The Ottoman–Egyptian invasion of Mani was a campaign during the Greek War of Independence that consisted of three battles. The Maniots fought against a combined Egyptian and Ottoman army under the command of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt.

On March 17, 1821, the Maniots (residents of the central peninsula on the southern part of the Peloponnese) declared war on the Ottoman Empire, preceding the rest of Greece in joining the revolution by about a week. The various Greek forces won a quick string of victories. However, disputes broke out amongst the leaders and anarchy ensued. The Ottomans seized this chance and called for reinforcements from Egypt. The reinforcements came under the command of Ibrahim Pasha, the son of the leader of Egypt, Muhammad Ali. With the Greeks in disarray, Ibrahim ravaged the Peloponnese and after a four months siege he captured the city of Missolonghi in April. He then went back to the Peloponnese and turned his attention in June to Mani.

Ibrahim tried to enter Mani from the north-east near Almiro on June 21, 1826, but he was forced to stop at the fortifications at . His army of 7,000 men was held off by an army of 2,000 Maniots and 500 refugees from other parts of Greece. Despite Egyptian and Ottoman artillery, the outnumbered Maniots managed to hold off the Ottomans. Ibrahim sent 1,500 men to attempt a landing near Areopoli and go north to threaten the Maniot rear. This force was initially successful; however they were repelled with heavy losses. When the Egyptians at Vergas heard that Theodoros Kolokotronis was advancing on their rear they retreated.

In August, Ibrahim renewed the offensive and he sent a group of regular soldiers down the coast and they reached Kariopoli before they retreated. Ibrahim sent a force of 8,000 men down to Polyaravos and on the way they destroyed a tower that was opposing them. When they reached Polyaravos, they were faced by the Maniots in their forts. The Egyptians and the Ottomans were forced to retreat with significant losses. This was the last time Mani was invaded during the War for Independence, as Greece was liberated in 1828.

Prelude

The Greek War of Independence had started on the March 17, 1821, when the Maniots declared war on the Ottoman Empire at Areopoli. On March 21, the Maniot army of 2,000 men under the command of Petros Mavromichalis which also included Theodoros Kolokotronis, marched from Areopolis and headed for Messenia. At Kalamata, the Greeks established the Messenian Senate which governed affairs in the southern Peloponnese. Kolokotronis wanted to attack Tripoli but Petros Mavromichalis convinced him to attack the smaller towns first. Petrobey finished off the letters by signing it with Petrobey Mavromichalis, Prince and Commander-in-Chief. From there they went to Tripoli and started to besiege the city. The city eventually fell on September 23, 1821 and was sacked by the Greeks.

Due to the unrelenting losses and stories of Greek atrocities in Tripolis, the Sultan became desperate and in 1824 he called on his Viceroy in Egypt, Muhammad Ali, to aid him. Ali promised to aid him in return for cession of the island of Crete, Cyprus, as well as making his son Ibrahim Pasha, Pasha of the Peloponnese.

Ibrahim used the confusion to land at Methoni in the Peloponnese. From Methoni, Ibrahim started pillaging the Peloponnese and taking many people as slaves. Ibrahim captured Tripolis but was stopped from capturing Nauplion by Kostantinos Mavromichalis and Dimitrios Ypsilantis. The Egyptians reached the city on December 12, 1825 and helped the Ottomans with the siege.

left|thumb|A map of the Mani peninsula.

Battle of Vergas

Ibrahim sent an envoy to Mani demanding its surrender or else he would pillage it. He received the Maniotic reply of:

<blockquote>From the few Greeks of Mani and the rest of Greeks who live there to Ibrahim Pasha. We received your letter in which you try to frighten us saying that if we don't surrender, you'll kill the Maniots and plunder Mani. That's why we are waiting for you and your army. We, the inhabitants of Mani, sign and wait for you. The Maniots chased the Egyptians up to Kalamata before withdrawing. Ibrahim lost 2,500 men at Vergas and the Greek losses are unknown. The aim of this was to capture the unguarded Areopoli, which cut the communication lines of the defenders at Vergas and demoralize them as well.

Battle of Polyaravos

After his retreat from Mani due to the defeats at Vergas and Diros Pasha renewed his offensive in August. This would have meant that the Egyptians could have been stopped before they arrived at the town. As part of their defence plan the villages sent all the women and children to the mountains before improving the fortifications. This was the last invasion of Mani as Ibrahim abandoned any ideas of conquering it. In 1828, under the terms of the London Protocol, Greece became an independent state which was recognized by the Ottomans in 1829. When Ioannis Capodistrias was made president of Greece, he had Petrobey Mavromichalis imprisoned. The Mavromichalis' reacted by assassinating Capodistrias in Nauplion as he went to church. This ended the Maniots' independence and they were forced to pay taxes.

Notes

References

Sources

  • Bob Barrow, (1998). The Mani. Stoupa: Thomeas Travel Services.
  • Patrick Leigh Fermor, (1984). Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese. London: Penguin.
  • Peter Greenhalgh and Edward Eliopoulos. Deep into Mani: Journey to the southern tip of Greece. London: Trinity Press.
  • Kyriakos Kassis, (1979). Mani's History. Athens: Presoft.
  • Peter Harold, Paroulakis, (1984). The Greeks: Their Struggle for Independence. Darwin: Hellenic International Press.
  • Yiannis Saĭtas, translated by Philip Ramp, (1990). Greek Traditional Architecture: Mani. Athens: Melissa Publishing House.