The sandjak Prevesa has witnessed some of the most characteristical developments of the Tanzimat period. It had remained outside of the boundaries of the Hellenic kingdom as it was established in 1829, but still it was the closest contact point of the Ottoman empire with Greece both from commercial and geographical aspects.

Until 1912 the Prevesa sandjak was part of the lanina vilaiet (Yanya province). Between 1864 and 1912 it included 3 subdistricts (kaza): namely Preveza, Loros and Margihf- (today Margariti). Parga was at first a kaza center and later remained as a nahiye (commune) within the kaza of Margilif... 36 villages and two communes (nahiye) completed the administrative structure of the sandjak[1]. Tha nahiye had been established on the lines of the French commune model; but owing to its autonomous administrative status, specially in the Balkans, it was not favoured by the Ottoman administration. Population figures quoted by Ottoman sources usually repeat the figures of the official yearbook (salname). As the census was not conducted in a very precise manner, these figures are only an approximation of the reality and they should not be used to work out population estimates for XIXth century Ottoman Europe. Population figures for 1895 based on an Ottoman source are as follows[2]:

Another ottoman sotrrce gives the following figures for the same year, (1894) but based this time on households[3].

It appears that Muslims were in minority both in the sandjak overall and in the main town. 25 years earlier (1871) the British consul Barker mentions 4318 Christians, 1724 Turks (meaning Muslims) 58 Cypies[4]... Either through lack of information or because perhaps a community had not yet been established; Consul Barker does not refer to a Jewish presence in Preveza. 8 years later, another British consul, Blakeney gives conflicting figures; 1200 Muslims to 11.200 (rest are; Christians), without providing a break-down on ethnical lines[5]..

But on the other hand consular reports provide valuable information on trade and agriculture. In 1864 a new provincial structure had been established in the Rumeli vilajets and this year (1863) the center of sandjak transferred from Arta (Narda) to Prevesa. This new admiistrative set up had brought along an increase in the number of provincial functionaries and in infrastructural expenditures. In 1864 Prevesa was connected to lanina through telegraph. Similarly cables were laid between Prevesa on the one had and Parga and on the other during the 1878[6]. Public security in the area which had, earlier been problematic also improved and by 1884 the British consul could write that it was becoming more satisfactory every year, although acts of brigandage are occasionaly heard of. Even in 1864, British Consul Major to lanina, Stuart reports that: “Brigandage, that usedto be so rife here, has for some time been quite repressed, and individual crime is certainly below the average of other years[7].

The increase in the number of provincial civil cervants, introduced changes into everyday life in Prevesa, which was till then a small sleepy backwater. This numerous group of highl-paid civil servants created a consuming class and new consuming patterns which in turn led to increased demands for imported goods. Since local products started to be exported, Prevaze supplented Arta as the main trading center of the area. British consuler reports for 1862-63 give the following data for commercial activities in Arta;

ships to port of Arta: Ottoman 255, Ionian 33, Austrian 2, Greek 100. In the following year (1863-64) period shipping to Preveza reached to following figures.

16 years later in 1880 the exports of Prevesa reached to 104.903 £ and imports to 234.025 £[8], the shipping activities in the harbour of Prevesa in the same year was such as below[9]:

Though Ptevesa still remained as a relatively small port in comparison to other Ionian and Thracian ports. Especially the anneation of Arta by Greece in 1881 caused a deterioration of the life of Prevesa, since it remained as boundery town of the empire. Certainly, there was no local industry worth mentioning in Prevesa. In 1871 riceconsul Barker noted that: “Prevesa is a very small place and its commerce is limited and comaratively insignificant. The value of imports exceed threefold that of exports, rendering these countries always indebted to Europe and while it proves tliat the system of Gouvernment in Turkey as yet does not encourage native industry”. But on the other hand Barker mentions; “that Prevesa had lowest mortality rate and was most healthy place in die region, free from epidemics and contigious disease...[10] Industry was limited to a few small workshops, processing local agricultural products (see the list in Appendix 1) in the 1880s there were 24 oliveoil presses, 5 flourmills and 3 soap factories. Tax returns indicate the presence of 104.000 olivetrees and 5000 fruittreas. Basic exports products in 1884 was consisting of wheat, barley, fish, tobacco and soap. But as Consul Stuart mentions: “in this country neither machinery, nor the wheeled carriage is employed in aid of labor. The ox issued for ploughing and the pack-horse for transport. Both are fallowing off as will in quality as in numbers. Worst than that for the demands occasioned by Crimean war, some good amount of horses were exported. The deficiency this created has never been supplied; and from that time dates the detoriaration of the breed, which every year becomes more observable...”[11].

The value and approximate quantity of main crops given by Consul Blakeney for the year of 1883 is listed below[12]:

In this very same year, Blakeney still reports the existence of some bands of brigands. But these events have been concentrated mostly in the internal districts of Epirus and international trade of Prevesa have not been much affected by it. However in 1882 he had reported at recession of the economic activities depending the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78 and the transfer of Arta (Narda) to Greece: “the cession of Arta to Greece has produced a great con١٦tlsion in the trade of this port and that of Salabora; but this is not the case, for the fertile plain of Arta still remains to Turkey, so that only the imports to Arta from foreign countries no longer pass through Prevesa. The prices of the various commodities of life have since the late Russo-Turkish war risen about 50 percent". (Prevesa, February 16, 1882, p. 1161).

In town there were 11 Greekorthodox churches, one RomanGatholic church, 2 mosques, (Ali Pasha and Ahmed Agha Dino) and two tube (muslim mouseleums). These figures give a fair image of the religious life of the town (see appendix 1. the list of the buildings in town for the yeajr 1871). As the town and sandjak of Prevesa had a cosmopolitan composition, the Administrative Counsel of the sandjak (Liva idare meclisi) was composed by the clerical heads of the different communities and besides two elected Christians and two Muslim members.

