The sancak of Biga is a notable region for viticulture and winemaking.
Administration
Biga joined the Ottoman state in the fourteenth century and was ruled as a district until the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent. It was then connected to the eyalet of Cezayir-i Bahr’i Sefid (Mediterranean Islands) under the name of Biga Sancak, with its administrative seat in Gallipoli. At that time, Biga Sancak covered the Anatolian parts of today’s Çanakkale province, and even included the parts of Balıkesir province. The affiliation of Biga Sancak to the eyalet of Cezayir-i Bahr’i Sefid lasted until the middle of the 19th century. In 1867, when Çanakkale (Kale-i Sultaniye) was made the center of the Cezayir-i Bahr’i Sefid eyalet, Biga became a district in the south of the Adrianople vilayet. In 1877, the center of the Cezayir-i Bahr’i Sefid eyalet was moved to Rhodes, and the lands of the present Çanakkale province on the Anatolian side were connected to Constantinople under the name of Biga Sancak. In 1881, Biga Sancak and Karesi Sancak were merged, and a new province was established under the name of Karesi (Karesu) Vilayet (Province). In 1888, Biga was separated from the Karesi Province and joined the Vilayet Constantinople as an independent sancak with its six kazas Kale-i Sultaniye (mod. Canakkale), Ezine, Ayvacık, Bayramiç, Biga, and Lapseki. It covered a territory of 7,500 square kilometers.[1]
Population
In the late 19th century, the sancak had an overall population of 129,000.[2] According to official Ottoman statistics, in 1914 the Biga sancak had a total population of 165,815; of these, 149,903 were Muslims, 8,541 Greek Orthodox Christians, 2,474 Armenians, 3,642 Jews, and 1,255 “others” (9 Catholic Greeks, 67 Protestants, 1,097 Orthodox Bulgarians and 82 Vlachs).[3] However, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople stated that in the Diocese of the Dardanelles lived a pre-war population of 27,257 Orthodox Greeks in 27 communities.[4]
Most Greeks (pop. 4,358) and Armenians (pop. 1,269) lived in the kaza Kale-i Sultaniye (mod. Çanakkale), and there mainly in the port town and capital of the same name. “The Armenians in the rest of the peninsula were to be found in 1914 in Ezine (pop. 670), Ayvacık, Bayramiç (pop. 200), Biğa (pop. 409), and Lapsaki.”[5]
History
The first inhabitants of the area, which hosted many civilizations, lived on the Biga Peninsula in the Last Chalcolithic Age c. 6,000 years ago. However, very little is known about the identity and lifestyle of these early settlers. According to some excavations and research, the earliest settlements in the region were established at Kumtepe. It is supposed that Kumkale was established in 4000 B.C. and Troy between 3500–3000 B.C.
Aeolian Greeks settled on the land in the 8th century B.C. and established trade colonies in the region called Aeolis. The region came under the control of the Lydians in the 7th century B.C. and under the control of the Persians in the 6th century B.C. Aeolis went under the control of the Ancient Macedonian army as Alexander the Great defeated the Persians by the Granicus River of the region in the Battle of the Granicus on his way to Asia. The region came under the reign of the Kingdom of Pergamon in the 2nd century B.C.
The western part of the Biga Peninsula where ancient Troy is situated was called Troas. Alexandria Troas, an important settlement of the region, was a free trade port and a rich trade center during Roman times. Later in the 2nd century A.D., the region was attacked by Goths from Thrace. During the 7th and 8th centuries, in order to attack Constantinople the Arabs passed the strait a few times and came up to Sestos. At the beginning of the 14th century the Karasids dominated the Anatolian part of the strait. The Ottomans gained control of Gallipoli in 1367.
Destruction
The Situation in the Diocese of the Dardanelles before and during the First World War
“Constant and repeated levying of heavy taxes, coupled with the enforcing of a severe boycott, soon brought about the crisis of this Diocese (…). Such was especially the case with Biga.
The richer inhabitants went over to Constantinople, and the poorer classes sold their furniture at generous prices in order to subsist, so that the community became more and more depopulated. This commercial boycott was extended to Lapsaki [Lapseki], Bairmitch [Bayramiç], Ezine, even to Dardanelles itself, with particular ruthlessness, the Turks even going so far as to beat those of their co-religionists who bought of the Christian shops. Aziz, Mayor of the Dardanelles and Chairman of the Society formed for the purpose of importing colonial goods, in competition of the existing Greek establishments, used all his in- fluence and power to get rid of them and have them replaced by Turks.
