Mr. James McGregor, the former British Consul at Monastir, reported that during the 1903 uprising, Turkish soldiers, made up of eleven battalions and several hundred Bashi-Bazouks (irregular troops), fought about 400 insurgents. They attacked the village of Smilevo, sacked it, and burned it down. Out of 500 houses, only four remained standing. More than 2,000 villagers fled to the forests. Of the people who stayed in the village, twenty-one elderly men, sixty to seventy women, and children were killed. Forty young women were taken to Muslim villages, where they were held for a week Turkish Orders and Greek Bulgarian Bands.
The Destruction in Krushevo
In the fall of 1903, during the Bulgarian uprising, about 32,000 insurgents fought against the Turkish troops. They blew up bridges and threw bombs. Krushevo was taken by the insurgents, but the Turks and Bashi-Bazouks attacked and defeated them. Afterward, the soldiers entered the town, massacred seventy-seven people, burned and looted 570 shops and houses, and abused many people. They also violated women.
The insurgents escaped without being caught, leaving the town as the Turkish forces entered. The destruction went on for four days. The Bulgarian area of the town was spared, likely because the Bulgarians paid bribes to the Turkish soldiers. The rest of the inhabitants, mostly Greeks, were angry because the Bulgarians avoided the damage. Some Greeks believed that the Turkish commander was working with the insurgents and attacked the Greek population on purpose Istanbul Tours Guide.
The Suffering of Women and Children
Around six hundred women and children from nearby villages came to Monastir in terrible condition. The local authorities initially refused to let them enter the town. After the British Consul’s intervention, Hilmi Pasha, the Turkish official, provided them with bread and sent them to nearby villages, eventually helping them return to their homes.
Aid for the Affected Villages
In areas near Monastir where the Turkish troops had destroyed villages, the authorities ordered the local government in Kastoria to provide timber for rebuilding homes. The government also built a mill in each village, helped with harvesting crops, gave compensation for stolen livestock, and canceled the taxes for the year. The Turkish authorities would sometimes show kindness, but their actions alternated between cruelty and generosity.
