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‘Cyprus.’ [‎8v] (16/184)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (91 folios). It was created in 1878. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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10
CYPRUS.
Cyprus be
comes part of
the Byzantine
Empire.
Arab invasion.
Conquest by
the Saracens.
Regained by
the Byzantine
Empire.
Richard I. of
England visits
Cyprus.
Treachery of
Isaac Com-
nenus.
he Anglo-
Norman
army invades
Cyprus.
A futile attempt of the camel-driver Calocerus to make him
self King of Cyprus in a.d. 334, was frustrated by Dalmatius,
who captured the ambitious aspirant, and had him executed at Tarsus.
In a.d. 365, at the division of the Roman Empire, Cyprus, with
the adjacent countries, naturally passed under the Eastern or
Byzantine emperors; it remained in their possession for about
300 years, and despite several attempts of the Arabs to conquer it,
enjoyed comparative tranquillity. During this period the island
was governed by a “ Consularis ” and the capital was transferred
from Paphos to Salamis.
In a.d. 648, the island was invaded by the Arabs under
Moavyah, a general of the Caliph Othman, who destroyed Salamis,
and gained temporary possession of the island, but two years later
it was recovered by the Greek Emperor.
Again, about the year a.d. 802, during the reign of the Caliph
Haroun-el-Eashid, Cyprus was conquered by the Saracens, and
was this time held by them for about 160 years; for not until
a.d. 964, through the conquests of Nicephorus II, was it regained
by the Byzantine Empire.
For some time afterwards the history of the island is without
particular interest, but we find that its governors occasionally took
advantage of the oft-recurring weakness or necessities of the
empire to endeavour to make themselves independent, but these
revolts were never successful, until in a.d. 1184, Isaac Comnenus,
then Governor or “ Duke ” of Cyprus, a nephew of the reigning
Greek Emperor Andronicus Comnenus, entirely threw off the yoke,
established himself as an independent sovereign, with the title of
Emperor, and ruled the island with a severe and despotic authority.
Shortly afterwards a new page opened in the history of Cyprus,
and as it is one in which England took part, the events of this
period are related with more detail than hitherto. In the year
1191, we find King Richard I. of England on his journey from
Messina to St. Jean d’Acre, where he had appointed to meet King
Philip of France, and to co-operate with him in the third crusade.
On the fourth day of the voyage, a violent storm came on from the
south, which dispersed the fieet, and the King reached Rhodes with
difficulty. Three of his largest ships were driven upon the south
coast of Cyprus, and the crews and soldiers were robbed, mal
treated, and thrown into prison at LimasoL The ship which
contained King Richard’s sister, Queen Dowager of Sicily, and his
fiancee, Berengeria, daughter of the King of Navarre, was driven
by the storm towards Limasol, and gained the roads, but was
refused entrance to the port, and had to anchor in the open roadstead.
Isaac Comnenus arrived that day at Limasol, and tried to entice
the royal ladies to come on shore; but they, suspecting treachery
.and violence, refused the invitation, which was vehemently
repeated, and again declined ; preparations were made to seize the
ship, which was consequently obliged to set sail, and shortly fell
in with King Richard and the remainder of the fleet.
Provoked by Isaac’s conduct, and refusal to give up the
prisoners, or to water the fleet, Richard determined to disem
bark a portion of his force at Limasol and take vengeance. He

About this item

Content

Report compiled by Captain Albany Robert Savile of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment, in the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department, Horse Guards. The report was published and printed in London under the superintendence of HM’s Stationery Office in 1878. The report contains fourteen chapters, labelled I to XIV, as follows:

  • I: a history of Cyprus, from ancient times to the occuption of the island by Britain in 1878
  • II: geography and topography
  • III: towns, villages, and antiquities
  • IV: communications (inland, maritime, and telegraphic)
  • V: coast, harbours
  • VI: climate
  • VII: natural history
  • VIII: agricultural production
  • IX: geology and mineralogy
  • X: population and inhabitants, including their character, language, religion and education
  • XI: internal administration (civil, ecclesiastical, military)
  • XII: manufacture and industry
  • XIII: trade and revenue
  • XIV: currency, weights and measures, list of authorities on Cyprus, cartography of Cyprus

The volume includes a sketch map of Cyprus at the rear (f 91).

Extent and format
1 volume (91 folios)
Arrangement

A content page at the front of the volume (ff 4-5), and an alphabetically arranged index at the rear (ff 87-89) both refer to the volume’s original printed pagination sequence.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 92; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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‘Cyprus.’ [‎8v] (16/184), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/16/28, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100044522992.0x000011> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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