FANARIOTS, the general name given to the Greeks inhabiting the Fanar or Fanal in Constantinople, a quarter of the city which takes its name from the beacon (Gr. phanarion) situated in it. They first appear in history after the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, and appear to have been originally descendants of such noble Byzantine fam ilies as escaped the fury of the barbarians. Afterwards, however, the class was recruited by emigrants from different parts of the old Byzantine empire. Subtle, insinuating, intriguing, they soon took advantage of the ignorance of the Turkish governors, and made themselves politically indispensable to their rulers. They filled the offices of dragomans, secretaries, bankers, etc. One of them, named Panayotaki, at a later period, was appointed dragoman to the divan, and his successors obtained still greater honors. Through their influence, the lucrative office of dragoman of the fleet was called into existence, which gave them almost unlimited power in the islands of the Archipelago.
Besides, from them were chosen, until the outbreak of the revolution in 1822, the hos podars of Wallachia and Moldavia, while, in addition, the disposal of most of the civil and military posts under the Turkish government was in their hands. In spite of their power, however, the F. never exhibited much patriotism; they were animated by the petty motives of a caste, and when the war of liberation broke out among their coun trymen, they took no part in it. In the present altered state of affairs in Turkey, they have no political influence. See Marco Zalloni's Essai sur he If'anariots (Marseilles, 1824; 2d ed. 1830). Consult also Finlay's History of' the Greek Revolution (Edin., Black wood & Sons, 1861).