View source for Eastern Rumelia

{{Short description|Autonomous territory in the Ottoman Empire from 1878–1885}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox former subdivision
|native_name       = {{nobold|{{native name|bg|Източна Румелия}}<br />{{native name|el|Ανατολική Ρωμυλία}}<br />{{native name|ota|روم‌ایلی شرقی ولایتی}}}}
|conventional_long_name = Eastern Rumelia
|common_name       = Eastern Rumelia
|subdivision       = [[Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire|Autonomous Province]]
|nation            = [[Ottoman Empire]]<br />(in personal union with Bulgaria from 1886)
|title_leader      = [[#Governors-general|Governor-General]]
|leader1           = [[Alexander Bogoridi|Aleksandar Bogoridi]]
|year_leader1      = 1879–1884
|leader2           = [[Gavril Krastevich]]
|year_leader2      = 1884–1885
|leader3           = [[Alexander of Battenberg|Aleksandar I]]
|year_leader3      = 1886
|leader4           = [[Ferdinand of Bulgaria|Ferdinand I]]
|year_leader4      = 1887–1908
|capital           = [[Plovdiv]]
|today             = [[Bulgaria]]
|year_start        = 1878
|year_end          = 1885
|event1            = [[Treaty of Berlin (1878)|Treaty of Berlin]]
|date_event1       = 13 July 1878
|event_end         = [[Bulgarian unification|United with Bulgaria]]
|date_end          = 6 September
|flag_type         = 
|image_coat        = 
|coa_size          = 
|symbol_type       = {{nowrap|Coat of arms}}
|image_map         = Principality of Bulgaria (1890).svg
|image_map_caption = Principality of Bulgaria (dark green) and Eastern Rumelia (light green) after the [[Berlin Congress]] in 1878, formally in [[personal union]] from 1886.
{{plainlist | style = padding-center: 0.6em; text-align: center; |
* {{Legend|#C6DEBD|Eastern Rumelia}}
* {{Legend|#008000|[[Principality of Bulgaria]]}}
}}
|p1                = Adrianople Vilayet
|flag_p1           = Ottoman Flag.svg
|s1                = Principality of Bulgaria
|flag_s1           = Flag of Bulgaria.svg
|stat_year1        = 1884
|stat_pop1         = 975,030
|government_type   = [[Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire|Autonomous Province]]
}}
'''Eastern Rumelia''' ({{langx|bg|Източна Румелия|Iztochna Rumeliya}}; {{langx|ota|{{Script|Arab|روم‌ایلی شرقی ولایتی}}|Rumeli-i Şarkî Vilayeti}}; {{langx|el|Ανατολική Ρωμυλία|Anatoliki Romylia}}) was an autonomous province (''[[oblast]]'' in Bulgarian, ''[[vilayet]]'' in Turkish) of the [[Ottoman Empire]] with a total area of {{Convert|32978|km2|abbr=on}}, which was created in 1878 by virtue of the [[Treaty of Berlin (1878)|Treaty of Berlin]] and ''de facto'' ceased to exist in 1885, when it was [[Bulgarian unification|united with the Principality of Bulgaria]], also under nominal Ottoman [[suzerainty]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Statelova| first = Elena| year = 1999 | title = История на България. Том 3 | trans-title=History of Bulgaria. Volume 3 | publisher = Издателска къща „Анубис“ | location = София | pages = 16 | isbn = 954-426-206-7}}</ref> It continued to be an Ottoman province ''de jure'' until 1908, when [[Bulgarian Declaration of Independence|Bulgaria declared independence]]. [[Bulgarians|Ethnic Bulgarians]] formed a majority of the population in Eastern Rumelia, but there were significant [[Turkish people|Turkish]] and [[Greeks|Greek]] minorities. Its capital was [[Plovdiv]] (Ottoman ''Filibe'', Greek ''Philippoupoli''). The official languages of Eastern Rumelia were [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Ottoman Turkish language|Ottoman Turkish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://saedinenieto.bg/organicheski-ustav-na-iztochna-rumelia-dokument/ |title=Art 22 in The Organic Statute of Eastern Rumelia, promulgated in the three equally valid language versions: Bulgarian, Greek and Osmanlica (Ottoman Turkish)|date=1879|website=Saedinenieto.bg|language=bg|access-date=2022-04-08}}</ref>

