2020. no 2. Sergean Osman
“Halil Pasha’s Border” and “the two hours”
Sergean Osman
(Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca)
Abstract: Tatars and Romanians, during the last century of the Crimean Khanate, included times of collaboration, but also times of dissension, major incidents (captivities, wintering`s, crossings of territories inhabited by Romanians), as well as minor reprehensible events, caused by the Tatars and the Moldavians. The latter kind, ranging from defendants accused of various thefts, rapes, smugglings, beatings, harassments, transgressions, crimes, etc. are detailed in Constantin Mavrocordatos’ Chronicle. This precious source shows that both in Moldova and in the Crimean Khanate there were institutions that controlled such types of daily disputes.
More particular situations, such as the killing of a Tatar in Moldova or the killing of a Moldavian in the Khanate, fell under the jurisdiction of the sovereign of the place where that case had occurred and, usually, an amiable solution was found. An eloquent example of this is the command issued on November 26th-December 5th 1726 / evâil rebi ül-âhir 1139, addressed to the Moldavian prince, Grigore Ghica (1726–1733), to solve the discords between the Tatars of Budjak and Moldavians, discords which had been caused by crimes and border passing; the intended solution was to name an apt and trustworthy boyar who would negotiate the misunderstandings with the emissary of the Crimean Khan – Mengli Giray (1724–1730) [3, p. 282].
However, other major events, such as the ones caused by the Tatars’ intrusions over the Moldavian borders, territorial invasions which have known various flux and reflux phases – they all deserve closer investigations.
Keywords: Tatars, Khanate, Budjak, Romanians, Moldova, relations, Constantin Mavrocordato’s Chronicle, border.
For citation: Sergean Osman. “Halil Pasha’s Border” and “the two hours” Krymskoe istoricheskoe obozrenie=Crimean Historical Review. 2020, no. 2,
pp. 52–67. DOI:10.22378/kio.2020.2.52-67
About the author: Sergean Osman – Ph. D. (Philosophy), Babes-Bolyai University (400084, Klausenburg (Cluj-Napoca), Strada Mihail Kogālniceanu,1, Romania); osergean@gmail.com
