THE SLAVONIC PROVINCES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 944, 4 July 1877, Page 3

THE SLAVONIC PROVINCES.

[eeom the peess.]

The Slavonic provinces is an expression which conveys a very hazy meaning to the minds of nine people out of every ten. We purpose giving some detailed information respecting the provinces which are included in the expression. If any reader will take an ordinary map of Europe and trace with his linger the course of the Danube backwards from its mouth at Kilia to its junction with the Drave, he will have a sufficiently accurate boundary to enable him to follow our proposed description. The provinces south of this line arc Danubian provinces, but they are not the Slavonic provinces. Albania, Thessaly, Macedonia, Eoumelia, which are all to the south of this line, are not included in the expression. Again, Croatia and Slavonia, although inhabited by Slavs, are not included, as they belong, not to Turkey, but to Austria. There remain now south of the Danube, Scrvia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Herzegovina, and Montenegro. These five States are the Slavonic provinces which play so important a part in the ever-recurring Eastern question. Their inhabitants are mainly Slavonic —of the same family as the Russians. They are, nevertheless, in differing degrees, under the rule of Turkey, whose scat of government is Constantinople, in the province of Eoumelia, which is to be distinguished from Eournania. Eoumania we may point out, for the benefit oi ignorant or careless readers, is on the northern

bank of the Danube, and is constituted of the provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia. It is a principality acknowledging the sovereignty of the Porte, but is, like Egypt, practically independent. The five provinces we have named are the Slavonic provinces of the present war. We propose to give some slight account of each of them, beginning with SERVIA. The proper name of this province is Serbia, but long habit has familiarised English readers with the former name, so we shall adhere to it here. It was founded by a Slavonic tribe named the Serbi—or, correctly, the S’rb or S’rbli —wliich crossed the Danube in the seventh century on the invitation of the Greek Emperor Heraclius. The Tartar Avars in that century having settled themselves in Macedonia, after overrunning and destroying the northern portions of the Empire, the Emperor, to rid himself of these troublesome enemies, invited the Slavonians to cross the Danube to his assistance. The Serbi came in response to this invitation, and having overcome the Avars, settled themselves, after the example of the Saxons in England, in Servia, Bosnia, and Bulgaria. Here they embraced Christianity, and acknowledged the supremacy of the Greek Emperor, pleading, however, the power of governing themselves. Their chiefs were called Zupans, one of whom was a kind of first among equals. But in the tenth century the Zupan of Dioclea made himself supreme Zupan. In the same century their neighbours, the Bulgarians, attacked them and overthrew them, taking many of their nobles prisoners, and entirely subjugating Servia. This was during the reign of Simeon, a distinguished Bulgarian prince. On his death, however, the Servians, with the help of the Greeks, regained their independence, and, under their Grand Zupan, Tcheslav, renewed their homage to the Empire. On the final overthrow of the Bulgarians by Basil 11., Servia was incorporated into the empire. But a few years later, Stephen Bogislaw, having effected his escape from Constantinople, where ho had been imprisoned, the Servians again attained their independence, and entirely annihilated a Greek army, which was sent by Constantine Monomachus to reconquer them. After Stephen’s death, his sou Michael was acknowledged as Krai, or King, of the Servians, 1073-8.

