The Resurgence of Democracy in Greece after Ottoman Rule

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Brian Daurelle

Old vs. Ancient Ideals: The Resurgence of Democracy

in Greece after Ottoman Rule

5 March 2008

At the turn of the nineteenth century, the people of the Balkans were chafing under the rule of the Ottoman Empire as Northern and Western Europe progressed towards democracy. Being a nominally and predominantly Muslim entity, the Ottoman policy regarding liberal ideas was very restrictive. Without some sort of insurrection, any hopes of religious equality or autonomy for the Greeks, or indeed for any other people under Ottoman rule, were pure fantasy. However, outside of the Ottoman Empire, most peoples were sympathetic to the Greeks; not only was Greece the hearth of Classical Antiquity and ancient culture, the people of Europe also viewed the Greek fight for independence as one between Islam and Christianity. Refugees and envoys from Greece were eager to play upon the sympathies of fellow Christians, citing the persecutions of members of the Greek Orthodox Church under Muslim law. In addition, Greece's ancient reputation of the birth-place of democratic thought and European culture served as a rallying force for mercenaries in powerful nations. The Ottomans felt differently. They saw Greece as a barbarous nation of Christians that was their right to civilize, and theirs to use for trade on the Mediterranean.
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It was apparent to any observer that Christians in Greece were not equal to Muslims of the Ottoman Empire. A French engraver, Régnier, once portrayed a small group of Christians defending a Cross as it was being set upon by a Muslim hoard. A Greek revolutionary leader, Alexander Mavrocordato, drew a clear connection between Greco-Turkish conflict and Christian-Islamic conflict in his Declaration to the Christian Powers, an appeal to the European nations. Even the Turkish governors of the area recognized the underlying discord to be religious-based; provincial governor Vahid Pasha wrote in a letter that the religion of ...

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