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| ]. Bulgarians are marked with light green.]] | ]. Bulgarians are marked with light green.]] | ||
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| '''Bulgarian Millet''' or '''Bulgar Millet''' was an ethno-religious and linguistic community (], i.e. ''nation''),<ref>Nationalist Exclusion and Ethnic Conflict: Shadows of Modernity, Andreas Wimmer, Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 052101185X, </ref> within the ] from the mid-19th to early 20th century. Initially as Millet were recognized the ], and then the ] (''Eksarhhâne-i Millet i Bulgar'').<ref>Evolutionary Theory and Ethnic Conflict | '''Bulgarian Millet''' or '''Bulgar Millet''' was an ethno-religious and linguistic community (], i.e. ''nation''),<ref>Nationalist Exclusion and Ethnic Conflict: Shadows of Modernity, Andreas Wimmer, Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 052101185X, </ref> within the ] from the mid-19th to early 20th century. Initially as Millet were recognized the ], and then the ] (''Eksarhhâne-i Millet i Bulgar'').<ref>Evolutionary Theory and Ethnic Conflict | ||
| Praeger Series in Political Communication, Patrick James, David Goetze, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, ISBN 0275971430, </ref> | Praeger Series in Political Communication, Patrick James, David Goetze, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, ISBN 0275971430, </ref> | ||
| ==History== | |||
| ===Background=== | |||
| All Orthodox Christians in the ] were subordinated to the ], which was dominated by Greek ]. They were included into the so-called ]. During the late 18th century, the Enlightenment in Western Europe provided influence for the initiation of the National awakening of Bulgaria. The ] in the early 19th century also brought opposition to this situation. The Bulgarian nationalists then considered the ] to be oppressed as an ethnic community not only by the Turks, but also by the ]. They considered the ] as their main oppressor. The clergy oppressed the Bulgarians by forcing them to educate their children in Greek schools and by imposing Church services exclusively in Greek in order to ] the Bulgarian population. | |||
| ===School and Church struggle=== | |||
| During the early nineteenth century, national elites used ''ethno-linguistic'' principles to differentiate between “Bulgarian” and “Greek” identity into the Rum millet. The Bulgarian Slavs, wanted to create their ownand schools in a common modern literary standard.<ref></ref> By the middle of the century, Bulgarian activists shifted their attention from language to religion and started debate on the establishment of a separate Bulgarian church.<ref>From Rum Millet to Greek and Bulgarian Nations: Religious and National Debates in the Borderlands of the Ottoman Empire, 1870–1913, </ref> As result until the 1870s the ] was focused on the struggle for a Bulgarian Church, independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In the Ottoman state, cultural, administrative and even political independence from the Patriarchate could only be obtained through the establishment of a separate millet or '']''. The coordinated actions, carried out by Bulgarian national leaders supported by the majority of the Slavic population in today Bulgaria, Eastern Serbia, Republic of Macedonia and Northern Greece in order to be recognized as a separate millet constituted the so-called "Church struggle". Significantly, in their confrontations with the Patriarchists, the Bulgarians often relied on the Ottoman authorities as allies. | |||
| ===Recognition=== | |||
| As result until the 1870s the ] was focused on the struggle for a Bulgarian Church, independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In the Ottoman state, cultural, administrative and even political independence from the Patriarchate could only be obtained through the establishment of a separate millet or '']''. The coordinated actions, carried out by Bulgarian national leaders supported by the majority of the Slavic population in today Bulgaria, Eastern Serbia, Republic of Macedonia and Northern Greece in order to be recognized as a separate millet constituted the so-called "Church struggle". Significantly, in their confrontations with the Patriarchists, the Bulgarians often relied on the Ottoman authorities as allies. | |||
| ⚫ | The movement for union with Rome led to the initial recognition of a separate ] in 1860,<ref>Bulgaria, Oxford history of modern Europe, R. J. Crampton, Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-19-820514-7, p. 74-77.</ref> but in 1870 the ] was also recognized. As result, two armed struggle movements started to develop as late as the beginning of the 1870s: the ] and the ]. Their armed struggle reached its peak with the ] which broke out in 1876. It resulted into the Russo-Turkish War from 1877–1878, and led to the ] after the Treaty of San Stefano. At that time the clergy’s shifts from the Orthodox to the Catholic Church and vice versa were symptomatic of the foreign powers’ game that the clergy got involved after the 1878 ]. Thus, in the interplay between the Orthodox and the Uniat doctrine, Bulgaria supported the Orthodox Exarchate. ] supported Bulgaria. The Greek ] supported the ] national idea. France and the ] supported the Uniats. The Ottoman Empire’s attitude was depending on how it had to balance its own interests in the game with the ]. | ||
| ===Thrace and Macedonia=== | |||
