Local Governance In The Late Byzantine Empire

The Despotate of the Morea was an imperial autonomous appanage set up by the Byzantine Empire in the Peloponnese during the 14th and 15th centuries.It was administered by the brothers or sons of the reigning Emperor.It can be regarded as a product of the reform of the local administration system of the Byzantine Empire.The establishment of the imperial autonomous territories was not only to ease the internal conflicts of the royal family,but also to strengthen the control of Byzantine central government over this region.As agents of the Byzantine emperors,members of the royal family appointed to govern the land were often given the noble title of "despots"and enjoyed considerable autonomy within their territories.Therefore,the despotate of the Morea had strong autonomy in politics,military,diplomacy and other aspects,but at the same time needed to cooperate with the overall strategic layout of the Byzantine Empire in Europe.In politics,the despots of the Morea engaged in a long struggle with rebellious local archontes which often involving external powers,represented by the Ottoman Empire,to seize control of the Peloponnese.Even so,the despots were able to take advantage of the Ottoman Empire’s internal strife,to divide and disintegrate the local aristocracy through a mixture of force and profits,thus creating a prosperous and stable situation in the first half of the 15th century.Militarily,Morea made up for its lack of military strength by diplomatic means,and basically unified the Peloponnese in 1430.Afterwards,the despot fortified the Isthmus of Corinth,intending to make the Peloponnese a base for the Byzantine Empire to recover the Greek region.In the aspects of culture,Mistra,capital of the despotate of the Morea,became a cultural center of late Byzantium.The well-known scholars represented by Plethon set off the upsurge of the revival of ancient Greek culture here,and indirectly influenced the Italian Renaissance.The despots support and protection of cultural undertakings was not only out of their personal academic interest,but also for the purpose of promoting the construction of "Greek" identity with ancient Greek culture,thus uniting residents of all classes in the Peloponnese and promoting the cause of the revival of the Byzantine Empire.