DOCSLIB.ORG

An Ottoman Global Moment

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

AN OTTOMAN GLOBAL MOMENT: WAR OF SECOND COALITION IN THE LEVANT A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In History By Kahraman Sakul, M.A Washington, DC November, 18, 2009 Copyright 2009 by Kahraman Sakul All Rights Reserved ii AN OTTOMAN GLOBAL MOMENT: WAR OF SECOND COALITION IN THE LEVANT Kahraman Sakul, M.A. Dissertation Advisor: Gabor Agoston, Ph.D. ABSTRACT This dissertation aims to place the Ottoman Empire within its proper context in the Napoleonic Age and calls for a recognition of the crucial role of the Sublime Porte in the War of Second Coalition (1798-1802). The Ottoman-Russian joint naval expedition (1798-1800) to the Ionian Islands under the French occupation provides the framework for an examination of the Ottoman willingness to join the European system of alliance in the Napoleonic age which brought the victory against France in the Levant in the War of Second Coalition (1798-1802). Collections of the Ottoman Archives and Topkapı Palace Archives in Istanbul as well as various chronicles and treatises in Turkish supply most of the primary sources for this dissertation. Appendices, charts and maps are provided to make the findings on the expedition, finance and logistics more readable. The body of the dissertation is divided into nine chapters discussing in order the global setting and domestic situation prior to the forming of the second coalition, the Adriatic expedition, its financial and logistical aspects with the ensuing socio-economic problems in the Morea, the Sublime Porte’s relations with its protectorate – The Republic of Seven United Islands, and finally the post-war diplomacy. iii This study demonstrates through the examination of the negotiations that led to the alliance with Russia and Britain (1799) –the Triple Alliance-, Ottoman-Russian Convention (1800), and the Treaty of Paris (1802) that the Ottomans were well-informed on European affairs and flexible as well as realistic enough to form an alliance with the traditional enemy Russia against the traditional friend France. This study also offers a unique opportunity to observe the way in which the Ottomans could wage war on the cheap and still mobilize its resources effectively owing to the reforms of Selim III and local notables –petty as well as great ayans such as Tepedelenli Ali of Yanya- in a time when the friend and the foe believed that the Sublime Porte was on the brink of collapse. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation could not be done without the moral support and encouragement offered in abundance by my advisor Associate Professor Gábor Ágoston, and committee members Professor Virginia H. Aksan and Associate Professor Catherine Evtuhov. This study grew out of a paper I prepared for the graduate course on Imperial Russia offered by Professor Evtuhov in Fall 2003. I owe her deep gratitude for introducing me to the world of Imperial Russia and invaluable comments which eventually made me think about expanding my paper into a proper dissertation topic. “I wish to express my appreciation to Associate Professor Virgina H. Aksan who sent to me her various essays written on the topic, furnishing me with insight” reads the ‘Acknowledgements’ of my master thesis submitted in 2001. Present study shows that my gratitude grew even more over the eight years in between and I could not be happier for being in a constant state of indebtedness in such a way. She has suggested the present title of this dissertation which encapsulates the gist of my arguments: an Ottoman Global Moment. I could never imagine the outcome of our brief introductory interview with Professor Ágoston in front of the Ottoman Archives in Istanbul on a shiny day of the summer of 2001. Many doctoral students around me have envied me for the path he opened and led me through over the years: “lucky you” was usually the closing remarks uttered by my friends in any conversation over the way in which Professor Ágoston carried out his responsibilities as an advisor with an unfailing dedication and congeniality. My friends are absolutely right that I have been luckier than many doctoral v students in terms of the stimulating and warm treatment I received from my advisor and committee members. I owe a special debt to Georgetown community for the intellectual environment it offered to me. Department of History granted me non-service research fellowship for two subsequent years from Fall 2005 to Spring 2007 without which I could not undertake the painstakingly long research in the archives. The nine-month junior residential fellowship (September 15, 2008-June 15, 2009) offered in the final phase of my dissertation project by the Research Center For Anatolian Civilizations (RCAC) functioning under Koç University proved fruitful