Ottoman administrators (mutasarrıf s of Prevesa) of the Tanzimat era were usually enthusiastic builders and were instrumental in developpirrg the provinces. However the governors (vali) and subgovernors (mutasarrıf) of the Danubian region (Bulgaria) were more successfull in comparison to the rulers of Morea. After the independence of the Kingdom of Hellens. Morea could not enjoy a development similar to Western Anatolia, Western Thrace and Danubian province (Bulgaria). Taking the example of Prevesa, the mutasarrıfs required long tenures to develope their sandjak and instruct some reforms, but wlrich was not the case. They often had to change their posts. The relatively high tornover of local administrators prevented continuity in policies and slowed down construction activities. The official Ottoman yearbook (salname) of lanina vilaiet for the year 1311 H. (1894) gives the list of the sul^governors (mutasarrıf) of Prevesa since 1864[13]: The first mutasarrıf appointed after the promulgation of famous “decree of Provincial administration" in 1864 (idare-i umumiye-yi vilayet nizamnamesi) was Hasan ŞevkiPasha (1 March 1864), followed by Selim Pasha and later by Timur Edhem Pasha. Timur Edhem Pasha, had been appointed to Prevesa after Reshid Pasha, izzeddin Sir Pasha, had been appointed to Prevesa after Reshid Pasha, izzeddin Sir Pasha and Fikri Efendi for a second time. I was not able to find any biography of this longdue mutasarrıf of Prevesa. He then followed by Selahaddin Bey, Kazim Bey, Abdiirefi Efendi and Hadi Ahmed Ferid Pasha (totaly eleven mutasarnfs within a period of 30 years).

It would appear that part of the local population was opposed to cession of the region to Greece. Local notables informed the Palace, tliat if Prevesa,Narda (Arta) and lanina should be ceded to Greece, they would oppose such a move by rising arms. I February 1881 (1298 H) the King of the Hellens toured Prevesa and Narda, which caused some protests of the local Muslims[14]٠. A similar event in the past also indicates the sensitivity of the local Muslims, namely a short visit of the General of die Ionian Republic (Cezayir- i Seba cenerali) in to Prevesa and Parga was a subject for carefull observation by the Ottoman authorities[15]. Formerly in March 1879 telegrams to the Yıldız Palace claimed that the cession of Prevesa, Arta and lanina to Greece would spell disaster for the Albanians[16]. In fact it seems that Albanian nationalism was rampant among local Albanians. A new mutasarrıf was appointed to Prevesa from Argiri (Ergiri) to curb the agitation caused by one Abdul Bey and his confederate, in lamina[17]. Albanian element in those years seems to be deeply anxious.

However, even a study of the issues of the provincial newspaper Yanya (Ionian) in these years, indicate that some economic-social changes are intervening; estates are put on sale, bankruptcy and distraints were fairly frequent. Some sets of documents in Turkish archives also are a proof of this evolution[18].. However the highest percentage of the agricultural tithes, such as ashar and aghnam (ship and husbandrytax) in provinicial budget, indicates that the economic structure of die sandjak Prevesa based for along time on agricultural activities (see appendix 2).

APPENDIX 1

Report by Vice-Consul Barker on the Trade of Prevesa for the year 1871, (Prevesa January 22 1872) Parliamentary accounts and papers, p. 1355-56.

APPENDIX 2

Population of the Sandjak of Prevesa in the year of 1893 Salname-¡ Vilayet-i Yanya (Annual of the lanina 1311), p. 37.

Financial portrait of the sandjak of Prevesa in the year of 1894 (same source p. 310-11)

Dipnotlar

1. Salname,¡ Vilayet-i Yanya (annual of the pioince of lanina) 1892. Nr: p. 211-214-216.
2. Ali Cevad, Memalik-¡ Osmaniyenin Cografya Lugati (Geographical manuel of the Ottoman lands) Constantinopol 1892 (1313 H) p. 238-240.
3. Salname-,'VHayet-i Yanya Nr: 7, 1894 (1311 of H) p. 37.
4. Parliamentary papers and accounts report of vice-Consul Barker (Prevesa 1872-28 January)-, p. 1355.
5. Ibid., (vice consul Blakaney) Prevesa, February 13, 1880 p. 1032, However he ment us that; “I am not aware that a census has ever been taken, but the population of the caza of Prevesa cannot exceec 10.000 souls".
6. Vice-consul Blakeney, Prevesa, February 22, 1878, p. 886.
7. Vice-consul Blakeney, Prevesa, March 1, 1884, p. 577 Formerly
8. Pari. Accounts and papers (Great Britain) 1863-64: Vol. 70, p. 111.
9. Vice-consul Blakeney, Prevesa, February 19, 1881, p. 579.
10. Vice-consul Barker, Prevesa, January 28. 1872. p. 1355 gives a mortality rate 43 per 2000.
11. Parliamentary Accounts and Papers (Reports by Consul Stuart on the present state of Epirus) Janina April 24, 1872, p. 816.
12. Ibid., Blakeney Prevesa, March 1, 1884, p. 577.
13. Salname-¡ Vilayet-i Yanya (annual of the Vilayet lanina) 1894 (1311 of H) p. 78.
14. BA-Yıldız-Hususi-165/145-(15-2-1297 of H (1881). 15 BA-yıldız-Hariciye Nr: 4118, 29 CA 1268 of H (1851). 16 BA-Yıldız 16 q/2 (15-11-1297 of H (1880). 17 BA-Yıldız-160/72-25 Receb 1298 of H (1881).
15. BA-Yıldız-It ns: 25-5-1296 Nr: 161/26 see the collection of the news paper Yanya of the year 1873.