Armatolen

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Armatole watercolor by Carl Haag , Benaki Museum, Athens.
Greek Armatole by Richard Parkes Bonington , Benaki Museum , Athens.

As Armatoles ( Greek Αρματωλοί Armatolí , German , Armed ' ) refers to rebels in the freedom struggle of Arvanites against Ottoman rule.

The Armatolen were initially militia units that consisted of Christian Arvanites and were entrusted by the Ottoman rulers with local police tasks in certain districts ( Αρματολίκια Armatolikia , plural ). Such units were mainly used in inaccessible regions and in regions where brigands were difficult to control. Their tasks included fighting bandits, but also guarding passes, bridges and important roads, and generally monitoring public safety.

The captain ( καπετάνιος kapetánios ) of such a unit was often a former leader of Kleften , just as the demarcation between Armatolen and Kleften became blurred over time. Because from the 17th century the Armatoles turned increasingly against the state power. They often collaborated with Kleften units and waged a kind of partisan struggle against Turkish rule. In 1721 the Armatolen were officially dissolved by the Sublime Porte and replaced by Islamic subjects, often Albanians. In practice, however, they continued to exist until 1829.

When Ali Pasha tried in 1820 to detach the areas he ruled from the Ottoman Empire, he recruited a large part of his troops from Armatoles. Since these Armatoles alias Arvanites were also of Albanian origin like Ali Pasha. Although this attempt failed, the militarily trained Armatolians made a significant contribution to the freedom struggle from 1821 to 1829 .

Famous Armatoles

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