Ivailo declared

In the style of mediaeval superstition, Ivailo declared that he had heard a voice from heaven ordering him to save his people from those who looted and tortured them. The peasant volunteers in his army, who had risen to defend their land and homes from the foreign invaders, turned into an insurgent army which captured a number of feudal castles, storehouses for food and arms and was headed for the capital. The tsar, who had not dared come out of Turnovo’s walls while Ivailo’s peasant forces were shedding their blood to repel the Tartars, rallied his army and set out against Ivailo’s ‘rabble’. The latter, steeled in the cruel battles with the Tartar hordes, defeated the army of the Tsar in the very first encounter. The Tsar himself fell in the battle.

The peasant leader entered Turnovo triumphantly, welcomed enthusiastically by the people and with servile homage paid him by the boyars, who were scared to death. A. Crown Council, hastily convened, proclaimed Ivailo Tsar and the widowed Tsarina changed her mourning for a wedding dress. The ‘idyll’ in Turnovo, howevei, did not last long. The Tartar hordes of Nogai again invaded the country from the north and Ivailo had very soon to exchange his royal mantle and the splendour of his court for the hardships of army life.

Byzantine government

In a great number of bloody battles which lasted for over two years, the ‘peasant Tsar’ succeeded in chasing the Tartars away; but while his courageous soldiers were defending their country’s independence, a boyar revolt was coming to a head in the capital. With the help of the cunning Tsarina the boyars had come into contact with the Byzantine government, and asked for help against Ivailo. The Byzantine troops passed the Balkan Range without encountering any resistance, and the boyars themselves opened to them the gates of Turnovo. Ivailo’s army defeated the Byzantines, but mercenaries hired by the boyars attacked him from behind. Ivailo escaped to his previous adversaries – the Tartars – and found his death there. An end was thus put in 1280 to the peasant uprising in Bulgaria.

In spite of its tragic end, Ivailo’s uprising is a fact of great importance not only for Bulgarian, but also for Euro-pean history. It is the earliest known organized peasant anti-feudal uprising of such a scale and scope in Europe, and Ivailo was the first peasant leader in those days who succeeded in seizing state power and in holding it for more than three years. Credit is also due to the Bulgarian peasants who had risen in revolt against feudal exploitation, for having barred with their blood the way of the Tartar hordes to Bulgaria and for having weakened their pressure against the Balkans and Central Europe.

Newspapers and magazines from all over Europe

The atrocities committed in Bulgaria became the most popular subject tackled by the European press. More than 200 prestigious newspapers and magazines from all over Europe in some 3, 000 articles and reports gave coverage of the bloody events in Bulgaria. Besides the above- mentioned investigators, most helpful for the cause of Bulgaria were Edwin Piers, the Constantinople correspondent of the Daily News, the French consuls in Sofia and Plovdiv Le Gay and DTstria, Emil de Girardin, editor in the La France newspaper, Ives de Woestin, correspondent of Le Figaro, the Italian consuls in Sofia and Plovdiv Vito Positano and Takela, to mention but a few.

A powerful movement in defence of the Bulgarian people who had proved with their own blood that they were worthy of living in freedom, was set afoot in a number of countries. This movement acquired the greatest dimensions in Russia. The ‘Otechestvennye Zapiski’ magazine wrote: ‘No one here would think, listen, speak or read about anything but the developments on the other side of the Danube’. As the great Bulgarian historian Professor Marin Drinov, who was working at that time in Kharkov, wrote, Russia was shaken ‘by one of those movements which involve the whole Russian people only at the greatest moments of their historical life.’

Government of Disraeli

The conservative government of Disraeli was benevolently neutral with regard to Turkey during the up-rising, which determined the widespread movement in defence of the Bulgarian people in Britain. More than 250 meetings were held throughout the country and hundreds of telegrams of protest were addressed to the government. The leader of the opposition, Liberal Party William Gladstone, made scores of speeches and published in a mass circulation the booklets ‘The Bulgarian Horrors and the Eastern Question’ and ‘Lessons in Slaughtering’. Relief funds were collected to help the Bulgarian population. Particularly active in this campaign was Lady Strangford, who Lad visited Bulgaria.