| ⚫ | The movement for union with Rome led to the initial recognition of a separate ] in 1860,<ref>Bulgaria, Oxford history of modern Europe, R. J. Crampton, Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-19-820514-7, p. 74-77.</ref> but in 1870 the ] was also recognized. At that time the clergy’s shifts from the Orthodox to the Catholic Church and vice versa were symptomatic of the foreign powers’ game that the clergy got involved after the 1878 ]. It left the ] and ] within the ]. Thus, in the interplay between the Orthodox and the Uniat doctrine, Bulgaria supported the Orthodox Exarchate. ] supported Bulgaria. The Greek ] supported the ] national idea. France and the ] supported the Uniats. The Ottoman Empire’s attitude was depending on how it had to balance its own interests in the game with the ]. | ||
| The ideas of ] grew up in significance, following the ] which took back the regions of Macedonia and Thrace, returning them under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Also an autonomous Ottoman province, called ] was created in ]. Аs a consequence, the Bulgarian nationalist movement proclaimed as its aim the inclusion of most of Macedonia and Thrace under Greater Bulgaria. Eastern Rumelia was annexed to Bulgaria in 1885 through bloodless revolution. During the early 1890s, two ] revolutionary organizations were founded: the ] and the ]. In 1903 they participated in the unsuccessful ] against the Ottomans in Macedonia and the ]. That was followed by series of conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians into both regions. The ] of 1908 restored the Ottoman Parliament, which had been suspended by the Sultan in 1878. After the Revolution armed factions laid down their arms and joined the legal struggle. The Bulgarians founded the ] and the ] and participated in Ottoman elections. Soon, the ] turned increasingly nationalist and sought to suppress the national aspirations of the various minorities in Macedonia and Thrace. | |||
| ===Decline=== | |||
| The effect of the |
The effect of the ] in 1912-1913 was the partition of ] territories in Europe, which was followed by an anti-Bulgarian campaign in areas under ] and ] administration. They expelled the Bulgarian churchmen and the ] was prohibited there.<ref>Ivo Banac, in "The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics", pp. 307-328, Cornell University Press, 1984.</ref> The Slavic population was proclaimed either as "Southern Serbs" or as "]".<ref>Nationality on the Balkans. The case of the Macedonians, by F. A. K. Yasamee. (Balkans: A Mirror of the New World Order, Istanbul: EREN, 1995; pp. 121-132.</ref> In the ] region, that the ] managed to keep, the whole ] was put to ]. As a consequense of many Bulgarians fled from the territories of present-day ], ] and ] to what is now Bulgaria. Subsequently, the Ottoman Empire lost virtually all of its possessions in the Balkans, which put de facto to end the community of the Bulgarian millet. | ||
| ==References and notes== | ==References and notes== | ||
Revision as of 07:11, 4 December 2013
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Bulgarian Millet or Bulgar Millet was an ethno-religious and linguistic community (millet, i.e. nation), within the Ottoman Empire from the mid-19th to early 20th century. Initially as Millet were recognized the Bulgarian Uniates, and then the Bulgarian Orthodox Christians (Eksarhhâne-i Millet i Bulgar).
History
Background
All Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire were subordinated to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which was dominated by Greek Phanariotes. They were included into the so-called Rum Millet. During the late 18th century, the Enlightenment in Western Europe provided influence for the initiation of the National awakening of Bulgaria. The rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century also brought opposition to this situation. The Bulgarian nationalists then considered the Bulgarians to be oppressed as an ethnic community not only by the Turks, but also by the Greeks. They considered the Greek Patriarchal clergy as their main oppressor. The clergy oppressed the Bulgarians by forcing them to educate their children in Greek schools and by imposing Church services exclusively in Greek in order to Hellenize the Bulgarian population.
School and Church struggle
During the early nineteenth century, national elites used ethno-linguistic principles to differentiate between “Bulgarian” and “Greek” identity into the Rum millet. The Bulgarian Slavs, wanted to create their ownand schools in a common modern literary standard. By the middle of the century, Bulgarian activists shifted their attention from language to religion and started debate on the establishment of a separate Bulgarian church. As result until the 1870s the Bulgarian National Revival was focused on the struggle for a Bulgarian Church, independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In the Ottoman state, cultural, administrative and even political independence from the Patriarchate could only be obtained through the establishment of a separate millet or nation. The coordinated actions, carried out by Bulgarian national leaders supported by the majority of the Slavic population in today Bulgaria, Eastern Serbia, Republic of Macedonia and Northern Greece in order to be recognized as a separate millet constituted the so-called "Church struggle". Significantly, in their confrontations with the Patriarchists, the Bulgarians often relied on the Ottoman authorities as allies.