in many ways. Nine months of intense discussions with Byzantinists, Classicists, art historians as well as Ottomanists augmented my belief in comparative approach to history inspired by my advisor and the committee members. I would like to thank all 2008-2009 RCAC fellows and the RCAC staff whom proved to be great friends and colleagues. My special thanks go to the ‘Ottomanist group’ within the RCAC for tolerating my often sarcastic and spiteful remarks in our discussions without ever forcing me to give a presentation and run the gauntlet: Alyson Wharton, Amanda Philips, Fulya Ozkan, Leyla Kayhan Elbirlik, Seven Ağır, Tsameret Levy. I am grateful to the staff of the Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi (İstanbul), Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi Arşivi (İstanbul), the British National Archives (London, Kew), the RCAC library, Aptullah Kuran Library (Boğaziçi Üniversitesi), ISAM library (İstanbul) and the Lauinger Library (Georgetown University) for their kind help in providing me with books and journals. Turkuaz Sahaf and Antiquariat, established by Püzant Akbaş and Emin Nedret İşli, has proved to be of tremendous importance for the Turkish intellectual vi community. The support of its owners and the staff –academic and otherwise- fed into this dissertation in many ways. I am indebted to Professor Evangelia Balta who read through Chapter 5 and supplied me with insightful comments as well as many studies. Our discussions with Professor Rossitsa Gradeva and Professor Dror Ze’evi prompted me to elaborate some of my arguments. Professor Selim Deringil, Professor Scott Redford, and Assistant Professor Meltem Toksöz have always provided moral support. Ali Yaycıoğlu, Başak Tuğ, Tolga Esmer and Associate Professor M. Aladdin Yalçınkaya have kindly sent me their dissertations. Mr. Gerasimos M. Vlachos provided generous feedback on the Ionian affairs. Eduard Sozaev –a publishing expert of Russian navy- has translated parts from Mordvinov which improved my arguments in Chapter 5 considerably. Ahmet Arslantürk and Emir Yener have supplied me with various studies during my research. Emrah Gürkan drew my attention to early examples of provisioning of foreign navies by the Ottomans. Asistant Professor Cengiz Kırlı and Metin Bezikoğlu have shared with me the transcriptions of two important documents. I am also indebted to my friends from İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi for their technical assistance in the preparation of the maps in this study: İsmail Erdem Ufuk and Onur Karahan. I should also express my deep gratitude for “the historians’ gang:” Günhan Börekçi, Fatih Yeşil, Assistant Professor Gültekin Yıldız, and Veysel Şimşek have always been patient enough to listen to my far-fetched ideas about their studies as well as those of mine. Rarely do the students working on the same topic engage in a sincere friendship and cooperation. Fatih proved to be an exception. vii All appreciation should go to those mentioned above without which this thesis would have remained incomplete. Needless to say, all errors and shortcomings in this dissertation are my own. Thanks are due to my all friends fortunately too numerous to cite here one by one for their support; Emel and Erkut Özbay proved to be exceptional hosts during my one-month stay in the DC for the oral defence of my dissertation. I must express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for my family. My mother Gülçin Şakul and my brother Kaan Şakul provided the familial love and affection which is all a doctoral student can ask for in the last phase of his studies. viii TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER UĞUR ŞAKUL ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………1 A description of the study: approaches, sources, and methods ………………………...1 A New Order in Search of Obedient Subjects and International Legitimacy …………….9 The general setting ……………………………………………………………………...9 The intellectual background …………………………………………………………..16 The imagined Ottoman absolutism …………………………………………………....23 Russian absolutism as viewed by the Ottomans ………………………………………30 Chapter 2 Ottoman Diplomacy and the System of Alliances ………………………………………49 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………49 Ottomans and the Revolutionary Wars ………………………………………………….53 Ottoman neutrality ……………………………………………………………………53 Ottoman-French alliance ……………………………………………………………...55 Opening of the Adriatic frontier: the demise of Venice ………………………………...59 Renewed French proposals for alliance ……………………………………………….62 The French invasion of the Ionians Islands …………………………………………...65 Ali Paşa and the French in Corfu ………………………………………………..69 The Morea and the French threat ………………………………………………..71 The Egyptian expedition ………………………………………………………………74 Ottoman-Russian Alliance
Recommended publications
  • The Best of Greece