==History==
Eastern Rumelia was created as an autonomous province within the Ottoman Empire by the [[Treaty of Berlin, 1878|Treaty of Berlin]] in 1878. The region roughly corresponded to today's [[southern Bulgaria]], which was also the name the Russians proposed for it; this proposal was rejected by the British.<ref>[[Luigi Albertini]] (1952), ''The Origins of the War of 1914'', volume I (Oxford University Press), 20.</ref> It encompassed the territory between the [[Balkan Mountains]], the [[Rhodope Mountains]] and [[Strandzha]], a region known to all its inhabitants{{mdash}}[[Bulgarians]], [[Ottoman Turks]], [[Greeks]], [[Romani people|Roma]], [[Armenians]] and [[Jews]]{{mdash}}as [[Northern Thrace]]. The artificial<ref>Balkan studies: biannual publication of the Institute for Balkan Studies, Volume 19, 1978, [https://books.google.com/books?id=FHY8AAAAIAAJ&q=%22Eastern+Rumelia%22+%22artificial+name%22 p.235]</ref> name, Eastern Rumelia, was given to the province on the insistence of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] delegates to the [[Congress of Berlin]]: the Ottoman notion of ''[[Rumelia]]'' refers to all European regions of the empire, i.e. those that were in Antiquity under the [[Roman Empire]]. Some twenty [[Pomaks|Pomak]] ([[Bulgarian Muslims|Bulgarian Muslim]]) villages in the Rhodope Mountains refused to recognize Eastern Rumelian authority and formed the so-called ''[[Republic of Tamrash]]''.

The province is remembered today by [[philately|philatelists]] for having issued [[postage stamp]]s from 1880 on. See the main article, [[Postage stamps and postal history of Eastern Rumelia]].

===Unification with Bulgaria===
After a bloodless [[Unification of Bulgaria|revolution]] on 6 September 1885, the province was annexed by the [[Principality of Bulgaria]], which was ''[[de jure]]'' an Ottoman [[tributary state]] but ''[[de facto]]'' functioned as [[independence|independent]]. After the Bulgarian victory in the subsequent [[Serbo-Bulgarian War]], the ''status quo'' was recognized by the [[Sublime Porte|Porte]] with the [[Tophane Agreement]] on 24 March 1886. With the Tophane Act, [[Sultan]] [[Abdul Hamid II]] appointed the Prince of Bulgaria (without mentioning the name of the incumbent prince [[Alexander of Bulgaria]]) as Governor-General of Eastern Rumelia, thus retaining the formal distinction between the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia<ref>Emerson M. S. Niou, Peter C. Ordeshook, Gregory F. Rose. ''The balance of power: stability in international systems'', 1989, p. 279.</ref> and preserving the letter of the [[Treaty of Berlin (1878)|Berlin Treaty]].<ref>Stanley Leathes, G. W. (George Walter) Prothero, Sir Adolphus William Ward. ''The Cambridge Modern History, Volume 2'', 1908, p. 408.</ref> However, it was clear to the Great Powers that the union between the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia was permanent, and not to be dissolved.<ref>Charles Jelavich, Barbara Jelavich. ''The establishment of the Balkan national states, 1804–1920'', 2000, p. 167.</ref> The [[Republic of Tamrash]] and the region of [[Kardzhali]] were reincorporated in the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The province was nominally under Ottoman suzerainty until Bulgaria became ''[[de jure]]'' independent in 1908. 6 September, [[Unification Day (Bulgaria)|Unification Day]], is a [[Public holiday|national holiday]] in Bulgaria.

==Government==
According to the Treaty of Berlin, Eastern Rumelia was to remain under the political and military jurisdiction of the Ottoman Empire with significant administrative autonomy (Article 13). The law frame of Eastern Rumelia was defined with the Organic Statute which was adopted on 14 April 1879 and was in force until the Unification with Bulgaria in 1885.<ref>See {{Citation |last= Hertslet |first= Edward |year=1891 |contribution= Organic Statute of Eastern Roumelia|title= The Map of Europe by Treaty; which have taken place since the general peace of 1814. With numerous maps and notes |volume= IV (1875–1891) |edition=First |publisher= Her Majesty's Stationery Office |publication-date=1891|publication-place= London |pages= 2860–2865 |url=https://archive.org/stream/mapofeuropebytre04hert#page/2860/mode/2up|access-date=2012-12-28}}</ref> According to the Organic Statute the head of the province was a Christian [[Governor-General]] appointed by the [[Sublime Porte]] with the approval of the [[Great Powers]]. The legislative organ was the Provincial Counsel which consisted of 56 persons, of which 10 were appointed by the governor-general, 10 were permanent and 36 were directly elected by the people.

