The island of Cyprus became an Osmanli possession in 1571.
Originally it was a separate Elayet of the Empire, but later its administrative
position was altered several times :
- 1785 - 1850 : Sandjak of the Elayet of the Djeza'ir-i bahr-i Sefid
- 1850 - 1854 : Once again a separate Elayet of the Empire
- 1854 - 1861 : Sandjak of the Elayet of the Djeza'ir-i bahr-i Sefid
- 1861 - 1868 : Independent Sandjak directly subordinated to the Osmanli central
government
- 1868 - 1870 : Sandjak of the Elayet of the Djeza'ir-i bahr-i Sefid
- 1870 - 1876 : Independent Sandjak directly subordinated to the Osmanli central
government
- 1876 - 1878 : Sandjak of the Elayet of the Djeza'ir-i bahr-i Sefid (1)
(1) Formally this continued under Britsih administration (see below)
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OSMANLI CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Qaimakam
(subordinated to the Vali of the Djeza'ir-i bahr-i Sefid)
1847 1848 Ismail Adil Pasha
1848 184. Abdullatif Efendi
Mütesarrif
(subordinated to the Vali of the Djeza'ir-i bahr-i Sefid)
1849 - 1851 ....
Vali
1851 Haftuz Pasha (?)
1851 - 1853 Edhem Pasha
1853 - 1854 Mehmed Serif Pasha
Mütesarrif
(subordinated to the Vali of the Djeza'ir-i bahr-i Sefid 1854 - 1861, 1868 - 1870
and 1876 - 1878)
1854 - 1855 Mehmed Cemal Pasha (Celaleddin)
1855 - 1856 Osman Serif Pasha
1856 - 1858 Kani Pasha
1858 - 1859 Ishaq Pasaha
1859 - 1861 Mehmed Hairullah Pasha
1862 Kibrisli Mehmed Kamil Pasha 1832 - 1913
1862 Ziya Pasha
1863 Tevfik Pasha
1863 Mehmed Halet Pasha 1... - 1879
1863 - 1864 Ismail Efendi
1864 Ali Bey
1864 Kibrisli Mehmed Kamil Pasha (2x)
1864 Ismail Effendi (2x)
1864 Taiyib Pasha
1864 - 1865 Mehmed Halet Pasha (2x)
1865 Seid Niman Taiyib
1865 - 1866 Ahmed Latif
1866 Mehmed Halet Pasha (3x)
1866 - 1867 Seid Niman Taiyib (2x)
1867 186. Mehmed Halet Pasha (4x)
1868 - 1871 Kücük Mehmed Said Pasha 1838 - 1914
1871 - 1872 Aziz Pasha
1872 - 1873 Mehmed Veis Pasha
1873 Essad Pasha 1... - 1876
1873 - 1874 Ibrahim Pasha
1874 Reza
1874 Mehmed Nazif
1874 - 1876 Aziz Pasha (2x)
1876 - 1877 Mehmed Veis Pasha (2x)
1877 - 1878 Ahmed Bessim Pasha
OSMANLI CYPRUS UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION
In 1878, following two British-Osmanli conventions signed at Constantinople, the
British occupied Cyprus and toke over the administration of the island, which
remained however formally a part of the Osmanli Empire. (2)
(2) Cyprus formally continued to be a Sandjak of Djeza'ir-i bahr-i Sefid
until 1912 and thereafter it was an independent Sandjak until 1914.
The cession was made in order to give the British the financial means
to fulfil the obligations they had contracted to support the Osmanli
Empire against any Russian menace.
It would also only last as long as the Russians occupied some Osmanli
Caucasian territories (Ardahan, Kars and Batum).
Finally the British agreed to pay a yearly tribute of 92000£ - reduced
to 42000£ in 1907 - to the Empire.
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BRITISH CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
High Commissioners
1878 - 1879 LtGen. Sir Garnet Joseph Wolseley 1833 - 1913
1879 - 1886 Col. Sir Robert Biddulph 1835 - 1918
1886 - 1892 Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer 1836 - 1914
1892 - 1898 Sir Walter Joseph Sendall 1832 - 1904
1898 - 1904 Sir William Frederick Haynes Smith 1839 - 1928
1904 - 1911 Sir Charles Anthony King-Harman 1851 - 1939
1911 - 1914 Maj. Hamilton John Goold-Adams 1858 - 1920
BRITISH DEPENDENCY OF CYPRUS
In 1914, after the Osmanli Empire had entered war alongside the Germans, the
British abolished the conventions of 1878 and purely and simply annexed the island,
which became a Crown Colony in 1925. (2)
(2) Turkey formally gave up its last claims on the island by the Treaty
of Lausanne in 1923.
The tribute continued to be payed until 1927.
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BRITISH CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
High Commissioners
1914 - 1915 Maj. Hamilton John Goold-Adams s.a.
1915 - 1918 Maj. Sir John Eugene Clauson 1866 - 1918
1918 - 1925 Sir Malcolm Stevenson (3) 1878 - 1927
(3) Sir Malcolm Stevenson, Chief Secretary, was Administrator of the
Government or acting High Commissioner from 1918 to 1920.
Governors
1925 - 1926 Sir Malcolm Stevenson s.a.
1926 - 1932 Sir Ronald Storrs 1881 - 1955
1932 - 1933 Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs 1876 - 1947
1933 - 1939 Sir Herbert Richmond Palmer 1877 - 1958
1939 - 1941 William Denis Battershill 1896 - 1959
1941 - 1946 Sir (1943) Charles Campbell Woolley 1893 - 1981
Christianism was introduced in Cyprus in the first century.
From the start the Cypriot Greek Orthodox Church claimed to be autocephalous, but
it was only at the Council of Ephesus (431) that the situation was formalized and
that the Patriarchs of Antioch had to give up all claims of supremacy.
Since then the Church always remained independent, except for the period 1196 -
1571 when it was subordinated to the Latin Hierarchy established by the crusaders.
note
Autocephalous = Fully independent as far as the organization was concerned but
in full communion with the other Orthodox Churches as far as religious matters
were concerned.
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HEADS OF THE COMMUNITY
Archbishops of Nea Justiniana and All Cyprus
(Since 1754 the Archbishops also were Ethnarchs of the Greek Orthodox community
on Cyprus and as such they were responsable for the administration of religious,
social, cultural and educational matters of the community and for the collecting
of taxes.
They ranked immediately after the five great Patriarchs)
1840 - 1849 Ioannikios
1849 - 1854 Kyrillos I 1... - 1854
1854 - 1865 Makarios I 1... - 1865
1865 - 1900 Sophronios III 1825 - 1900
1900 - 1909 vacant (4)
1909 - 1916 Kyrillos II 1844 - 1916
1916 - 1933 Kyrillos III 1859 - 1933
1933 - 1947 vacant
Administrator during the vacancy
1933 - 1947 Leontios, Metropolitan
of Paphos 1896 - 1947
(4) The vacancy 1900 - 1909
At the death of Sophronios there were two pretenders to the dignity of
Archbishop : Kyrillos, Metropolitan of Kition and Kyrillos, Metropolitan
of Keryna.
As no agreement could be reached, the Synode asked the Patriarchs of
Alexandria, Constantinople and Jerusalem to mediate. In 1902 they each
appointed an exarch to Cyprus.
On mar 15 1908 the Patriarch of Constantinople unilaterally appointed
Kyrillos of Keryna as Archbishop. He was however not recognized by the
British and by part of the community.
Finally, on apr 02 1909 the Patriarch of Alexandria forced the election
of Kyrillos of Kition, who then became Archbishop Kyrillos II and was
recognized by the British.
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