    The Best of Greece

    05_598317 ch01.qxd 10/5/05 11:06 PM Page 6 1 The Best of Greece Greece is, of course, the land of ancient sites and architectural treasures—the Acrop- olis in Athens, the amphitheater of Epidaurus, and the reconstructed palace at Knos- sos among the best known. But Greece is much more: It offers age-old spectacular natural sights, for instance—from Santorini’s caldera to the gray pinnacles of rock of the Meteora—and modern diversions ranging from elegant museums to luxury resorts. It can be bewildering to plan your trip with so many options vying for your attention. Take us along and we’ll do the work for you. We’ve traveled the country extensively and chosen the very best that Greece has to offer. We’ve explored the archaeological sites, visited the museums, inspected the hotels, reviewed the tavernas and ouzeries, and scoped out the beaches. Here’s what we consider the best of the best. 1 The Best Travel Experiences • Making Haste Slowly: Give yourself preparing you for the unexpected in time to sit in a seaside taverna and island boat schedules! See chapter 10, watch the fishing boats come and go. “The Cyclades.” If you visit Greece in the spring, take • Leaving the Beaten Path: Persist the time to smell the flowers; the against your body’s and mind’s signals fields are covered with poppies, that “this may be pushing too far,” daisies, and other blooms. Even in leave the main routes and major Athens, you’ll see hardy species attractions behind, and make your growing through the cracks in con- own discoveries of landscape, villages, crete sidewalks—or better yet, visit or activities.
  • Segment Structure of the Southern Strand of the North Anatolian Fault System and Paleoseismic Behaviour of the Gemlik Fault, NW Anatolia

    Segment Structure of the Southern Strand of the North Anatolian Fault System and Paleoseismic Behaviour of the Gemlik Fault, NW Anatolia

    Segment Structure of the Southern Strand of the North Anatolian Fault System and Paleoseismic Behaviour of the Gemlik Fault, NW Anatolia Selim Özalp, Ömer Emre and Ahmet Doğan General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), Department of Geological Research 06520, Ankara, Turkey The North Anatolian Fault System (NAFS) is a transform fault that accommodates relative motion between Anatolian and Black Sea microplates. The NAFS bifurcates two strands as the Northern and the Southern in the Marmara region. Recent lateral motion is about 24 mm/yr along the NAFS. According to the recent GPS data, there is a slip partitioning between both strands and the northern strand carries approximately 3 times as much right-lateral motion as does the southern strand. Therefore we interpret that the northern strand is the master zone which accommodate majority of the recent lateral motion. In this study, the southern strand is extending between Dokurcun valley and Bandırma bay is evaluated as a splay instead of a main strand diverging from the NAFS as described in previous studies. This splay is included in NW Anatolia transition zone which characterizes bend structures. Length of the southern strand is about 140 km between Dokurcun valley and Gemlik bay along Pamukova basin, Lake İznik and Gemlik Bay depressions. The strand can be divided into three main geometric segments in right steeping pattern. Those are Geyve, İznik and Gemlik, from east to west. Length of the Geyve Fault is about 57 km and general trend is N70°E. The İznik Fault is about 56 km-long trending of N75°E.
  • Conscripts for the Ottoman Army, - Veysel Şimşek*

