Why didn't the Balkans become muslim?

[SALMAN F]

Hi every one I decided to open this thread in the turkish section to ask this question since it involved the Ottoman Empire and other Turkic folks about why didn't the Balkan and other parts of Europe didn't become muslim like Spain, Portugal and Sicily

 

[SALMAN F]

Today's important european cities like Athens, Belgrade and Budapest have a lot of muslim history and heritage also many muslims in these countries belong to the ethnic Turks, Albanians and Bosniaks

 

[Zuraib Qasit Khan]

Because they didnt want to become Muslims .
There is no Compulsion in Religion .

 

[Targon]

Because Ottoman Empire had no policy of forced conversion in mass scale. Which was good, otherwise it would backfire and possibly cause massive rebellions. Plus Christian minority means extra taxes, more Christians more extra taxes.

Those people who converted to Islam, like Bosnians, Albanians, Pomaks etc. did so because economically and socially being Muslim was an advantage in Ottoman Empire.

 

[Dante80]

Pretty much this. The Ottoman Empire was a multi-lingual, multi-cultural construct, and the dhimmi & millet systems somewhat made sure that religious tolerance was the norm inside the empire. Forced conversion was reserved for some very niche and small-scaled purposes (see the early Janissary system for example), and while many Christians and Jews voluntarily converted to secure full status in the society (or pay less taxes), most continued to practice their old religions without restriction.

 

[Fenasi Kerim]

Hi every one I decided to open this thread in the turkish section to ask this question since it involved the Ottoman Empire and other Turkic folks about why didn't the Balkan and other parts of Europe didn't become muslim like Spain, Portugal and Sicily

Agree with the above the Ottomans were too lenient for the time, however must note ALOT of Muslims were exiled or massacred in the Balkans. A lot of Thrace, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia is still Muslim. Much of Muslim history here was erased during the Balkan wars.

Also the Balkans was always competed for and had some of the strongest countries and statelets in Europe, Spain was mostly open for settlement and Arabs have a way of settling and changing demographics, look at North Africa, Middle East, they even tried it in Iran.

 

[asena_great]

Hi every one I decided to open this thread in the turkish section to ask this question since it involved the Ottoman Empire and other Turkic folks about why didn't the Balkan and other parts of Europe didn't become muslim like Spain, Portugal and Sicily

When timur attack ottomans and defeated yildrim bayezied many turkmen tribes fleet to the otherside the sea the land near istanbul but at the european side yildrim bayezid captured then killed but one of his sons manage to flee he later reclam the anatolia from turks whom switch side to timur that event know as ottoman civil war until mehment the conquer's father defeated all the rivals abd reunifed the ottomans he also defeat a crused i think it was near varna modern day bulgaria from such a great father born the conquer of istanbul

 

[[TR]AHMET]

Actually there was many Muslims and Turkish speaker at Balkans but Bulgars killed almost whole of them,

You can see the photos at link about Turkish genocide in Bulgaria
https://www.google.com.tr/search?biw=1366&bih=637&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=quvmWoSEIuWE6AT-o4HwDA&q=balkanlarda+türk+soykırımı&oq=balkanlarda+türk+soykırımı&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0.4162.7225.0.7392.26.11.0.5.5.0.334.1139.0j4j1j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..15.11.1166...0i67k1j0i24k1.0.-Ug5FI4uc10

Just Bulgars killed millions of unarmed Turks at Balkans also Russians killed millions of Turks at Crimea (Ukraine)

Turks were allways tolarate to other nations but they never mercy on us, so we never forget this.

 

[BATMAN]

Most of the Muslims were killed in east Europe, after the fall of OSMANIA empire.

 

[asena_great]

Actually there was many Muslims and Turkish speaker at Balkans but Bulgars killed almost whole of them,

You can see the photos at link about Turkish genocide in Bulgaria
https://www.google.com.tr/search?biw=1366&bih=637&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=quvmWoSEIuWE6AT-o4HwDA&q=balkanlarda+türk+soykırımı&oq=balkanlarda+türk+soykırımı&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0.4162.7225.0.7392.26.11.0.5.5.0.334.1139.0j4j1j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..15.11.1166...0i67k1j0i24k1.0.-Ug5FI4uc10

Just Bulgars killed millions of unarmed Turks at Balkans also Russians killed millions of Turks at Crimea (Ukraine)

Turks were allways tolarate to other nations but they never mercy on us.

Dont forget the çerkez people their systematic genocide by russians can only comperable to the nazi's gas rooms all eskisehir built by survivering çerkez people whom fleeing russia to the safty of ottomans

 

[[TR]AHMET]

Dont forget the çerkez people their systematic genocide by russians can only comperable to the nazi's gas rooms all eskisehir built by survivering çerkez people whom fleeing russia to the safty of ottomans

actually many of us killed by other nations at that time, also ahiska Turks killed at Caucasia by Russians too. Maybe we lost 10-15 millions of our people in some time interval after Ottomans lost its power... thats why we Turks allways has to be strong at this region...

 

[Killuminati]

Ottoman rulers didnt force anyone to convert to Islam. Its peoples choise which religion they want to practice. The non-muslim men did had to pay jizya which is a special type of tax that is heavier than Zakat. Men that payed jizya were exempt from obligatory military service and did get protection from any inside and outside threat. So it was up to people or to convert, or to pay jizya. But for the poor etc. that couldnt pay jizya and want to kept their own religion, there was some kind of tolerance.

Anyway, many Bosnians, Albanians etc. converted to Islam. Maybe in first stages to benefit from it but after first converted generation this was just the way it is.

Most of the agression came from christian rulers against muslims. How many muslims are slaughtered in east europe?

 

[KediKesenFare3]

Because Ottoman Empire had no policy of forced conversion in mass scale. Which was good, otherwise it would backfire and possibly cause massive rebellions. Plus Christian minority means extra taxes, more Christians more extra taxes.

Those people who converted to Islam, like Bosnians, Albanians, Pomaks etc. did so because economically and socially being Muslim was an advantage in Ottoman Empire.

This is not quite true. The Bosnians decided to become Muslims voluntarily.

 

[[TR]AHMET]

This is not quite true. The Bosnians decided to become Muslims voluntarily.

Also i know it like that, after Ottoman behave nicely they accept Islam straight away, Albanians too....

 

[dBSPL]

Remember Kayzer-i Rüm name, used by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. (Roman Emperor). when the Ottoman Empire ended the Mamluk state and relocated the Caliphate to Istanbul and took Hijaz to its protectorate, year was 1500's. However, it has developed policy in the 1400's to protect the Eastern Christians against Catholic repression. Greek Patriarchate always protect its importance after the conquest of Istanbul.

The Ottoman family,have established blood ties especially the Byzantine dynasties and the Serbian royal families . Ottoman had a very strong multi-ethnicity. until Russia claimed leadership of Christians over balkans . Following the Russian press, a rapid decline began in the Balkans, unable to fight French nationalist movements.

Under the name of the Ottoman Nation system, formed a common state structure. And they managed it successfully for a long time.

The Balkans have a very complex tradition and ethnicity. It is the hardest territory in the world to be ruled under a single flag. The main reason for the Ottoman government to maintain state control in this region for so long is that it gave these cultures the right to live and did not bully the states that recognized the Ottoman sovereignty.

I want to give you another example from Turkish history. Talas war. Great Turkish cities to the east of the Caspian were raided by Arab armies and thousands of Turks were massacred. Conclusion? The entrance Islam of the Turks in a collective way was almost 200 years late.

If Islam is a religion of tolerance, the Ottoman Empire always showed it in its brightest years.