Recognition
The movement for union with Rome led to the initial recognition of a separate Uniat Millet in 1860, but in 1870 the Orthodox Millet was also recognized. As result, two armed struggle movements started to develop as late as the beginning of the 1870s: the Internal Revolutionary Organisation and the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee. Their armed struggle reached its peak with the April Uprising which broke out in 1876. It resulted into the Russo-Turkish War from 1877–1878, and led to the foundation of the third Bulgarian state after the Treaty of San Stefano. At that time the clergy’s shifts from the Orthodox to the Catholic Church and vice versa were symptomatic of the foreign powers’ game that the clergy got involved after the 1878 Berlin Treaty. Thus, in the interplay between the Orthodox and the Uniat doctrine, Bulgaria supported the Orthodox Exarchate. Russia supported Bulgaria. The Greek Patriarchate of Constantinople supported the Greek national idea. France and the Habsburg Empire supported the Uniats. The Ottoman Empire’s attitude was depending on how it had to balance its own interests in the game with the Great Powers.
Thrace and Macedonia
The ideas of Bulgarian nationalism grew up in significance, following the Congress of Berlin which took back the regions of Macedonia and Thrace, returning them under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Also an autonomous Ottoman province, called Eastern Rumelia was created in Northern Thrace. Аs a consequence, the Bulgarian nationalist movement proclaimed as its aim the inclusion of most of Macedonia and Thrace under Greater Bulgaria. Eastern Rumelia was annexed to Bulgaria in 1885 through bloodless revolution. During the early 1890s, two pro-Bulgarian revolutionary organizations were founded: the Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees and the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee. In 1903 they participated in the unsuccessful Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising against the Ottomans in Macedonia and the Adrianople Vilajet. That was followed by series of conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians into both regions. The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 restored the Ottoman Parliament, which had been suspended by the Sultan in 1878. After the Revolution armed factions laid down their arms and joined the legal struggle. The Bulgarians founded the Peoples' Federative Party (Bulgarian Section) and the Union of the Bulgarian Constitutional Clubs and participated in Ottoman elections. Soon, the Young Turks turned increasingly nationalist and sought to suppress the national aspirations of the various minorities in Macedonia and Thrace.
Decline
The effect of the Balkan Wars in 1912-1913 was the partition of Ottoman empire territories in Europe, which was followed by an anti-Bulgarian campaign in areas under Serbian and Greek administration. They expelled the Bulgarian churchmen and the Bulgarian language was prohibited there. The Slavic population was proclaimed either as "Southern Serbs" or as "Slavophone Greeks". In the Adrianople region, that the Ottomans managed to keep, the whole Thracian Bulgarian population was put to ethnic cleansing. As a consequense of many Bulgarians fled from the territories of present-day Greece, Republic of Macedonia and European Turkey to what is now Bulgaria. Subsequently, the Ottoman Empire lost virtually all of its possessions in the Balkans, which put de facto to end the community of the Bulgarian millet.
References and notes
- Nationalist Exclusion and Ethnic Conflict: Shadows of Modernity, Andreas Wimmer, Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 052101185X, pp. 171-172.
- Evolutionary Theory and Ethnic Conflict Praeger Series in Political Communication, Patrick James, David Goetze, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, ISBN 0275971430, pp. 159-160.
- Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Macedonia Historical Dictionaries of Europe, Dimitar Bechev, Scarecrow Press, 2009, ISBN 0810862956,p. 134.
- From Rum Millet to Greek and Bulgarian Nations: Religious and National Debates in the Borderlands of the Ottoman Empire, 1870–1913, Theodora Dragostinova, Ohio State University, 2011, Columbus, OH.
- Bulgaria, Oxford history of modern Europe, R. J. Crampton, Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-19-820514-7, p. 74-77.
- Ivo Banac, "The Macedoine" in "The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics", pp. 307-328, Cornell University Press, 1984.
- Nationality on the Balkans. The case of the Macedonians, by F. A. K. Yasamee. (Balkans: A Mirror of the New World Order, Istanbul: EREN, 1995; pp. 121-132.