[[file:Eastern Rumelia Vilayet — Memalik-i Mahruse-i Shahane-ye Mahsus Mukemmel ve Mufassal Atlas (1907).jpg|thumb|right|250px|Map of subdivisions of Eastern Rumelia Vilayet in 1907, as shown on an Ottoman Atlas]]
[[Arkady Stolypin]] was the Russian civil administrator from 9 October 1878 to 18 May 1879. The first governor-general was Prince [[Alexander Bogoridi]] (1879–1884), a Bulgarian aristocrat, who was acceptable to both Bulgarians and Greeks in the province. The second governor-general was [[Gavril Krastevich]] (1884–1885), a Bulgarian historian.

During the period of Bulgarian annexation [[Georgi Stranski]] was appointed as a commissioner for South Bulgaria (9 September 1885 – 5 April 1886), and when the province was restored to nominal Ottoman sovereignty, but still under Bulgarian control, the [[prince of Bulgaria]] was recognized by the Sublime Porte as the governor-general in the [[Tophane Agreement]] of 1886.

===Governors-general===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2| No.
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br/>{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! colspan=3| Term of office
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Duration
|-
! 1
| [[File:Aleksandar Bogoridi.jpg|80px]]
| ''[[Knyaz]]'' [[Alexander Bogoridi|Aleksandar Bogoridi]]<br />{{small|(1822–1910)}}
| 18 May 1879
| 26 April 1884
| {{ayd|1879|05|18|1884|04|26}}
|-
! 2
| [[File:Gavril Krastevich General Governor 2.jpg|80px]]
| [[Gavril Krastevich]]<br />{{small|(1813–1898)}}
| 26 April 1884
| 18 September 1885
| {{ayd|1884|04|26|1885|09|18}}
|-
! 3
| [[File:Alexander I of Bulgaria by Dimitar Karastoyanov.jpg|80px]]
| ''Knyaz'' [[Alexander of Battenberg|Aleksandar I of Bulgaria]]<br />{{small|(1857–1893)}}
| 17 April 1886
| 7 September 1886
| {{ayd|1886|04|17|1886|09|07}}
|-
! 4
| [[File:Zar Ferdinand Bulgarien.jpg|80px]]
| ''Knyaz'' [[Ferdinand I of Bulgaria]]<br />{{small|(1861–1948)}}
| 7 July 1887
| 5 October 1908
| {{ayd|1887|07|07|1908|10|05}}
|}

==Administrative divisions==
[[File:Administrative divisions of Eastern Rumelia.PNG|right|thumb|400px|Map of the administrative divisions of Eastern Rumelia before annexation by the [[Principality of Bulgaria]].]]
Eastern Rumelia consisted of the [[Department (administrative division)|departments]] (called in Bulgarian окръзи ''okrazi'', in Ottoman terminology ''[[sanjak]]s'') of [[Plovdiv]] (Пловдив, Filibe), [[Pazardzhik|Tatarpazardzhik]] (Татарпазарджик, Tatarpazarcığı), [[Haskovo]] (Хасково, Hasköy), [[Stara Zagora]] (Стара Загора, Eski Zağra), [[Sliven]] (Сливен, İslimye) and [[Burgas]] (Бургас, Burgaz), in turn divided into 28 [[Canton (administrative division)|cantons]] (equivalent to Bulgarian околии ''okolii'', Ottoman ''kazas'').<ref name="nsi">{{cite web|url=http://www.nsi.bg/nrnm/index.php?i=1&ezik=en|title=Historical data about administrative-territorial structure of Bulgaria after 1878|publisher=National Statistical Institute of the Republic of Bulgaria}}</ref>

The cantons were:
*Department of Plovdiv: Plovdiv, Konush (the canton seat was in [[Stanimaka]]), Ovchi Halm (seat in [[Golyamo Konare]]), Stryama (seat in [[Karlovo]]), Sarnena Gora (seat in [[Brezovo]]) and Rupchos (seat in [[Chepelare]]){{ref|b|b|noid=noid}}
*Department of Pazardzhik: Pazardzhik, [[Peshtera]], [[Panagyurishte]] and [[Ihtiman]]
*Department of Haskovo: Haskovo, [[Parvomay|Hadzhi Eles]], [[Harmanli]] and [[Kardzhali]]{{ref|c|c|noid=noid}}
*Department of Stara Zagora: Stara Zagora, [[Kazanlak]], [[Chirpan]], [[Nova Zagora]] and [[Simeonovgrad|Tarnovo Seymen]]
*Department of Sliven: Sliven, [[Yambol]], [[Elhovo|Kazalagach]], [[Kavakli]] and [[Kotel, Bulgaria|Kotel]]
*Department of Burgas: Burgas, [[Pomorie|Anhialo]], [[Karnobat]] and [[Aytos]]