    Conscripts for the Ottoman Army, - Veysel Şimşek*

    The First “Little Mehmeds”: Conscripts for the Ottoman Army, - Veysel Şimşek* İlk Mehmetçikler Kimlerdi?: Osmanlı Ordusunun Neferleri, 1826-1853 Öz 1826 yılında Yeniçeri Ocağı’nı ortadan kaldıran ve yıllardan beri içerden ve dışardan siyasi ve askerî olarak otoritesi sürekli tehdit edilen Osmanlı merkezî hükü- meti, çareyi uzun yıllar boyunca silah altında tutulmak üzere toplanmış “başıbağlu” neferlerden oluşan Avrupa tipi bir ordu kurmakta bulmuştu. Osmanlı devleti, yeni kurduğu alayların artan asker ihtiyacını karşılamak üzere Müslüman köylüleri ve alt tabakadan gelen şehirlileri zorla askere aldı. Bu makale tarih araştırmaları bağlamında yeterince çalışılmamış bu askerlerin hikayelerine odaklanmaktadır. Çalışmada halkın ve askere alınanların zorunlu askerliğe karşı verdikleri tepkiler ve askere alınanların toplumsal arkaplanları incelenmektedir. Makalede aynı zamanda dinin, etno-kültürel kimliklerin, sosyal statünün ve askerlik tecrübesinin Osmanlı devletinin askere alma siyasetini ve halkın askerliğe dair düşüncelerini nasıl etkilediği, milliyetçilik hislerinin Müslüman Osmanlı tebaası arasında yayılmasından önceye tekabül eden bu dönemde tahlil edilecektir. Anahtar kelimeler: Askere Alma, Zorunlu Askerlik, II. Mahmud, Tanzimat, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Reform * McMaster University, Canada. This article is based on my MA thesis, titled “Ottoman Military Recruitment and the Recruit, 1826–1853,” completed at Bilkent University in Ankara in 2005, and on my doctoral dissertation under way at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. The text has been updated to my recent research. Some of the arguments and mate- rial presented here were summarized in Veysel Şimşek, “Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Düzenli Ordu için Asker Toplanması: 1826-1853,” Toplumsal Tarih 198 (2010), 36-42. I am grateful to Dr. Virginia H. Aksan and Dr. Petra Dreiser for reading my drafts and for their invaluable comments and suggestions.
  • ALBANIAN SOLDIERS in the OTTOMAN ARMY DURING the GREEK REVOLT at 1821 Ali Fuat ÖRENÇ

    ALBANIAN SOLDIERS in the OTTOMAN ARMY DURING the GREEK REVOLT at 1821 Ali Fuat ÖRENÇ

    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Epoka University IBAC 2012 vol.2 ALBANIAN SOLDIERS IN THE OTTOMAN ARMY DURING THE GREEK REVOLT AT 1821 ∗∗ Ali Fuat ÖRENÇ Introduction Ottoman Army organization had started to deteriorate from the mid-17th century. Military failures made the social and economic problems worse. In this situation, alternative potentials in the empire appeared because of the increasing military needs of the central government and the provincial governors. By the way, general employment of the Albanian warriors who were famous with their courage and strength became possible.1 There were a lot of reasons for employing Albanian warriors with salary while there was Ottoman regular army corps, including janissaries and soldiers from the states. Governing problems, had existed in the states and land system after the defeat in Vienne at 1683, was one of these reasons. Also after the end of the conquering era, the castles and fortresses at the borderlines were built for defense and there were not a necessary number of soldiers in these buildings. This problem was tried to by employing the warriors with long- matchlock-guns from Bosnia, Herzegovina and Albania.2 During the time, the necessity of mercenary increased too much as seen in the example of the Ottoman army which established for pressing the Greek Revolt in 1821, was almost composed of the Albanian soldiers.3 There were historical reasons for choosing Albanian soldiers in the Balkans. A strong feudal-system had existed in the Albanian lands before the Ottoman rule. This social structure, which consisted of the local connections and obedience around the lords, continued by integrating, first, timar (fief) system after the Ottoman conquest in 1385 and then, devshirme system.
  • Scanned by Scan2net

    Scanned by Scan2net

    Ulud. Uniu. Zir. Fak. Derg. , (1986) 5: 19-26 GENERAL ASPECT OF HORTICULTURE IN BURSA Atilla ERİŞ* Vedat ŞEN1Z * * Arif SOYLU*** SUM MARY Bursa has a special place in Turkey from the horticultural point of uiew. Fruit species such as oliue, peach, grcıp e , apple, plum, pear, cherry, walnut, chest­ niıt, fig, strawberry and quince and almost all summer and w in ter uegetable specieı that haue important additiues to total production of Turkey are grown in this uicinity extensiuely. Vegetable species such as tomato, bean, pepper and pea whiciı especially processedin industry, and o nion are produced much than others. In this study, current aspect of horticulture in Bursa prouince was identi{ied; and its economic dimensions and technical problems were explained. ÖZET bursa 'da Bahçe Bitkileri Tanınının Genel Durumu Bahçe bitkileri yetiştiriciliğ i açısından Bursa 'nın Türkiye 'de özel bir yeri uar­ dır. Yörede Türkiye toplam üretimine önemli katkıları olan zeytin, şeftali, üzüm, elmd, erik, armut, kiraz, ceuiz, k eıtan e , incir, çilek ue ayua gibi meyue türleri ile he­ men hemen tüm yazlık ue kışlık sebze türleri çok yaygın olarak yetiştirilmektedir. Sebzelerden bilha11a sanayide çok iş lene n domates, fasulye, biber, bezelye gibi türler ile soğan · diğ erlerinde n daha da fazla üretilmektedir. Bu çalış mada bahçe bitkilerinin Bursa y ö reıind eki m eucut durumu tan ı tıl ­ mış , ekonomik boyutları ue belirlenen sorunları açıklanmı ş tır. INTRODUCTION It is seldom to find regions which are suitable to horticulture at various alti­ tutes from sea level up to 2.000 m in the world. Bursa has an important place among these regions having about 1.104.301 ha agricultural area according to the recent statistics (Anonymous 1983 c).
  • TANZIMAT in the PROVINCE: NATIONALIST SEDITION (FESAT), BANDITRY (EŞKİYA) and LOCAL COUNCILS in the OTTOMAN SOUTHERN BALKANS (1840S to 1860S)

