Timişoara – Bucureşti – Istanbul: o „vanătoare” de lotri din Banat la 1800 / Timişoara – Bucharest – Istanbul: “hunting” robbers (lotri) from the region of Banat in 1800

Abstract

Starting with 1792, three gangs of robbers, mostly consisting of former soldiers from the Wallachian-Illyric Borderregiment and of peasants from several villages of the Caraş and Timiş counties next to the mountains, have increased their attacks putting the common folk and travellers security in great danger. While operating in the mountains on the Banatian side during spring and summer, the robbers retreated in late autumn and winter to different villages of Walachia, in the counties of Mehedinţi, Gorj and Vâlcea, and even to the Ottoman ruled territory, at Ada Kaleh and Tekije. Trying to put an end to this situation, the Banatian Military Command in cooperation with the Timiş county decided to send, in April 1800, George Császár, regional commissioner for public security, to Bucharest, escorted by 19 armed guards (the so-called Panduren), in order to pursue, catch and %nally obtain the extradition of the Banatian robbers hidden in Wallachia. Michael Merkelius, the Austrian diplomatic agent in Bucharest, had spoken for several times on this matter to Prince Alexander Moruzi of Wallachia, but disappointed of being constantly postponed, he suggested to commissioner Császár to take a trip to Istanbul and describe the entire matter to Peter Philipp Herbert baron Rathkeal, imperial ambassador to the Ottoman Porte. After having put the Ottoman Governement under pressure, Herbert-Rathkeal earned, on August 9 1800, an order (ferman) of sultan Selim III to Prince Alexander Moruzi, granting him the extradition of all Banatian robbers settled down in Wallachia after the peace treaty of Șiştov (1791). Compelled towards being more cooperative, Prince Moruzi ordered the county-chiefs on the border to the Banat to conduct a thorough watch on the bordercrossing to Wallachia by any robber and to track, hunt down and capture every single robber. Having returned to Bucharest, commissioner Császár left the city at the end of September 1800, taking with him the sultanic ferman and a written order of Prince Moruzi regarding the Banatian robbers. On the way to Transylvania the precious documents were irremediably damaged by water and had to be replaced by newones. As for the robbers, they continued to carry on with their attacks for at least half a century, without being seriously disturbed by the authorities on both sides of the border.