==Population and ethnic demographics==
===Pre 1878===
The following is a district-by-district population extract from the 1876 Ottoman salname for the [[Vilayet of Adrianople]], which is in turn based on the vilayet-wide census of 1875.<ref name="Eastern Rumelia">{{cite web | first1=Aşkın | last1= KOYUNCU |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/422104#:~:text=B%C3%B6lgedeki%20K%C4%B1ptilerin%20%C3%A7o%C4%9Funlu%C4%9Fu%20M%C3%BCsl%C3%BCmand%C4%B1.,(%59%2C48)%20idi. | trans-title=The Population of Eastern Rumelia Before the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War|title=1877-1878 Osmanlı-Rus Harbi Öncesinde Şarkî Rumeli Nüfusu | language=tr | date=1 December 2013 | pages=191}}</ref><ref name="Köse">{{cite web | first1=Muhammed | last1= Köse |url=https://www.ttk.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/11-MuhammedKose.pdf | trans-title=Demographic Structure of Turkey in Europe in 1878 in British Consular Reports* |title=İngiltere Konsolosluk Raporlarında 1878 Yılında Türkiye Avrupa'sının Demografi k Yapısı | language=tr | pages=158}}</ref> As is common for Ottoman statistics, figures refer to ''males'' only (figures at the bottom are male-female aggregated estimates):
{| class="wikitable" style="border: 2px solid black;"
|+Ethnoconfessional Groups per Kaza in the Future Eastern Rumelia in 1876 Based on the 1875 Adrianople Vilayet Census<ref name="Eastern Rumelia"/>
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:100pt;" rowspan="2"|Kaza (District)
|-
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:36pt; background:#87CEFA;" |Islam millet
! style="border: 2px solid black; background:#87CEFA;| %
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:36pt; background:#FFA07A;" |[[Bulgarian Millet|Bulgar]] & [[Rum millet]]
! style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A;" | %
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:36pt;"|[[Armenian millet|Ermeni millet]]
!style="border: 2px solid black;"|%
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:36pt;"|[[Catholic Church in Bulgaria|Roman Catholic]]
!style="border: 2px solid black;"|%
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:36pt;"|[[Jews in the Ottoman Empire|Yahudi millet]]
! style="border: 2px solid black;"|%
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:36pt;"|Muslim Roma
! style="border: 2px solid black;"|%
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:36pt;"|Non-Muslim Roma
! style="border: 2px solid black;"|%
! style="border: 2px solid black; width:36pt;"|Total
! style="border: 2px solid black;"|%
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;" | Filibe/[[Plovdiv]]
| align="right" | 35,400
| align="right" |28.1
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 80,165
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|63.6
| align="right" | 380
| align="right" |0.3
| align="right" | 3,462
| align="right" |2.7
| align="right" | 691
| align="right" |0.5
| align="right" | 5,174
| align="right" |4.1
| align="right" | 495
| align="right" |0.4
| align="right" | 125,767
| align="right" |100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Pazarcık/[[Pazardzhik]]
| align="right" | 10,805
| align="right" |22.8
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 33,395
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|70.5
| align="right" | 94
| align="right" |0.2
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 344
| align="right" |0.7
| align="right" | 2,120
| align="right" |4.5
| align="right" | 579
| align="right" |1.2
| align="right" | 47,337
| align="right" |100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Hasköy/[[Haskovo]]
|style="background:#E0F0FF; text-align:right;"| 33,323
|style="background:#E0F0FF; text-align:right;"|55.0
| align="right" | 25,503
| align="right" |42.1
| align="right" | 3
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 65
| align="right" |0.1
| align="right" | 1,548
| align="right" | 2.6
| align="right" | 145
| align="right" |0.2
| align="right" | 60,587
| align="right" |100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Zağra-i Atik/[[Stara Zagora]]
| align="right" | 6,677
| align="right" |20.0
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|24,857
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|74.5
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 740
| align="right" |2.2
| align="right" | 989
| align="right" |3.0
| align="right" | 90
| align="right" |0.3
| align="right" | 33,353
| align="right" |100.00
|-
| align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Kızanlık/[[Kazanlak]]
| align="right" | 14,365
| align="right" |46.5
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 14,906
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|48.2
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 219
| align="right" |0.7
| align="right" | 1,384
| align="right" |4.5
| align="right" | 24
| align="right" |''0.0''
| align="right" | 30,898
| align="right" |100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Çırpan/[[Chirpan]]
|align="right" | 5,158
| align="right" |23.9
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|15,959
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|73.8
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 420
| align="right" |1.9
| align="right" | 88
| align="right" |0.4
| align="right" | 21,625
|100.00
|-
|style="background:#DC143C" align="left"| <s>Ahi Çelebi/[[Smolyan]]</s><sup>'''1'''</sup>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>8,197</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" | <s>57.8</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>5,346</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" | <s>37.7</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>268</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" | <s>1.9</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | -
|style="background:#DC143C" | <s>0.0</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | -
|style="background:#DC143C" | <s>0.0</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>377</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" | <s>2.7</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | -
|style="background:#DC143C" | <s>0.0</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>14,188</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" |<s>100.00</s>
|-
|style="background:#DC143C" align="left"| <s>Sultanyeri/[[Momchilgrad]]</s><sup>'''1'''</sup>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>13,336</s>
|style="background:#DC143C"|<s>96.9</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>262</s>
|style="background:#DC143C"|<s>1.9</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | -
|style="background:#DC143C"|<s>0.0</s>
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | -
|style="background:#DC143C"|0.0
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | -
|style="background:#DC143C"|0.0
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>159</s>
|style="background:#DC143C"|1.2
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | - 
|style="background:#DC143C"|0.0
|style="background:#DC143C" align="right" | <s>13,757</s>
|style="background:#DC143C"|<s>100.00</s>
|-
|style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC; align="right"| '''Filibe sanjak subtotal'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''105,728''' 
|style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC; align="right" |'''33.07'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A;"| '''194,785'''	
|style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A; align="right"|'''60.92'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC" | '''477'''
|style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''0.15'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''3,642'''
|style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''1.14'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''2,059'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''0.64'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''11,635'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''3.64'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''1,421'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''0.44'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''319,747'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''100.00'''
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| İslimye/[[Sliven]]
| align="right" | 8,392
| align="right" |29.8
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 17,975
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|63.8
| align="right" | 143
| align="right" |0.5
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 158
| align="right" |0.6
| align="right" | 596
| align="right" |2.1
| align="right" | 914
| align="right" |3.2
| align="right" | 28,178
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Yanbolu/[[Yambol]]
| align="right" | 4,084
| align="right" |30.4
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 8,107
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|60.4
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 396
| align="right" |3.0
| align="right" | 459
| align="right" |3.4
| align="right" | 377
| align="right" |3.2
| align="right" | 13,423
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Misivri/[[Nesebar]]
| align="right" | 2,182
| align="right" |40.0
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 3,118
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|51.6
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 153
| align="right" |2.8
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 5,453
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Karinâbâd/[[Karnobat]]
|style="background:#E0F0FF; text-align:right;"| 7,656
|style="background:#E0F0FF; text-align:right;"|60.5
| align="right" | 3,938
| align="right" |31.1
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 250
| align="right" |2.0
| align="right" | 684
| align="right" |5.4
| align="right" | 125
| align="right" |1.0
| align="right" | 12,653
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Aydos/[[Aytos]]
|style="background:#E0F0FF; text-align:right;"| 10,858
|style="background:#E0F0FF; text-align:right;"|76.0
| align="right" | 2,735
| align="right" |19.2
| align="right" | 19
| align="right" |0.1
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 36
| align="right" |0.2
| align="right" | 584
| align="right" |4.1
| align="right" | 46
| align="right" |0.3
| align="right" | 14,278
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Zağra-i Cedid/[[Nova Zagora]]
| align="right" | 5,310
| align="right" |29.4
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 11,777
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|65.2
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 880
| align="right" |4.9
| align="right" | 103
| align="right" |0.6
| align="right" | 18,070
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Ahyolu/[[Pomorie]]
| align="right" | 1,772
| align="right" |33.7
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 3,113
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|59.2
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 378
| align="right" |7.2
| align="right" | 2
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 5,265
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| [[Burgas]]
| align="right" | 4,262
| align="right" |22.1
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 14,179
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|73.6
| align="right" | 46
| align="right" |0.2
| align="right" | -
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 4
| align="right" |0.0
| align="right" | 448
| align="right" |2.3
| align="right" | 320
| align="right" |1.6
| align="right" | 19,259
| align="right" |100.00
|-
|align="left" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''Islimiye sanjak subtotal'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''44,516'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''38.2'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A; " | '''64,942'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A; " |'''55.7'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''208'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''0.2'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''-'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''0.0'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''844'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''0.6'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''4,182'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''3.6'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''1,887'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''1.6'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''116,579'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''100.00'''
|-
|align="left" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''Male Population Islimiye & Filibe sanjak'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''150,244'''
|style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''34.43'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A; "| '''259,727'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A; " |'''59.53'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''685'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''0.16'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''3,642'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''0.83'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''2,903'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''0.67'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''15,817'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''3.63'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''3,308'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''0.76'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''436,362'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''100.00'''
|-
|-
|align="left" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''Total Population'''<sup>'''3'''</sup> '''Islimiye & Filibe sanjak'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''300,488'''
|style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''34.43'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A;"| '''519,454'''
|style="border: 2px solid black; background:#FFA07A;" |'''59.53'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" | '''1,370'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''0.16'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''7,284'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''0.83'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''5,806'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;" |'''0.67'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''31,634'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''3.63'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''6,616'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''0.76'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"| '''872,652'''
|align="right" style="border: 2px solid black; background:#DCDCDC;"|'''100.00'''
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Kızılağaç/[[Elhovo]]<sup>'''2'''</sup><ref name="Köse"/>
| align="right" | 1,425
| align="right" |9.6
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|11,489
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|89.0
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | 12,914
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="background:#E5E4E2;"| Manastir/[[Topolovgrad]]<sup>'''2'''</sup><ref name="Köse"/>
| align="right" | 409
| align="right" |1.5
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"| 26,139
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|98.5
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | N/A
| align="right" |N/A
| align="right" | 26,548
|100.00
|-
|align="left" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"| '''Eastern Rumelia GRAND TOTAL'''<sup>'''3'''</sup>
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;" |'''302,322'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''33.15'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#FF7F50;|'''557,082'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#FF7F50;|'''61.08'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"| '''1,370'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;" |'''0.15'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''7,284'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''0.79'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;" |'''5,806'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''0.64'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''31,634'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''3.47'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;" |'''6,616'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''0.72'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''912,114'''
|align="right" style="border: 3px solid black; background:#C0C0C0;"|'''100.00'''
|-
|style="align="left" colspan="17" |<div style="font-size:100%; line-height: 1.4em;"> {{smalldiv|1=<sup>'''1'''</sup>Kaza to remain in the Ottoman Empire.<br><sup>'''2'''</sup>Figures available for total population and for Islam millet and Bulgar millet/Rum millet only.<br><sup>'''3'''</sup> Male/female aggregated figures presuming equal number of men and women, as suggested by [[Abdolonyme Ubicini|Ubicini]] and Palairet.<ref name="Palairet">{{citation|first=Michael|last=Palairet|title=The Balkan Economies c. 1800-1914: Evolution without Development|location=New York|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1997|pages=25}}</ref>}}</div>
|}

