in 1571 was largely welcomed by the local
population, who had to some extent collaborated with the invaders and who
anticipated changes for the better. To begin with, their hopes were justified.
The hated Latin church was uprooted, with many churchhes being convened into
mosques, and the Orthodox church was restored to dominance. The feudal system
was abolished, and the former serfs could now own and inherit land.
The population at this time, according to an official census, was "In addition
to these rayahs, or non Moslems, there were also some 30,000 Turkish settlers,
who were granted land by the Sultan, and changed the demographic nature of
the island.
Although the Sultan and high officials at the Porte in Constantinople may
sincerely have wished fair treatment for their subjects, the system of government
was open to abuse. Cyprus was ruled by a three plumed Pasha, who was installed
as governor in Nicosia, with two plumed Pashas placed in Paphos and Famagusta.
Turkish settlers and rayahs alike were subject to taxes which were gathered
by the aghas. These aghas purchased their positions from the Porte, and were
naturally energetic in their efforts to extract taxes from the people, in
order to offset their expenditure, and realize a fat profit. The Cypriots
thus succeeded merely in exchanging one form of oppression for another+ Natural
catastrophes added to their woes, and by 1641, with plague following close
on the heels of famine, the total population had plummeted to 25,000. The
Porte sought 10 alleviate the situation by reducing taxation, and more importantly
recognizing, albeit unofficially, the Orthodox archbishop as the representative
of the rayahs.
Conditions did not improve when, in 1702, Cyprus became the fief of the Grand
Vizier. The post of governor was sold on an annual basis, and the incumbent
made it his business to end his tenure on a wealthy note.
Temporary relief came in 1746 when Abu Bekr Pasha ruled the country. This
enlightened man undertook many public works, and at his own expense built
the aqueduct which supplied Larnaca with water for the next 200 years.
In 1754 the Sultan recognised the Orthodox archbishop as Ethnarch, or leader
of the Cypriot community, and granting him and his bishops various privileges,
along with the responsibility of collecting taxes. As the century progressed,
the bishops` power and wealth increased as they cynically worked hand in
glove with the Turkish governors. Both Greek and Turkish peasants revolted
in vain against the rapacity of their masters.
In 1821 the archbishop, along with other clergy and leading Christians, were
discovered to have connections with the secret organization Filika Eteria,
a Greek nationalist movement aimed at driving the Turks from Greece. The
response of the governor Kuguk Mehmet was swift and bloody. The archbishop,
the bishops, and many prominent Christians were massacred, and this was followed
by an islandwide purge of the Christians. Some escaped by fleeing the country,
or by taking refuge with the European consultants in Larnaca.
Meanwhile the vast Ottoman Empire was showing signs of disintegration. After
crushing the Greek revolt with the help of the Egyptian governor, Mohammed
Ah, the European powers intervened, resulting in the creation of an independent
Greek kingdom in 1832. At the same, time Mohammed Ah inflicted defeat on
his Ottoman masters and established an independent dynasty in Egypt.
In the midst of these troubles, Sultan Mahmoud II instituted reforms which
alleviated the condition of his subjects, including those in Cyprus. The
farming of taxes was abolished, but external problems impeded the implementation
of this and other reforms.
War with Russia, which had continued off and on since 1769, when the Russians
won access through the Bosporus, was weakening the Ottoman Empire, and after
further defeats in 1877, chunks of Anatolia were ceded to the Russians. This
alarmed the English, who saw the Russian advance as a threat to the Suez
canal which had been opened in 1869. An agreement was subsequently reached
in 1878 whereby England would occupy Cyprus, using it as a base to protect
her own interests and to defend Ottoman territory against further encroachments
by Russia.
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North Cyprus