On the 11th June, 1914, Mehmet Eff., one of the wildest members of the local Committee [for Union and Progress; C.U.P.], thus addressed some Moslems who were buying bread from the oven of a Christian named Vazoutos : ‘The money you give to the infidels goes to Greece, and it is used for the manufacture of projectiles which will pierce your hearts.’ The same man, on another occasion, thus addressed a crowd of Moslems: ‘The Greeks are our mortal enemies. They are a nation of traitors. They send money to Greece. Learn therefore, oh Moslems, that either they must be expelled, or we must not remain here.’
Persecutions in 1914
Unable to cope any longer with the heavy taxes levied, nor to put up with the repeated subscriptions imposed on them, the inhabitants of
- TCHATALTEPE [Çataltepe], 2. ROUMDJA [Rumca], and 3. YENI-KEUY [Yeniköy], emigrated in March, 1914, and crossed over to the European coast, but apart from the ruin to the Greek element through the boycott, the same symptoms appeared here as in Thrace, and forced its inhabitants to emigrate by thousands.
- YENI-SHEHIR [Yenişehir], 5. NEOHORI, 6. KALAFATLI.— On the 7th of May, 1914, 800 Albanian Moslems were landed at Koum-kale [Kumkale]. They evicted the Christians and established themselves in their abodes after the usual savage ill-treatment awarded to them. The peasants, terror-stricken at seeing their property destroyed made their way to Renkeuy [Renköy].
The inhabitants of Neohori embarked for Greece. After every effort on the part of the Metropolitan to bring them back to their homes failed, those of Yeni-Shehir and Kalafatli also went over to Greece. The Governor of the Dardanelles declared that it was impossible to allow the Christian inhabitants of Yeni-Shehir and other villages to return to their homes, following an order from the Ministry of War to the effect that it was absolutely necessary that all the villages bordering on the sea-coast should be exclusively inhabited by Moslems.
- KARADAGH [Karadağ], 8. EZINE.— The inhabitants of these two villages, threatened with famine, were expelled in a few hours to the coast and thence embarked for Greece. Some Christians at Ezine asked the sub-governor for protection, with the only result that he told them to imitate the example of the inhabitants of Neohori.
- NARLI, 10. PAPAZLI and 11. ADA-TOPE.— On the 25th of May, the Christians were mercilessly turned out of their dwellings and driven to the coast, where they sought transport to take them away.
- The inhabitants of MEGHA-TCHEPNE, 13. MICRO- TCHEPNE, 14. MOUSSARETLI, 15. ERIKLI [Ereğli], 16. AK-SAZ, 17. DERIMENDJIK [Derimencik], 18. KAMARES, 19. BAIRAMITCH [Bayramiç], 20. KUTCHUK-KOYOU [Küçük-Koyu], 21. KIEUCE-DERE, 22. ISKENDER- KEUY [Iskender Köy], and 23. INDJE-KEUY [Ince-Köy], were deported to Greece.
- RENKEUY [Renköy]. — This community was evacuated in September. The following communication was written by Irineos, Metropolitan of the Dardanelles, under date of the 7th of September :
‘On the 4th September, a committee composed of the Governor of the Dardanelles, two officers, and two political officials, went to Renkeuy, and called up the members of the town council and several of the notables.
In the first place the Governor informed them that, in accordance with a decision taken by the Government, the Christians must leave. The Christians quite naturally protested, and asked for explanations as to the reasons that prompted the Government to act so cruelly towards so many thousand people, and added that, if it were a question of military operations, they should at least be allowed to retire to the interior of the country, until the crisis was over. They alluded to the loyalty they had at all times given proof of to the State, referred to the sacrifices which they so willingly underwent for the good of the Empire, and begged the Government to spare their Community.
Although I was told by the Governor not to go, I went to Renkeuy, just at the time this meeting was being held. I explained also to the Committee the magnitude and the gravity of the situation created, and asked for time to be given us to come to an understanding with the Patriarchate. The Governor refused to accept my proposal, and ordered the Christians to comply with the order within twenty-four hours, the necessary means of transport having already arrived at Renkeuy.
The Community had been surrounded on the eve of the Governor’s arrival, and even machine guns had been posted on the neighbouring heights of the village. The only flour mill the village possessed was occupied by the troops, as well as the ovens. The water-supply ran short owing to their presence, the cattle were carried away by force, and under threat of punishment, all operations of buying or selling were strictly prohibited.