The movement in defence of the Bulgarians developed in a number of other countries, too: Romania, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Croatia, Germany. Girar- din’s pamphlet ‘Europe’s Disgrace’, published in France, went through several printings. The brightest minds of the epoch – Darwin, Victor Hugo, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Nekrassov, Dostoyevsky, Mendeleev, Sechenov, Garibaldi and many others spoke ardently in defence of the Bulgarian people. On August 29, L876 the great writer and humanist Victor Hugo pronounced his celebrated speech in the French Parliament, calling upon the governments to take measures to put an end to the sufferings of the heroic Bulgarian people.

King looked displeased at these words

The King looked displeased at these words, as they did not accord with his enlightened understanding, and lie observed that an evil root will not thrive in a goodly shade. “To educate the worthless, is like throwing a walnut upon a dome: it is better to eradicate them ‘altogether; for to extinguish the fire and suffer a spark to remain, or to kill the snake and preserve the young, is not acting like a wise man. Though the clouds should pour down the water of life, you would never gather fruit from the branch of the willow. Waste not your time on low people, for we can never obtain sugar from the reed.” When the Vizier heard these words, lie reluctantly approved of them, and praised the King for liis just observation, saying, “May the King live for ever!

Nothing can be more true than what my lord hath pronounced, that if he had continued with those wicked wretches, he would naturally have fallen into their evil courses, and would have become one of them; but your servant entertains hopes, that this boy, by associating with men of probity, will receive instruction, and imbibe virtuous sentiments; for being but a child, his principles cannot be tainted with the lawless and inimical disposition of that banditti; for in the Hadees it is recorded: ‘ Of a truth every one is born with a disposition to Islamism, and it is owing to his parents his becoming a Jew, a Christian, or a Majoosie.’

Lot’s wife associated with the wicked, and his posterity forfeited the gift of prophecy; but the dog of the companions of the cave, by long converse with the virtuous, became a rational creature.” The Vizier having thus concluded his speech, some of the courtiers joined in his petition, till at length the King spared the life of the youth, and said, “I grant your request, although I disapproved of it. Know you not what Zal said to Rustam? Consider not any enemy as weak and contemptible. I have frequently seen water issue from a small spring, which so increased in its course, that it carried away the camel with his load.” Summarily, the Vizier took the youth into his family, and educated him with kindness and attention. An able master was appointed his tutor, who taught him how to ask a question, and return an answer with elegance, together with all the accomplishments requisite for court, so that his manners met with general approbation.

Journey unexpectedly happened

TALE VII

A person who had not seen his friend for a long time said, “Where have you been whilst I was so anxious to hear of you? ” He answered, “It is better to desire than to loathe. You have come late, 0 intoxicated idol; I will not let you escape from me again quickly. It is, however, better to see a sweetheart after intervals of absence, than to be satiated with a continuance of her company. The mistress, when she comes accompanied by my rivals, can only do so to torment me, because such society must excite envy and contention. When thou comest to visit me accompanied by my rivals, although you appear peaceable yet your attention is hostile. If my mistress associates with my rival only for an instant, I shall soon die of jealousy.” Smiling he replied, “0 Sady, I am the candle of the assembly, what is it to me if the moth will consume itself? ”

TALE VIII

I remember that in former times I associated so continually with a friend, that we were like double almond. A journey unexpectedly happened. When I returned, he began to reproach me for having been so long absent without sending a messenger, I replied, “It seemed distressing to me that the eyes of a courier should be enlightened by your countenance, whilst I was deprived of that happiness, Tell my old friend not to impose a vow upon me, for I would not vow to relinquish him not from the dread of a sword, I cannot endure the thoughts of any one seeing you to satiety. Again I say, it is impossible for any one to be satiated with your company,”

