With the rise of national states and their histories, it is very hard to find reliable sources on the Ottoman concept of a nation. Whatever it was, it was able to hold a multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire together for nearly 7 centuries. If one was to believe the sources that depict the Ottomans as: 'bloodthirsty, heathen barbarians who killed rightious Christians while they raped and pillage their way through Europe' as often depicted in Christian sources, one will have very hard time understanding how the Balkans and large portions of southeastern Europe were not completely converted to Islam and assimilated into the Turkish culture, during the centuries of Turkish rule. Unquestionably, understanding of Ottomans concept of nation also helps us to understand what happened during the decline period of Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of south-eastern Europe. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923...

The concept of Ottoman Nation

 ...the Ottoman Sultan did not introduce the millet system into their empire only on the capture of Constantinople, but were already applying its principles to the non-Muslim Communities under their rule. Islamic Society and west, Oxford 1957. 

The idea of millet (loosely translated as: people or nation) goes back before the 15th century. The Ottoman political tradition had a dualism. One either belonged to the 'millet' and was an Ottoman (an Ottoman Turk, Ottoman Greek, Ottoman Armenian, or otherwise) or one belonged to the 'others' (re'aya). All people living outside the Ottoman borders were seen as 're'aya'. The people who lived within the boarders belonged to the 'millet'. For Ottomans the millet was not homogenous. There were four verticle cross sections. Jews, Armenians, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims. In governing the community, the Ottomans adopted systems which was already in effect when they arrive the region. Or in the Armenian case they helped to build one: In the "history of Armenia" published 1784-1786, Mik`ayel Camcean described the founding of the Armenian Patriarche of Constantinople. According to this source Sultan Mehmet II symphetically disposed towards the Armenian nation. In 1461 Sultan kept his promise that was given many years before to bring the Bishop Yovakim to Istanbul. The patriarche in Istanbul has continued to exist ever since.. One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ...

No one questioned if belonged to the millet or not, as the system was based on owning the land. If you lived and function within the border, your were part of the millet.

Timeline

Ethnic Albenian

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Ethnic Greek

Ethnic Bulgarian

Ethnic Serbian

Ethnic Armenian

Ethnic Kurd

See also