    TANZIMAT in the PROVINCE: NATIONALIST SEDITION (FESAT), BANDITRY (EŞKİYA) and LOCAL COUNCILS in the OTTOMAN SOUTHERN BALKANS (1840S to 1860S)

    TANZIMAT IN THE PROVINCE: NATIONALIST SEDITION (FESAT), BANDITRY (EŞKİYA) AND LOCAL COUNCILS IN THE OTTOMAN SOUTHERN BALKANS (1840s TO 1860s) Dissertation zur Erlangung der Würde einer Doktorin der Philosophie vorgelegt der Philosophisch-Historischen Fakultät der Universität Basel von ANNA VAKALIS aus Thessaloniki, Griechenland Basel, 2019 Buchbinderei Bommer GmbH, Basel Originaldokument gespeichert auf dem Dokumentenserver der Universität Basel edoc.unibas.ch ANNA VAKALIS, ‘TANZIMAT IN THE PROVINCE: NATIONALIST SEDITION (FESAT), BANDITRY (EŞKİYA) AND LOCAL COUNCILS IN THE OTTOMAN SOUTHERN BALKANS (1840s TO 1860s)’ Genehmigt von der Philosophisch-Historischen Fakultät der Universität Basel, auf Antrag von Prof. Dr. Maurus Reinkowski und Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yonca Köksal (Koç University, Istanbul). Basel, den 05/05/2017 Der Dekan Prof. Dr. Thomas Grob 2 ANNA VAKALIS, ‘TANZIMAT IN THE PROVINCE: NATIONALIST SEDITION (FESAT), BANDITRY (EŞKİYA) AND LOCAL COUNCILS IN THE OTTOMAN SOUTHERN BALKANS (1840s TO 1860s)’ TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………..…….…….….7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………...………..………8-9 NOTES ON PLACES……………………………………………………….……..….10 INTRODUCTION -Rethinking the Tanzimat........................................................................................................11-19 -Ottoman Province(s) in the Balkans………………………………..…….………...19-25 -Agency in Ottoman Society................…..............................................................................25-35 CHAPTER 1: THE STATE SETTING THE STAGE: Local Councils
  • 'A Reign of Terror'

    'A Reign of Terror'

    ‘A Reign of Terror’ CUP Rule in Diyarbekir Province, 1913-1923 Uğur Ü. Üngör University of Amsterdam, Department of History Master’s thesis ‘Holocaust and Genocide Studies’ June 2005 ‘A Reign of Terror’ CUP Rule in Diyarbekir Province, 1913-1923 Uğur Ü. Üngör University of Amsterdam Department of History Master’s thesis ‘Holocaust and Genocide Studies’ Supervisors: Prof. Johannes Houwink ten Cate, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Dr. Karel Berkhoff, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies June 2005 2 Contents Preface 4 Introduction 6 1 ‘Turkey for the Turks’, 1913-1914 10 1.1 Crises in the Ottoman Empire 10 1.2 ‘Nationalization’ of the population 17 1.3 Diyarbekir province before World War I 21 1.4 Social relations between the groups 26 2 Persecution of Christian communities, 1915 33 2.1 Mobilization and war 33 2.2 The ‘reign of terror’ begins 39 2.3 ‘Burn, destroy, kill’ 48 2.4 Center and periphery 63 2.5 Widening and narrowing scopes of persecution 73 3 Deportations of Kurds and settlement of Muslims, 1916-1917 78 3.1 Deportations of Kurds, 1916 81 3.2 Settlement of Muslims, 1917 92 3.3 The aftermath of the war, 1918 95 3.4 The Kemalists take control, 1919-1923 101 4 Conclusion 110 Bibliography 116 Appendix 1: DH.ŞFR 64/39 130 Appendix 2: DH.ŞFR 87/40 132 Appendix 3: DH.ŞFR 86/45 134 Appendix 4: Family tree of Y.A. 136 Maps 138 3 Preface A little less than two decades ago, in my childhood, I became fascinated with violence, whether it was children bullying each other in school, fathers beating up their daughters for sneaking out on a date, or the omnipresent racism that I did not understand at the time.
  • The Reign of Violence