===Post 1878===
[[Image:Ernst-Ravenstein-Balkans-Ethnic-Map-1880.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Ethnic composition map of the [[Balkans]] by the German-English cartographer [[Ernst Georg Ravenstein|E. G. Ravenstein]] in 1870]]
[[Image:Andree64-1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Ethnic composition map of the [[Balkans]] from [[Andrees Allgemeiner Handatlas]], 1st Edition, Leipzig 1881]]
[[Image:Ethnic map of Balkans - german 1876.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Ethnic composition map of the [[Balkans]] by the German geographer and cartographer [[Heinrich Kiepert]] in 1882]]
According to a British report before the 1877–1878 war, the non-Muslim population (consisting mostly of Bulgarians) of Eastern Rumelia was about 60%, a proportion that grew due to the flight and emigration of Muslims during and after the war.<ref>Studies on Ottoman social and political history: selected articles and essay, Kemal H. Karpat, [https://books.google.com/books?id=082osLxyBDgC&q=%22eastern+rumelia%22+&pg=PA378 p.370]</ref> The 1878 census show a population of 815,946 people- 573,231 Bulgarians (70.29%), 174,759 Muslims (21.43%), 42,516 Greeks (5.21%), 19,524 Roma, 4,177 Jews, and 1,306 Armenians.<ref>Bŭlgarii︠a︡ 1300-institut︠s︡ii i dŭrzhavna tradit︠s︡ii︠a︡: dokladi na tretii︠a︡ Kongres na Bŭlgarskoto istorichesko druzhestvo, 3–5 oktomvri 1981, p. 326</ref>

