Principality of Samos

Principality of Samos
Sisam İmâreti (Ottoman Turkish)
Ηγεμονία της Σάμου (Greek)
1834–1912
Coat of Arms
Coat of arms
Location of the Principality of Samos
Location of the Principality of Samos
StatusAutonomous state under Ottoman suzerainty
CapitalChora, later Vathy
Common languagesGreek
Religion
Greek Orthodoxy, Sunni Islam
GovernmentPrincipality
Prince of Samos 
• 1834–1850 (first)
Stefan Bogoridi
• 1912 (last)
Grigorios Vegleris
LegislatureAssembly of Samos
Senate
Chamber of Deputies
History 
• Established
1834
• Official act of Union with Greece
1912
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Military-Political System of Samos
Kingdom of Greece
Today part of Greece

The Principality of Samos (Greek: Ηγεμονία της Σάμου, Igemonía tis Sámou; Ottoman Turkish: Sisam İmâreti;[1] Turkish: Sisam Beyliği) was an autonomous tributary state of the Ottoman Empire from 1834 to 1912. The island of Samos participated in the Greek War of Independence and had successfully resisted several Turkish and Egyptian attempts to occupy it, but it was not included with the boundaries of the newly independent Kingdom of Greece after 1832. Instead, in 1834 the island was granted self-government as a semi-independent state.

Tributary to the Ottoman Empire, paying the annual sum of £2700, it was governed by a Christian of Greek descent though nominated by the Porte, who bore the title of "Prince". The prince was assisted in his function as chief executive by a 4-member Senate. These were chosen by him out of eight candidates nominated by the four districts of the island: Vathy, Chora, Marathokampos, and Karlovasi. The actual legislative power belonged to a chamber of 36 deputies, presided over by the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan. The seat of the government was the port of Vathy.[2]

With the outbreak of the First Balkan War, Themistoklis Sofoulis landed on the island with a group of exiled Samians and swiftly took control: the Ottoman garrison withdrew to Anatolia, and on 24 November 1912, the island's parliament officially declared union with Greece. The unification took place officially on 2 March 1913.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Young, George (1905). Corps de droit ottoman; recueil des codes, lois, règlements, ordonnances et actes les plus importants du droit intérieur, et d'études sur le droit coutumier de l'Empire ottoman (in French). Vol. 1. Clarendon Press. p. 113.
  2. ^ Bunbury, Caspari & Gardner 1911, p. 116.