    The Reign of Violence

    CHAPTER THIRTEEN THE REIGN OF VIOLENCE The celalis c. I 5 50-I 700 --.... -- Oktay Ozel odern historiography depicts Ottoman history in the late sixteenth and early M seventeenth centuries as a period of crisis, generally associated with the eelali rebellions which occurred primarily in Anatolia and, to a lesser extent, northern Syria. l Discussion of eelali causes has centred largely around sixteenth-century political­ fiscal and economic-demographic developments. Recently added to the argument has been the agency problem of the predatory state, the nature of the overall transforma­ tion that the empire and society experienced in parallel with the eelali movements throughout the seventeenth century, and climatic changes. The present essay reassesses the issue in the light of new findings based on recently explored sources. It examines internal demographic, economic and political dynamics and conditions, as well as conjunctural factors in the I 590S which led marginalized groups within rural society, primarily the peasant masses, into a violent reaction in the form of banditry and rebel­ lion. A reconstruction of the historical context and causes is followed by discussion of the destructive character of [he eelali movements and its consequences in Anatolia, and of the nature of this violence as a phenomenon within Ottoman social history. The central argument of the essay is that the political-level analysis of the eelalis falls far short in understanding both the peculiarities of the historical process which prepared the ground for the eelali movements and [he extent of destructive violence throughout the seventeenth century. Banditry and occasional rebellions continued, transforming rural society, the economy and the ecological environment as well as leaving a legacy of institutionalized violence which became an inherent characteristic oflater Ottoman Anatolian society.
  • Music, Image, and Identity: Rebetiko and Greek National Identity

    Music, Image, and Identity: Rebetiko and Greek National Identity

    Universiteit van Amsterdam Graduate School for Humanities Music, Image, and Identity: Rebetiko and Greek National Identity Alexia Kallergi Panopoulou Student number: 11655631 MA Thesis in European Studies, Identity and Integration track Name of supervisor: Dr. Krisztina Lajosi-Moore Name of second reader: Prof. dr. Joep Leerssen September 2018 2 Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1 .............................................................................................................................. 6 1.1 Theory and Methodology ........................................................................................................ 6 Chapter 2. ........................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 The history of Rebetiko ......................................................................................................... 11 2.1.1 Kleftiko songs: Klephts and Armatoloi ............................................................................... 11 2.1.2 The Period of the Klephts Song .......................................................................................... 15 2.2 Rebetiko Songs...................................................................................................................... 18 2.3 Rebetiko periods ..................................................................................................................
  • Christian Allies of the Ottoman Empire by Emrah Safa Gürkan

