Kitsos Botsaris

Kitsos Botsaris (Greek: Κίτσος Μπότσαρης; Albanian: Kiço Boçari^[1]); 1741 in Missolonghi – 1813, in Arta),^[2] was a leader of the Souliotes, an autonomous community in Ottoman-ruled Epirus. He played a leading role in the aftermath of the last war between the Souliotes and the Ottoman ruler of Ioannina, Ali Pasha. He was the father of Kostas Botsaris and Markos Botsaris, who fought in the Greek War of Independence.

At the war against Ali Pasha

K. Botsaris was a prominent figure of the Botsaris -Boçari (or Botzaraioi) Souliotic clan, who originated from Dragani, now Ampelia village, south of Paramythia, in Epirus.^[3] He was the son of George Botsaris (Gjergj Boçari) and the brother of Notis Botsaris. He was the head of the Souliotes during the wars against Ali Pasha at the end of 18th century.
In 1792 Ali Pasha planned a second expedition against Souli. He tried to deceive and arrest the Souli warriors, pretending that he is going to attack Gjirokastër and he needs their assistance. Ali sent a letter to K. Botsari written in Greek, which was published in its entirety by W. Eton in 1799:

“My friends Captain Bozia (Botsaris) and Captain Tzavella, I , Ali Pasha, salute you … As soon as you receive my letter assemble all your warriors and come to meet me against my enemies. This is the time that I need you … Your pay shall be double that which I give to my Albanians because I know that you are braver than them. I will not go to the war before you come….” (Eton, p. 384).

Botsaris understood the stratagem and professed to Ali that he could not help him because could not persuade his people (the Souliotes). Captain Tzavellas who did accept Ali’s offer was soon arrested with his 70 warriors by Ali Pasha’s army. After this incident Ali marched against Souli, which was under K. Botsaris’ general command. Soon Tzavellas managed to escape from Ali by offering his 12-year-old son as hostage, and joined the Souliotes.
Botsaris ordered the Souliotes to withdraw to inaccessible mountainous fortresses with provisions for 6 months. At the same time he poisoned the local wells so that the Ottomans had no easy access to water. After some battles, the main body of the Pasha’s army was lured into an ambush and was slaughtered. The rest retreated in panic to Ioannina and Ali himself escaped with difficulty, exhausting to death two of his horses while fleeing.^[4][5]

See also

• Greek War of Independence
• Markos Botsaris
• Kostas Botsaris
• Souliotes

References

• Sakellariou M. V. Epirus, 4000 years of Greek history and civilization. Ekdotikē Athēnōn, 1997. ISBN 978-960-213-371-2, p. 251

1. Ushtelenca, Ilir (2009). Shteti dhe qeverisja e Ali Pashë Tepelenës (in Albanian). Ada. p. 105. ISBN 9789994358595. ndërsa atë Kakalako familjes së suljotit Kiço Boçari që e ndihmoi në pushtetin e Sulit
2. Nikos Giannopoulos, "Markos Botsaris, the absolute exemplar of heroism", Military History, issue 138, 2008, page 11, Publications Periskopio
3. Leake W. "Travels in Northern Greece", London, 1835, vol. 1, p. 502 Leake draws this information from the work of Christophoros Perraivos on the history of Souli, dated 1801 and published originally in 1803
4. Eton William, A survey of the Turkish empire, 1799, pp. 382-399.
5. Hughes, T.S. (2014). Travels in Sicily, Greece and Albania. Cambridge Library Collection - European History. Cambridge University Press. p. 127.