After passing through many vicissitudes Servia at last, under the rule of the Zeraandia family, attained the zenith of its greatness. Stephen Zemandia, who had been Zupan of Eacia, became King of Servia, and enlarged and strengthened his dominions considerably. Under one of his descendants, Stephen Dushan (1336-58), the Servian Kingdom included Macedonia, Thessaly, Albania, and Bulgaria ; and Stephen was one of the most powerful monarchs of his time, assuming the title of Czar and aspiring even 'to succeed to the purple. In the contest for the Imperial crown between John Palscologus and John Gantacuzene, Stephen took the part of the latter with the intention of forwarding his own intents. Cantacuzene, suspecting the motives of his patron, and distrusting him, invoked the aid of the Osmanli Tm’ks, and thus came about “the passage of the Ottomans into Europe—the last and fatal stroke in the fall of the Roman Empire.” The power of Servia was now at its height. Lewis, King of Hungary, was defeated by Stephen, who even advanced towards Constantinople for the purpose of investing it. He died, however, of fever before he could accomplish his purpose, 1358. Servia under his successes began to decline. His son, Uroscb, was killed, and Lazar, who succeeded Urosch after a long and unsuccessful reign, was overthrown in the terrible battle of Kossovo (1389) by the Turks. Servia now became a Turkish province, and remained one until, in the fifteenth century, the King of Hungary organised a powerful resistance to the growing Ottoman power. The confederacy was successful, and Servia (1444) became again an independent State. Dissensions, however, on account of religion broke out, of which the Turks took advantage. They were invited to occupy the fortresses, and soon again became masters of Servia. From that time until the eighteenth century they remained an oppressed people entirely under tbo heel of Turkey. But in 1718 the northern portions of Servia were delivered over to Austria, only to be again returned to Turkey at the Treaty of Belgrade in 1738, the third article of which treaty ran thus “ His Imperial Majesty (Emperor of Austria) cedes to the Ottoman Porte the province of Servia, and the limits of the two empires shall be the Danube and the Save.” In the w r ar of Austria and Eussia against Turkey (1788-91), Servia had a gleam of good fortune. It was proposed to free her from Turkey, but old jealousies (the same that exist to-day), hindered the fulfilment of the good intention, and Servia was handed back to the misgoverument of the Porte. It was not till 1804 that the struggle began, which really issued in the formal independence of Servia. In that year a terrible massacre of Servian chiefs, by disaffected Janissaries, occurred. The people were profoundly stirred, and organised a resistance under Kara G-eorge, or Black George, a peasant. Kara George was assisted by the Porte itself, who commanded the Pacha of Bosnia to advance to his help. The Janissaries, not daring openly to dispute the authority of the Porte, threw open the gates of Belgrade, and fled on the approach of Black George and his ally. In the European war with Napoleon, 1807-12, Turkey sided with France, and Servia aided Eussia. Before the close of that war Black George became practically King of Servia. In the peace of Bucharest, 1812, it was agreed that Turkey should occupy the fortresses of the country, but that in all other respects Servia should be free. No sooner had the treaty been concluded than Turkey demanded not only the possession of the fortresses, but also of all the arms of the people. Then* refusal to comply with this demand led to war, in which Turkey was completely victorious, Kara George—and all the Senators fleeing for safety to Austrian territory. All the senators except one —Milosch Obrcnovich —who had been a swineherd. He refused to fly, nobly declaring “ Whatever may be the fate of my fellow-countrymen shall be mine also.” In 1815 (Palm Sunday) ho appeared in the midst of an assembly, fully armed, and with a banner in his hand, crying out, “ Here am I; and now war against the Turks is begun.” The revolt was successful; the Pacha of Bosnia, who came to assist the Turkish authorities, being defeated and taken prisoner. This success, combined with the peace of Europe, consequent upon the battle ol Waterloo, obtained favourable terms for the Servians. Fresh dissensions, however, broke out amongst the Servian chiefs, and Kara George, who had returned from Austria, tried to thwart the influence of

Miloscli. On his attempting to organise a revolt against Turkey, Miloscli denounced him, and at the instance of the Pacha indicated the place where he was to he found. Kara G-eorge was murdered in his sleep, and thus Miloscli was left without a rival, and became the founder of the present royal family of Servia. Various disturbances occurred until the Treaty of Ackerman in 1826, when Servia was erected into a principality, after the example of Rouraania, tributary to Turkey, but with an independent internal administration. She did not retain this, however, without a struggle. It was not till 1829 (the Treaty of Adrianople) that the provisions of the Treaty of Ackerman were fulfilled. The next year—lß3o —a firman formally recognised Miloscli as Prince of Servia, and he became the founder of a dynasty, although ho could neither read nor write. His rule was harsh and unscrupulous, and in 1839 he was deposed, and was succeeded by his son Michael. His reign was disturbed by intrigues on the part of his father’s sympathisers, and by a movement, to compel an alteration in his Administration. Michael, being deserted by his soldiers, fled to Austrian territory, and the Assembly (1813) elected Alexander Kara Georgevich—a son of Black G-eorge—to be Prince of Servia. He governed well, and during the Crimean war strictly maintained the neutrality of Servia, resisting every attempt to embroil him in a war against Turkey. His neutrality, although appreciated by Turkey, does not appear to have been appreciated by the Servians, for the Assembly deposed him in 1857, and re-elected Milosch to the throne. On his death in 1860 his son Michael again became Prince of Servia, and retained that position till his murder in 1868. Prince Milan, the reigning prince, succeeded Michael, and the descendants of Kara George, who were implicated in the murder of Michael, were declared for ever ineligible to succeed to the throne of Servia. The Turkish soldiers, during the present reign, were withdrawn from the fortresses, which they had continued to occupy, and the only sign of Ottoman sovereignty which now remains is a green flag, which floats on the ramparts of Belgrade, Servia has a,population of about 1,300,000 whose religion is Christianity, as professed bj the Greek Church. There are not more thai 10,000 Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Mahommedans in the whole country. The soil is very fertile, but not more than one-fourth of it is cultivated, as the people are indolent. The Constitution of Servia consists of a Prince, assisted by seven ministers, a Senate, and a House of Representatives, composed of 131 members, 101 of whom are elected by the people. The Senators are nominated by the Prince.