The results of the first Regional Assembly elections of 17 October 1879 show a predominantly Bulgarian character: Of the 36 elected deputies, 31 were Bulgarians (86.1%), 3 were Greeks (8.3%) and two were Turks (5.6%).<ref>Делев, "Княжество България и Източна Румелия", ''История и цивилизация за 11. клас''.</ref> The ethnic statistics from the censuses of 1880 and 1884 show a Bulgarian majority in the province. In the discredited<ref>{{cite web|title=Council of Europe, Ministers' Deputies, 6.1 European population committee (CDPO), Section 3|url=https://wcd.coe.int/wcd/ViewDoc.jsp?id=429995&Site=COE|website=Wcd.coe.int|access-date=2022-04-08}}</ref> census of 1880, out of total population of 815,951 people some 590,000 (72.3%) self-identified as Bulgarians, 158,000 (19.4%) as Turks, 19,500 (2.4%) as Roma, and 48,000 (5.9%) belonged to other ethnicities,<ref name="miris">{{cite web|url=http://miris.eurac.edu/mugs2/do/blob.html?type=html&serial=1039432230349|title=Eтнически състав на населението в България. Методологически постановки при установяване на етническия състав|publisher=MIRIS – Minority Rights Information System|language=bg|access-date=2 January 2010|archive-date=15 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715123204/http://miris.eurac.edu/mugs2/do/blob.html?type=html&serial=1039432230349|url-status=dead}}</ref> notably Greeks, Armenians and Jews. The repetition of the census in 1884 returned similar data: 70.0% Bulgarians, 20.6% Turks, 2.8% Roma and 6.7% others.<ref name=EU/>

