Maps of Power

Court Register of Bitola 1658

Properties

ID 12598
System Class Source
Source Court Register
Case Study Ethnonym of the Vlachs
Provenance Ottoman

Description

Document 1 on page 62 in Sicil no. 16 is without date, but judging by the dates of the documents preceding and following it in the same Sicil, it was composed in 1658. It includes a verdict from the judge called Ibrahim Aga and the confession of the convict named Mishe, a bandit from the village of Malovište, convicted for banditry. Following the accusation that he is “a bandit who attempted to start a rebellion in the Empire”, Mishe admitted that he was “a bandit who attacked many places and robbed them”. Since Mishe was from the village of Malovište, it is highly probable that he was of Vlach descent.

Relations

Events (1)
Name Class Begin End Description
A villager from Malovište named Mishe, was convicted for banditry by the court in Bitola. Activity A villager from Malovište named Mishe, was convicted for banditry by the court in Bitola.
Places (1)
Name Class Begin End Description
Malovište Place The village of Malovište is a traditional Vlach village from the pre-Ottoman period. During the Ottoman era the village is predominantly Vlach. Even in the 21st century the Vlachs form the majority of the population. Between 10 and 24 July 1622 Dervish Bay, sipahi of the village Gramos in the region of Argos Orestiko, declared: “I ask for a muhzir (court courier) to bring in front of this court Ghin, the ironmonger Kolcio, the priest Hristo, Doke Kuyunci, Nikola Ghin, Fote Lazo and other villagers from Gramos who now reside in Malovište, kaza Bitola, in order to pay the ispence (land tax levied on non-Muslims)”. In return, the mentioned villagers declared: “We will not go to court. Instead, we will kill you with stones and escape to the mountains.”. Between 30 August and 8 September 1639 it is stated in the Court Registers of Bitola that three Jews from Bitola accused the residents of Malovište for kidnapping the Jews Haim, Isaak and Haim from Bitola. Malovište is mentioned in a list of Christian villages in the region of Bitola from 26 December 1639 to 14 December 1640 with its number of houses (namely 55). In 1658 a bandit named Mishe, was convicted by the court in Bitola. Following the accusation that he is “a bandit who attempted to start a rebellion in the Empire”, Mishe admitted that he was “a bandit who attacked many places and robbed them”. Since Mishe was from the village of Malovište, it is highly probable that he was of Vlach descent. In May 1707 the Divan of Rumeli ordered the kadi of Bitola to catch, arrest, tie and send the villagers Dimo, Nicio and Volkan from Malovište, sons of Niko and Ianciur, to the Divan of Rumeli. In July 1709 a woman called Sora from the village of Malovište accused the bandit Ivan for killing and robbing her son Dimo. The Court in Bitola convicted Ivan. In November 1721 Dimo Pagor, Tane Simo, Kosta Petko, Cocio Dudu, Neto Kuyunci, Cocio Gogo, Simo son of Pancio, Yoryi Cioshcu, Hristu Papas, Kosta Papu, Edamo Iano and other inhabitants from the village of Malovište guaranteed for each other and they made a commitment to chase and catch bandits as well as to bring them to the Sharia. In May 1729 a plea is sent to Sultan Ahmed III to arrest the Christians Ludo Malo and Kudo Ludo for killing Haji Halil. In December 1734 a plea was sent by Husein Bacdar to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud I to arrest the bandits Cocio Yorgo, Dimo Nano and Papa Kosta, all from Malovište, as well as the bandits Nicio Kiras and Papa Nicio from Gopeš, who had robbed and killed Husein Bacdar near the town of Prilep. Between 5 June and 3 July 1742 a list was composed consisting of all the names of the villagers from the nahiye Demir Hisar and Gyavato, assigned to chase and to arrest outlaws in the mentioned nahiye.
Actors (2)
Name Class Begin End Relation Type Description
Mishe Person Mishe was a bandit from Malovište, convicted by the court of Bitola in 1658.
Vlachs Group Romanesque speaking people on the Balkans. Maybe descendents of the ancient Latin-speaking population of the Roman provinces on the Balkans.