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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 362 View PDF version of this page company of trusty guards, and marched first to Levkara, and then to Levka, where the Kiaya of the Pasha surprised 1dm, killed 28 of his men, and took 32 others prisoners. From Levka he went to Kykkos, and so far strengthened himself that he was able to repel the Kiaya, who had followed him up. From Kykkos he went to Paphos, and thence to Kyrenia, where he caught one of the Pasha's famous spies, and hanged him on a tree opposite the fort. Pursued on all eides by the Pasha's troops he made for Ammochostos in all secrecy, hoping to fortify himself there, but before he arrived they had shut the gates, and the Pasha's force routed the few soldiers left tu him. He fled with six men only to Pyla, then to Larnaca, intending to go to Leinest«, bnt he was caught in the qaziliq of Koilanion and carried to Levkosia, where the Pasha banged him by night, and on the morrow he was exposed with his followers, who were hung up alive, on hooks through their chins. And thus, after a lapse of seven years, ended this rebellion. All his followers, and several rebel leaders were caught and put to death. Many strange stories are told of them, especially in connection with beautiful women, aud a certain Frankish family S. A. which spent large sums for tho honour of receiving this Boyaji-Oghlu, and to keep out of his way one of the ladies of the house, whom he tried by every kind of influence to subject to his lust.
Now that this rebel and his followers were destroyed, the Porte appears from this date to have constituted the island a government under the Vazir, taking away the ad ministration thereof from the Qapudan Pasha, and a governor or muhassil was now sent by tho Vazir for the time being. He was allowed the fullest executive and administrative authority, and was entrusted nut only with the government of the inhabitants, but with the usual hoghcha, or demand-forms of imperial taxes, and with the qaftans of tho four local aghaliqs. He was therefore governor, and collector of the imperial taxes, of the nuzul and maSshet, and administrator of the four aghaliqs. So that upon one nnd the same person devolved the civil government, the military command, and the collection of all the imposts, whereas formerly one man administered the government, another exacted the kharaj, and other officers were appointed from Constantinople to the military commands. And this is the new order which still obtains in Cyprus. Although we have not any certain evidence of the time when, ami the reason why, the island became the Khass, or special appanage of the Vazir, it will imt IMÎ out of place to mention that in 1702, by reason of the revolution which dethroned Mustafa II. and put Ahmed HI. in his place, the then Vazir, a prudent and experienced statesman, put down the rebellion, and received Cyprus as a gift from the new Sidtan, as we learn from certain Italian sources; after which it remained in the hands of the Vazirs. Towards the end of the century, in 16U2, a great plague desolated the island, sparing, we learn, hardly a third of its inhabitants.
About 1712 the wretched Cypriots had scarcely begun to enjoy a little rest after the plague, and other unceasing troubles which harassed the island and still harass it, when a new tumult and turmoil broke forth. Certain rascals from the Turkish fleet (Levendler or Qalionjiler), about twenty in number, lauded at Levka, entered Levkosia armed, and lodged together in a khan or inn. There, in conversation with others of their kind, they disclosed that news had reached the Porte of the inhuman tyranny exercised indiscriminately by the then muhassil, and of the intolerable burden of taxes which he exacted from the rayah ; nnd after waiting confirmation the Porte had sent them with firmans to depose him from his office, and further to sentence him, and the aglias who abetted hiin, to death : and they went on to brag that they had instructions to put things on a better footing to the rest and relief of all. These and tho like stories they spread about among the luwer classes, so as to gain these to their side. When night came they broke into the houses of the aghas first, caught them
352
EXCERPTA CYPRIA.
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