The Greek inhabitants of Eastern Rumelia were concentrated on the coast, where they were strong in numbers,<ref>A Short History of Russia and the Balkan States, Donald Mackenzie Wallace, 1914, [https://books.google.com/books?id=5NyQEh8qFIQC&q=%22black+sea+coast%22&pg=PA102 p.102]</ref> and certain cities in the interior such as [[Plovdiv]] (known in [[Greek language|Greek]] as ''[[Philippopolis (Thrace)|Philippopolis]]''), where they formed a substantial minority. Most of the Greek population of the region was exchanged with Bulgarians from the Greek provinces of [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]] and [[Western Thrace|Thrace]] in the aftermath of the [[Balkan Wars]] and [[World War I]].

Eastern Rumelia was also inhabited by foreign nationals, most notably [[Austrians]], [[Czechs]], [[Hungarians]], [[French people]] and [[Italians]].

The ethnic composition of the population of Eastern Rumelia, according to the provincial census taken in 1884, was the following:<ref name=EU>{{cite web| url = https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=429995&Site=COE | title = 6.1 European population committee (CDPO) | publisher = Council of Europe | page = II. The Demographic Situation of Ethnic/minority Groups 1. Population Size and Growth}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ethnicity (1884 census) !! Population !! Percentage
|-
| [[Bulgarians]] ||681,734 || 70.0%
|-
| [[Turkish people|Turks]] || 200,489 || 20.6%
|-
| [[Greeks]] || 53,028 || 5.4%
|-
| [[Romani people|Roma (Gypsies)]] || 27,190 || 2.8%
|-
| [[Jews]] || 6,982 || 0.7%
|-
| [[Armenians]] || 1,865 || 0.2%
|-
!Total !!975,030!! 100%
|}

The population's ethnic composition in the [[Provinces of Bulgaria|Bulgarian provinces]] of [[Pazardzhik Province|Pazardzhik]], [[Plovdiv Province|Plovdiv]], [[Stara Zagora Province|Stara Zagora]], [[Haskovo Province|Haskovo]], [[Sliven Province|Sliven]], [[Yambol Province|Yambol]] and [[Burgas Province|Burgas]], which have approximately the same territory as Eastern Rumelia{{ref|d|d|noid=noid}} according to the 2001 census is the following:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ethnicity (2001 census)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nsi.bg/Census/Ethnos.htm|title=POPULATION AS OF 01.03.2001 BY DISTRICT AND ETHNIC GROUP|website=Nsi.bg|language=bg|access-date=2022-04-08}}</ref> !! Population !! Percentage
|-
| Bulgarians ||2,068,787 || 83.7%
|-
| Turks || 208,530 || 8.4%
|-
| Roma (Gypsies) || 154,004 || 6.2%
|-
| Armenians || 5,080 || 0.2%
|-
| Russians || 4,840 || 0.2%
|-
| Greeks || 1,398 || 0.1%
|-
| Jews || 251 || 
|-
| Others || 8,293 || 0.3%
|-
| Unspecified || 21,540 || 0.9%
|-
!Total !!2,472,723!! 100%
|}

