Petrobey Mavromichalis
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His Excellency Petrobey Mavromichalis Πετρόμπεης Μαυρομιχάλης |
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Petros Mavromichalis
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| 2nd President of the Provisional Administration of Greece | |
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In office May 10, 1823 – December 31, 1823 |
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| Preceded by | Alexandros Mavrokordatos |
| Succeeded by | Georgios Kountouriotis |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 6, 1765 Limeni, Mani |
| Died | January 17, 1848 (aged 82) Athens, Greece |
| Nationality | Maniot / Greek |
| Residence | Limeni/Areopolis, Mani |
| Occupation | Soldier, Commander in Chief of Spartan (Maniot) forces |
| Religion | Greek Orthodox (Previous autocephalous Greek Orthodox church) |
Petros Mavromichalis (Greek: Πέτρος Μαυρομιχάλης; 1765–1848), also known as Petrobey (Πετρόμπεης), was the leader of the Maniot people during the first half of the 19th century. His family had a long history of revolts against the Ottoman Empire, which ruled most of what is now Greece. His grandfather Georgios and his father Pierros were among the leaders of the Orlov Revolt.
Petros was born on 6 August 1765, the son of leader Pierros "Mavromichalis" Pierrakos and Katerina Koutsogrigorakos, a doctor's daughter.
Mavromichalis' family had a long history of uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which ruled most of what is now Greece. His grandfather Georgakis Mavromichalis and his father Pierros "Mavromichalis" Pierrakos were among the leaders of the Orlov Revolt. The revolt was followed by a period of infighting between the leaders of Mani; soon, young Petros gained a strong reputation for mediating the disputes and reuniting the warring families. Due to the failure of several uprisings against the Turks, he was successful in helping many klephts and other rebels to escape to the French-controlled Heptanese, which gave him a useful contact with a potential ally. During that period he possibly made an alliance with Napoleon Bonaparte, who was fighting in Egypt; Napoleon was to strike the Ottoman Empire in coordination with a Greek revolt. Napoleon's failure in Egypt doomed that plan.
By 1814, the reorganized Maniots again became a threat to the Ottomans, and the Sultan offered a number of concessions to Pierrakos, including his being named Bey, or Chieftain, of Mani - in effect formalizing the de facto status of autonomy the region had maintained for years. Under the leadership of Petrobey, as he was now called, the Maniot state and the Pierrakos family in particular were powerful enough to control the areas of the southern Peloponnese against Albanian raiders on behalf of the Sultan. Still, Petrobey was an active participant in the various designs of the Moreot kapetanaioi (καπεταναῖοι "captains, commanders of warbands") for an uprising. In 1818, he became a member of the Filiki Eteria, and in 1819 he brokered a formal pact among the major kapetanaioi families. On March 17, 1821, Petrobey raised his war flag in Areopolis, effectively signaling the start of the Greek War of Independence. His troops marched into Kalamata, and took the city on March 23.
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