The Ottoman millet system has long been seen as a hallmark of the empire’s approach to governing its diverse religious communities. Yet, as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatma Sel Turhan demonstrates in her article The Bosnian Catholics during the Nineteenth Century in the Context of the Ottoman Millet System Discussions, published in the Journal of Islamic Studies, the reality of how this system functioned on the ground was far more complex and negotiated than often assumed.
Turhan’s research, grounded in meticulous analysis of nineteenth-century Ottoman archival documents, investigates how the Bosnian Catholic community navigated its relationship with the Ottoman centre during a period of significant political and social change. The article first examines how Bosnian Catholics were defined within the framework of the Ottoman system, posing the critical question of whether they were officially recognized as a distinct millet. This question leads to a detailed analysis of the Ahdname granted to Bosnian Catholics by Mehmed II, which served as a foundational document for their legal and social status within the empire.
Beyond legal definitions, the article delves into the daily realities of negotiation and cooperation. Turhan traces how Bosnian Catholic clergy and community leaders engaged with Ottoman authorities, highlighting both the opportunities and the constraints they faced. The study uncovers a complex web of intermediaries, including other states and religious institutions, that Bosnian Catholics relied on to advocate for their interests and seek intervention from the Ottoman centre when disputes or challenges arose.
Turhan’s work offers a nuanced portrait of the Ottoman millet system as a dynamic, contested, and evolving framework of governance. By focusing on the Bosnian Catholic experience, the article challenges simplistic narratives of religious governance in the Ottoman Empire and provides valuable insights into the ways in which local communities shaped, and were shaped by, imperial power structures.