==Property rights==
[[File:Turkish refugees from Eastern Rumelia in 1885.jpg|thumb|Turkish refugees from Eastern Rumelia, 1885 – ''[[The Illustrated London News]]'', author: [[Richard Caton Woodville, Jr.]]]]
Property abandoned by [[Muslims]] fleeing the [[Imperial Russian Army]] during the 1877–1878 war was appropriated by the local [[Christians|Christian]] population. The former owners, mostly large landholders, were threatened with trial by military court if they had committed crimes during the war so that they would not return. Two Turkish landowners who did return were in fact sentenced to death thus preventing others from desiring to come back. Those Turkish landowners who were not able to take possession of their land were financially compensated, with the funds collected by the Bulgarian peasants, some of whom were indebted as a result. For those who did return a 10% property tax was issued, forcing many to sell off their property in order to pay the tax.<ref>Jelavich, p. 164.</ref><ref>The Balkans since 1453; Leften Stavros Stavrianos, Traian Stoianovich; [https://books.google.com/books?id=xcp7OXQE0FMC&q=%22economic+development%22&pg=PR12 p. 442]</ref> Michael Palairet claimed that land rights of Muslim owners were largely disregarded, despite being guaranteed by the great powers, and the de-Ottomanization of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia led to economic decline in the region.<ref>{{cite book|author=Palairet, Michael R.|title=The Balkan Economies C.1800–1914: Evolution Without Development|date=1997|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hkQytxTkZcoC&dq=Land+Ownership+in+Eastern+Rumelia&pg=PA182|pages=174–202|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521522564}}</ref> Though this is contradicted by many other authors, who show rapid growth of the economy as well as rapid industrial development and growth of exports in Bulgaria after 1878.<ref>An Economic and Social History of the Ottoman Empire, Volume 2; Halil İnalcık, Donald Quataert; 1997; p. 381</ref><ref>The Balkans Since 1453; Leften Stavros Stavrianos; 2000; p.425</ref><ref>[[Mikulas Teich]], [[Roy Porter]], ''The Industrial Revolution in National Context: Europe and the USA'', 1996, p.300</ref>

==Notes and references==
===Notes===
{{note|a|a|From 1885 Eastern Rumelia was ''de facto'' part of the Principality of Bulgaria}}<br />
{{note|b|b|The western part of this canton refused to recognize the authority of Eastern Rumelia, formed the so-called ''[[Republic of Tamrash]]'' and in 1886 was ceded back to the Ottoman Empire by the [[Tophane Agreement]]}}<br />
{{note|c|c|The canton of Kardzhali was ceded back to the Ottoman Empire by the Tophane Agreement}}<br />
{{note|d|d|Burgas, Haskovo, and Pazardzhik provinces also include territory that was not part of Eastern Rumelia, while other parts of Eastern Rumelia are now in the provinces of [[Sofia Province|Sofia]], [[Smolyan Province|Smolyan]] and [[Kardzhali Province|Kardzhali]]. The de facto independent [[Republic of Tamrash]], which is now divided between the provinces of Smolyan and [[Plovdiv Province|Plovdiv]], did not participate in the 1884 census.}}

===References===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book
| title = История и цивилизация за 11. клас
| last = Делев
| first = Петър
| author2=Валери Кацунов |author3=Пламен Митев |author4=Евгения Калинова |author5=Искра Баева |author6=Боян Добрев
| year = 2006
| language = bg
| publisher = Труд, Сирма
}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}
*[http://terkepek.adatbank.transindex.ro/kepek/netre/70.gif Map 1], [http://terkepek.adatbank.transindex.ro/kepek/netre/95.gif map 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411113257/http://terkepek.adatbank.transindex.ro/kepek/netre/95.gif |date=11 April 2013 }}, [http://terkepek.adatbank.transindex.ro/kepek/netre/102.gif map 3] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307093354/http://terkepek.adatbank.transindex.ro/kepek/netre/102.gif |date=7 March 2013 }}

{{coord missing|Bulgaria}}
{{Balkan Wars}}
{{Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire|expanded = Vassals}}

[[Category:1878 establishments in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:1908 in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Former countries in the Balkans]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1878]]
[[Category:1878 establishments in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1908]]
[[Category:Ottoman period in the history of Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Northern Thrace]]
[[Category:Ottoman Thrace]]
[[Category:1908 disestablishments in Europe]]
[[Category:Vassal states of the Ottoman Empire]]