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Citizens and Subjects: Human Rights in the

Ottoman Empire

By Lisa Adeli(CMES Outreach Coordinator,

High School Social Studies Teacher,PhD in History)

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Background

• Concept of legal guarantees of human rights began in the Middle East (ancient Persia).

• Guarantees of human rights within the Muslim religion

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Cyrus the Great Cylinder: The world’s first declaration of human

rights (Persia/Iran, 550s BC)

http://www.kavehfarrokh.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/pic3-cyrus-cylinder.jpg

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http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/262/268312/art/figures/KISH_07_156.gif

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The Ottoman Empire(1299-1918)

• Long-lasting + covering a large geographical area = historically significant

• Important repercussions in modern times (Balkans)

• Examination across time of the ideology and practice of human rights.

6Justin McCarthy, The Map Project, MESA

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Largest minority in the Ottoman Empire: Christians.

• Orthodox Christians (majority of Balkan peoples – Romanians, Serbs, Macedonians, Greeks, etc.)

• Catholics (e.g. Bosnia and Croatia)• Armenian and Arab Christians (Iraq,

Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, etc.)

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Graćanica, a 14th century Serbian Orthodox monastery in Kosovo

http://www.kosovo.net

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Christian church in Byblos, Lebanon

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NUZpJTtmmVs/SHXulFELI9I/AAAAAAAAASM/B5ed1rv4ERU/s400/St.%2BJohn%27s%2Bchurch,%2BByblos%2B%28Jbeil%29,%2BLebanon.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NUZpJTtmmVs/SHXulFELI9I/AAAAAAAAASM/B5ed1rv4ERU/s400/�

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Interior of Jewish synagogue on the island of Rhodes

Jewish Heritage Online Magazine

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Muslim Relations with Non-Muslims

in the Ottoman Empire• Only Muslims held high positions in

political, military, legal, or educational hierarchy.

• However, other religions were protected, and Christians (and Jews) were NOT forcibly converted.

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Millet System – Subjects Organized by Religion

• Orthodox (largest – especially in the Balkans)

• Gregorian Armenian• Catholic• Jewish

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Religious Minorities got from the Empire:

• Toleration and recognition as “peoples of the book”

• Easy transition for Christians as Ottomans adopted many Byzantine practices

• Their own religious leaders, who became Ottoman officials

• Local autonomy – local religious leaders controlled their areas

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Non-Muslim obligations (that Muslim peasants didn’t have):

• A special tax that non-Muslims had to pay• Christians sometimes subject to the

devşirme (recruitment of boys for government service)

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Effects of the ‘millet’ system of organization by religious affiliation

• Greek control of the Orthodox Church –until the age of nationalism (19th century)

• Preservation of national differences• Destruction of native (Christian)

aristocracy so more egalitarian societies• Association of religion and nationalism in

emerging states.

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http://serbianna.com/analysis/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/lazar1389.jpg

Serbian royalty before the Battle of Kosovo

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Idea of millets reflected in modern thought:

• Religion is still a determinant of identity in many parts of the former Ottoman Empire, particularly in the Balkans. (Example of Bosnia)

• Ottoman ideal of religious tolerance still a valued tradition, particularly in Muslim areas. (Example of the Holocaust rescuers)

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Ottomans didn’t really recognize linguistic or “national” differences.

Other Muslims (Kurds, Arabs, Albanians,

Bosnians) were generally given the

same rights as Turks.

19The Map Project, MESA,http://fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc

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It was nationalism, not religious persecution that led to ethnic

persecution (even genocide) in the last days of the Ottoman

Empire.

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Destroyed Armenian town - 1909

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Adanamass.PNG

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Armenian Genocide - 1915

• Approximately 1.5 million Armenians deported (out of 2 million total in the Ottoman Empire)

• Approximately 1 million died.

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Ottoman Empire’s record of human rights:

• Original ideology – and practice - of religious tolerance

• Rise of nationalism in the 19th century created changes in– The empire’s economic and political stability– The expectations of religious minorities

(national equality or their own state)

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To think about:

• The Middle East has a long tradition of human rights.

• The rise of nationalism had a negative impact on human rights.

• Nationalist (and thus SECULAR) societies often struggle with human rights.

• There is a connection between war and human rights abuses (even genocide).

Citizens and Subjects: Human Rights in the Ottoman EmpireBackgroundCyrus the Great Cylinder: The world’s first declaration of human rights (Persia/Iran, 550s BC)Slide Number 4The Ottoman Empire�(1299-1918)Slide Number 6Largest minority in the Ottoman Empire: Christians.Graćanica, a 14th century Serbian Orthodox monastery in KosovoChristian church in Byblos, Lebanon Interior of Jewish synagogue on the island of RhodesMuslim Relations with Non-Muslims�in the Ottoman EmpireMillet System – Subjects Organized by ReligionReligious Minorities got from the Empire:Non-Muslim obligations (that Muslim peasants didn’t have):Effects of the ‘millet’ system of organization by religious affiliation Serbian royalty before the Battle of KosovoIdea of millets reflected in modern thought:Ottomans didn’t really recognize linguistic or “national” differences.Slide Number 19It was nationalism, not religious persecution that led to ethnic persecution (even genocide) in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Destroyed Armenian town - 1909Armenian Genocide - 1915Ottoman Empire’s record of human rights: To think about: