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This discussion of historiography concerning the Ottoman Empire should be viewed in the context of the discipline's self-examination, which has been encouraged by recent conflicts in south-eastern Europe and the Middle East. The contributors analyze the fashion in which the historiographies established in various national states have viewed the Ottoman Empire and its legacy. At the same time they discuss the links of 20th-century historiography with the rich historical tradition of the Ottoman Empire itself, both in its metropolitan and its provincial forms. The struggle against anachronisms born from the nationalist paradigm in history doubtless constitutes the most important common feature of these otherwise very diverse studies. Throughout, the contributors have distanced themselves from the nostalgia for "the past greatness" of certain rulers of yore, and aimed for a detached, source-based assessment of historical developments. They have made a conscious effort to debunk ancient myths, although, human weakness being what it is, their successors probably will accuse them of being responsible for new myths in their turn.
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THE OTTOMANS AND THE BALKANS THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND ITS HERITAGE Politics, Society and Economy EDITED BY SURAIYA FAROQHI AND HALIL INALCIK Advisory Board Fikret Adanir • Idris Bostan • Amnon Cohen • Cornell Fleischer Barbara Flemming • Alexander de Groot • Klaus Kreiser Hans Georg Majer • Irene Melikoff • Ahmet Ya§ar Ocak Abdeljelil Temimi • Gilles Veinstein • Elizabeth Zachariadou VOLUME 25 THE OTTOMANS AND THE BALKANS A Discussion of Historiography EDITED BY FIKRET ADANIR AND SURAIYA FAROQHI BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON • KOLN 2002 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Gataloging-in-Publication Data The Ottomans and the Balkans : a discussion of historiography / edited by Fikret Adanir & Suraiya Faroqhi. p. cm. — (The Ottoman Empire and its heritage, ISSN 1380-6067 ; v. 25) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9004119027 (hard cover : alk. paper) 1. Balkan Peninsula—Relations—Turkey—Historiography. 2. Turkey-Relations—Balkan Peninsula—Historiography. I. Adanir, Fikret. II. Faroqhi, Suraiya, 1941- III. Series. DR38.3.T9 O88 2002 949.6'02'072—dc21 2001037791 CIP Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufhahme The Ottomans and the Balkans : a discussion of historiography / ed. by Fikret Adanir & Suraiya Faroqhi. - Leiden ; Boston ; Koln : Brill, 2002 (The Ottoman Empire and its heritage ; Vol. 25) ISBN 90-04-11902-7 ISSN 1380-6076 ISBN 9004119027 © Copyright 2002 by Komnklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. Authorization to photocopy itemsfor internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, Rosewood Drive 222, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA Fees are subject to change. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS CONTENTS Acknowledgements Introduction Suraiya Faroqhi and Fikret Adamr Chapter One. Bad Times and Better Self: Definitions of Identity and Strategies for Development in Late Ottoman Historiography, 1850-1900 Christoph Neumann Chapter Two. Research Problems concerning the Transition to Tourkokratia: the Byzantinist Standpoint Klaus-Peter Matschke Chapter Three. The Ottoman Empire in the Historiography of the Kemalist Era: a Theory of Fatal Decline Bii§ra Ersanh Chapter Four. Non-Muslim Minorities in the Historiography of Republican Turkey: the