At eight o’clock in the evening the mudir communicated to the Christians, on behalf of the Governor, that the resolution of the Government regard were outside the village to enter and plunder it. A delegation of notables thereupon called on the Governor and declared to him that, once the decision of the Government was final, and their demands could not be granted, the people were prepared to comply with the order reserving to themselves their rights. They pointed out most emphatically that they wanted it to be fully understood that it was not of their own free-will that they were leaving, and under protest. Thus did the essentially Greek community of Renkeuy, once so prosperous and flourishing, die out. On the morrow of the order, the inhabitants embarked and went to Greece.’
- BIGA. — The boycott and persecution had already obliged some of the inhabitants to leave this village and in July, 1914, more families emigrated.
What befell the other districts in the way of murder, violation, etc., befell this one too. In Ak-Saz, between the 10th and 14th May, 1914, the following: Stratis Toulakis, Nicolaos Kalpakis, and Michail Fotinis were murdered. Anastassia L. Tzouli was violated. In Lampsaco [Lapseki], two shepherds, Margaritis and Vassilios, were murdered. Christodoulos Mitsou, and the sailors of Artaki, Dem. Emmanouil, and Spiros Selimiades were beaten, and then tortured to death. At the Dardanelles, a shepherd, Athanassios Mihaloglou, was beaten till blood came out of his mouth. The shepherd boy, Nicolas Tsolakis, seventeen years old, was stabbed by a Moslem, who tried to violate him. Alexis G. Louli’s ear was cut off, Demitri loannou was wounded at Karadagh [Karadağ] on his way to Renkeuy, and reached Tcliomak-Kale with difficulty. At Neohori, four young girls were violated by the gendarmes.
Deportations in 1915
For military reasons the Government, in February, 1915, ordered the immediate evacuation of Tchanak-Kale [Çanakkale], and the transfer of its inhabitants to Artaki. But in June, 1915, the refugees of Tchanak- Kale were embarked on sailing vessels and steamships, and sent to Panderma [Bandırma] by order of the governor of Bali-kesser [Balıkesir]. The crossing was a dreadful one owing to the crowding of the passengers on the boats, so that a woman slipped and fell into the sea, and was drowned. On arrival at Panderma station, the refugees were prevented from communicating with the inhabitants of the town, and after three days were carried by rail to Balikesser. The majority of the inhabitants of Lampsako [Lapseki] were exiled after having suffered a good deal during the persecutions in 1914. The remaining population was expelled in 1917.”[6]
Deportations March-April 1915
A report of the Hellenic Legation of Constantinople, No. 4099 (Ministerial Archives, No. 7981), of 26 June 1915 stated about the deportation of the Greek Orthodox Christians from the Dardanelles and their dispersion among Muslim settlements in the kaza of Balıkesir:
“The first deportations which took place are those of the Dardanelles and Gallipoli (March-April, 1915) under the pretext of military necessity and the safety of the inhabitants. The Greeks of the Dardanelles were sent to Artaki, where no care was taken by the Turkish Government for the maintenance of the poor whom the well-to-do Greeks supported, but this could not continue for a long time because the number of the poor amounted to 3,300.
After the evacuation of the Dardanelles, that of Gallipoli, Madytos, Krithia, and the other villages of Gallipoli followed (April 26). The Christian populations were compelled to embark on steamships, and were forbidden to take anything with them or even to secure the safety of their property. The goods in the shops belonging to the Christians were plundered and sold by the Turkish authorities to two Ottoman companies.
The deported people, having been scattered in various villages, such as those of Kipsit, Vigadetos, Sintirghi, Soussourlouk, of the district of Baloukesser [Balıkesir] are in danger of dying of starvation, apart from the fact that the settling of Greek women amongst the Turks carries with it other dangers, such as assaults, conversions to Mohammedanism, etc., etc.
(…)
Although the Turkish Government maintained that the deportations formed a general measure and were due to military necessity, as both the Grand Vizier (Prime Minister) and the German Ambassador told me when I protested in person about the deportations — still, after the departure of the Greeks, their houses and properties were seized by the Turks.”[7]
Armenians
“As in the case of the Armenians of Gallipoli, the battle for the Dardanelles precipitated an evacuation of the district’s entire civilian population. The Armenians were later deported to Syria.”[8]