Travelled the whole night with the caravan

TALE XXVI

I recollect that once I had travelled the whole night with the caravan, and in the morning had gone to sleep by the side of a desert; a distracted man, who had accompanied us in the journey, set up a cry, took the road of the desert, and did not enjoy a moment’s repose. When it was day, I asked him what was the matter? He replied, “I heard the nightingales on the trees, the partridges in the mountains, the frogs in the water, and the brutes in the desert, uttering their plaintive notes and doleful lamentation. I reflected that it did not become a human being, through neglect of my duty, to be asleep, whilst other creatures were celebrating the praises of God.”

Last night, towards morning, the lamentations of a bird deprived me of reason, patience, power, and sensation. When my voice reached the ears of a sincere friend he said, “I could not have believed that the notes of a bird would in such a manner have deprived you of your senses participants independently optimize.” I replied, “It is not consistent with the laws of human nature, that whilst a bird is reciting the praises of God, 1 should be silent.”

TALE XXVII

Once I travelled to Ilejaz along with some young men of virtuous disposition, who had been my intimate friends and constant companions. Frequently, in their mirth, they recited spiritual verses. There happened to be in the party an Abid, who thought unfavourably of the morals of Durweshes, being ignorant of their sufferings. At length we arrived at the grove of palm-trees of Beni Hullal, when a boy of dark complexion came out of one of the Arab families, and sang in such a strain as arrested the b’rds in their flight through the air. 1 beheld the Abid’s camel dancing; and, after flinging his rider, he took the road of the desert, I said, “0 Shaikh, those strains delighted the brutes, but made no impression on you; knowest thou what the nightingale of the morning said to me?

What kind of a man art thou, who are ignorant of love P ’ The camel is thrown into ecstacy by the Arabic verses, for which if thou hast no relish, thou art a cross-grained brute. When the camel is captivated wTith ecstatic phrenzy, that man who can be insensible is an ass. The wind blowing over the plains causes the tender branches of the ban-tree to bend before it, but affects not the hard stone. Every thing that you behold is exclaiming the praises of God, as is well known unto the understanding heart: not only the nightingale and the rose-bush are chanting praises to God, but every thorn is a tongue to extol him.”

The habit of a Durwesh

TALE XX

I saw, sitting in a company, a certain person who wore the habit of a Durwesh, but without possessing the disposition of one; and being inclined to be querulous, he had opened the book of complaint, and began censuring the rich. The discourse was turning on this point, that Durweshes have not the means, and the rich not the inclination to be charitable. Those possessed of liberal minds have no command of money, and the wealthy worldlings have no munificence.

To me, who owe my support to the bounty of the great, this language was not at all grateful. I said, “0 my friend, the rich are the revenue of the poor, a store-house for the recluse, the pilgrim’s hope, and the asylum of travellers. They are the bearers of burthens for the relief of others.* Themselves eat along with their dependants and inferiors, and the remainder of their bounty is applied to the relief of widows, aged people, relations, and neighbours.

The rich are charged with pious dedications, the performance of vows, tlie rites of hospitality, alms, offerings, the manumission of slaves, gifts, and sacrifices. By what means can you attain to their power, who can perform only your genuflexions, and even those with a hundred difficulties? The rich perform both moral and religious duties in the most perfect manner, because they possess wealth, out of which they bestow alms: their garments are clean, and their reputation spotless, with minds void of care. For the power of obedience is found in good meals, the truth of worship in a clean garment.

For what strength can there be with an empty stomach? What bounty from an empty hand? How can the fettered feet walk? And from the hungry belly, what munificence can be expected? He sleeps uneasily at night, who knows not how to provide for the morrow. The ants store up in summer, that in winter they may enjoy rest. Leisure and poverty are not found together, and satisfaction dwelletli not with distress. One is standing up to evening prayers, whilst the other is sitting down wishing for his supper. How can these two be compared together?