    Christian Allies of the Ottoman Empire by Emrah Safa Gürkan

    Christian Allies of the Ottoman Empire by Emrah Safa Gürkan The relationship between the Ottomans and the Christians did not evolve around continuous hostility and conflict, as is generally assumed. The Ottomans employed Christians extensively, used Western know-how and technology, and en- couraged European merchants to trade in the Levant. On the state level, too, what dictated international diplomacy was not the religious factors, but rather rational strategies that were the results of carefully calculated priorities, for in- stance, several alliances between the Ottomans and the Christian states. All this cooperation blurred the cultural bound- aries and facilitated the flow of people, ideas, technologies and goods from one civilization to another. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Christians in the Service of the Ottomans 3. Ottoman Alliances with the Christian States 4. Conclusion 5. Appendix 1. Sources 2. Bibliography 3. Notes Citation Introduction Cooperation between the Ottomans and various Christian groups and individuals started as early as the beginning of the 14th century, when the Ottoman state itself emerged. The Ottomans, although a Muslim polity, did not hesitate to cooperate with Christians for practical reasons. Nevertheless, the misreading of the Ghaza (Holy War) literature1 and the consequent romanticization of the Ottomans' struggle in carrying the banner of Islam conceal the true nature of rela- tions between Muslims and Christians. Rather than an inevitable conflict, what prevailed was cooperation in which cul- tural, ethnic, and religious boundaries seemed to disappear. Ÿ1 The Ottomans came into contact and allied themselves with Christians on two levels. Firstly, Christian allies of the Ot- tomans were individuals; the Ottomans employed a number of Christians in their service, mostly, but not always, after they had converted.
  • The Changing Nature of the Turkish State Authority for Religious Affairs (ARA) and Turkish Islam in Europe Günter Seufert

    The Changing Nature of the Turkish State Authority for Religious Affairs (ARA) and Turkish Islam in Europe Günter Seufert

    Working Paper SWP Working Papers are online publications within the purview of the respective Research Division. Unlike SWP Research Papers and SWP Comments they are not reviewed by the Institute. CENTRE FOR APPLIED TURKEY STUDIES (CATS) | WP NR. 02, JUNE 2020 The changing nature of the Turkish State Authority for Religious Affairs (ARA) and Turkish Islam in Europe Günter Seufert Contents Introduction 4 The umbrella organizations of the Turkish Authority for Religious Affairs in Europe 6 From "partner in integration" to "tool of a foreign power” 7 Definition of terms 9 Historical outline 11 The Authority for Religious Affairs as a product of Turkish secularization: the gradual exclusion of religious discourses and norms from administration and politics 11 The Authority for Religious Affairs as a bone of contention between secular and religious forces 14 Muslim policies beyond traditionalism and Islamism 17 The Authority for Religious Affairs between theological autonomy and political instrumentalization 21 The independence of the Diyanet as a step towards the rehabilitation and empowerment of the Islamic religion in society (and politics?) 21 The independence of the Diyanet as a step towards strengthening the civil character of religion and effectively dealing with worrying currents within national and international Islam 23 The intensified role of the Diyanet in the context of Turkish foreign policy 24 The Diyanet's attitude to subject areas 26 The comments of Diyanet on Fethullah Gülen 26 The Diyanet's Statement on the Ideology of the
  • Boccherini and the Prussian Court the Famous Praise of Boccherini By

    Boccherini and the Prussian Court the Famous Praise of Boccherini By

    Filling the void – Boccherini and the Prussian Court The famous praise of Boccherini by the French Violin Master, Jean Baptiste Cartier, says it all: (Quote): Si Dieu voulait parler à l’homme en musique, il le ferait avec les œuvres de Haydn, mais s’Il desirait Lui-même écouter de la musique, Il choisirait Boccherini." “If God wanted to speak to men through music, He would do it with the oeuvres of Haydn, but if He himself wished to listen to music, He would choose Boccherini”. Elegance and lucidity, softness and sensibility are some of the outstanding qualities of Luigi Boccherini´s music. In his time he was one of the most loved composers in Europe, one of a few. His music was held in high esteem in Spain, France, the Netherlands and Belgium as well as in Scandinavia, Austria and in Germany. During the short period of 14 years, from 1783 to 1797, chamber music compositions by Boccherini were played frequently in Berlin and in Potsdam by the prince and heir Friedrich Wilhelm, who was a nephew of the late Friedrich II, “the Great” and a passionate cello player. He became King of Prussia after the death of his predessor on August 17th 1786. Already at the beginning of this year, on the 21st of January, Friedrich Wilhelm had appointed Boccherini to be his “compositore della nuestra camera”. From that time on Boccherini delivered about twelve new works of chamber music every year to the Prussian Court. Boccherini´s service was rewarded by 1000 Prussian crowns (Taler) yearly. From now on Boccherini dedicated all his compositions to the King of Prussia and he always signed his letters with the words “compositor di camera di S.