to Tribizond.
The power of the Bosnian nobles, though shaken by their defeat, remained
unbroken; and they resisted vigorously when their kapetanates were
abolished in 1837; and again when a measure of equality before the law
was conceded to the Christians in 1839. In Herzegovina, Ali Pasha
Rizvanbegovic reaped the reward of his fidelity. He was left free to
tyrannize over his Christian subjects, a king in all but name. In 1840
he descended from his mountain stronghold of Stolac to wage war upon the
vladika Peter II. of Montenegro, and simultaneously to suppress a
Christian rising. Peace was arranged at Ragusa in 1842, and it was
rumoured that Ali had concluded a secret alliance with Montenegro,
hoping to shake off the suzerainty of the sultan, and to found an
entirely independent kingdom. It is impossible to verify this charge,
but during the troubled years that ensued, Ali pursued an elaborate
policy of intrigue. He sent large bribes to influential persons at
Constantinople; he aided the Turkish vali to repress the Christians, who
had again revolted; and he supported the Bosnian nobles against reforms
imposed by the vali. At last, in 1850, a Turkish army was despatched to
restore quiet. Ali Pasha openly professed himself a loyal subject, but
secretly sent reinforcements to the rebel aristocracy. The Turks proved
everywhere successful. After a cordial reception by their commander Omer
or Omar Pasha, Ali was imprisoned; he was shortly afterwards
assassinated, lest his lavish bribery of Turkish officials should
restore him to favour, and bring disgrace on his captor (March 1851).

Condition of the serfs.

The downfall of the Moslem aristocracy resulted in an important
administrative change: Serajevo, which had long been the commercial
centre of the country, and the jealously guarded stronghold of the
nobles, superseded Travnik as the official capital, and the residence of
the vali. A variety of other reforms, including the reorganization of
Moslem education, were introduced by Omer Pasha, who governed the
country until 1860. But as the administration grew stronger, the
position of the peasantry became worse. They had now to satisfy the
imperial tax-farmers and excisemen, as well as their feudal lords. The
begs and agas continued to exact their forced labour and one-third of
their produce; the central government imposed a tithe which had become
an eighth by 1875. Three kinds of cattle-tax, the tax for exemption from