Sophia in the quarter of Balat

What a contrast to the days when the chiefs of the Eastern Church were enthroned under the dome of S. Sophia in the quarter of Balat, and at Haskeui on the opposite shore, are large settlements of Jews, to whose lowly dwellings belongs the historical interest that they are the homes of the descendants of the Jews who were expelled from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella, and found refuge here among Moslems from persecution by Christians. They still use the Spanish language, although not with the music of the speech of Castile.

The suburb of Eyoub at the foot of the hills at the head of the Golden Horn, and the meadows beside the fresh-water streams which enter the harbour at that point (the Sweet Waters of Europe) are interesting to all who delight in Oriental scenes. No quarter in or around the city is so Turkish in its appearance and spirit as the suburb of Eyoub. It contains the reputed grave of Eyoub, the standard-bearer of Mahomet, who was present at the first siege of Constantinople (678-678) by the Saracens, and who died during its course.

The grave was identified, so it is believed, in 1458, when the city fell at last into Turkish hands, and the mosque erected over the tomb is the sanctuary in which Sultans, upon their accession to the throne, gird on the sword which constitutes them sovereigns of the Ottoman Empire, and standard-bearers of Islam. It is a ceremony which embodies the inmost idea of a Moslem State. No Christian is permitted to enter the mosque. On a recent occasion the veneration in which the edifice is held served a noble purpose. During the massacres of 1896, a crowd of Armenians took refuge in the court of the mosque, with the courage of despair. A wild mob followed, intent upon the death of the fugitives. A terrible scene seemed inevitable.

When, at the critical moment, the imaum of the mosque appeared, and forbade the desecration of the holy ground by the shedding of blood upon it The appeal was irresistible. The horde of murderers bowed to the command to be gone, and their intended victims were allowed to escape. The sacred associations of the suburb have made burial in its soil to be esteemed a great honour, and, accordingly, many distinguished Turkish personages have been laid to rest here from early times. The old turbaned tombstones, inscribed with Arabic letters, painted with floral designs, shaded by trees and overrun by climbing plants, form as picturesque a cemetery as one can wish to see. The influence of the suburb is not weakened by the fact that it enters into the life of Turkish children by being a great factory of their toys.

The hill above Eyoub commands a magnificent view of the Golden Horn and the city. As to the scene in the valley of the Sweet Waters, where Turkish ladies gather on Fridays in early spring, it is no longer what it once was. The exchange of native vehicles for carriages such as may be seen in Paris or London, and the general use by Turkish ladies of quiet colours in their mantles and head-dress instead of bright hues, have robbed the spectacle of almost all its gaiety, originality, and decorative effect The scene offers now rather a study in the transformation of the Turkish woman, than a presentation of her peculiar aspect and character tour packages balkan. Still, as the change is not complete, a stranger may yet find pleasure in seeing what vestiges of former manners and customs have not disappeared.

Accompanied the Fourth Crusade

Of the historical events of which the Golden Horn has been the theatre, the most important are: first, the attack upon the walls along this side of the city, in 1203, and again in 1204, by the Venetian fleet which accompanied the Fourth Crusade; second, the transportation by Sultan Mehemet into its waters in 1458, of warships over the hill that separates the harbour from the Bosporus. The movements of the Venetian fleet and of the army which accompanied it can be followed step by step, so minute is the description of Ville – Hardouin and so unaltered the topography of the country. Upon approaching the city the invaders put in at San Stefano, now a favourite suburban resort upon the Sea of Marmora.

A south wind carried them next to Scutari. From that point they crossed to the bay now occupied by the Palace of Dolma Bagtchd, near Beshiktash. There the army landed, and advancing along the shore attacked the tower to which the northern end of the chain across the harbour’s mouth was fastened. Upon the capture of the tower after a feeble resistance, the chain was cut, and the fleet of Venice under the command of Dandolo, flying the ensign of S. Mark, rode into the Golden Horn and made for the head of the harbour.