Ottoman Conquest of Chios

In 1566, an Ottoman fleet under the admiral Piyale Pasha arrived at Chios and took control of the island, ending more than two centuries of Genoese rule. The Genoese Maona, the company that governed the island, had been paying tribute to the Ottomans for many years to keep its independence, but it had fallen behind on payments. The Ottomans also suspected the Genoese of passing information to Christian powers. The takeover was quick and largely peaceful. The Genoese rulers were arrested and exiled, and some of their sons were taken to Constantinople. Unlike many other conquests, the island was treated relatively mildly. Chios was granted considerable self-government and special privileges, especially the mastic-growing villages, whose valuable resin was a favorite of the sultan's household. The Greek population largely kept its property, churches and local institutions. Chios became one of the wealthiest and most privileged islands in the Ottoman Empire, known for its merchants and shipowners. This prosperity lasted until 1822, when the island's participation in the Greek Revolution led to the terrible Chios Massacre.