The Crescent and the Eagle: Ottoman Rule, Islam and the Albanians, 1874-1913 (Library of Ottoman Studies Book 10)

"The Crescent and the Eagle" examines the awakening of Albanian national identity from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of the First World War - a period of intense nationalism in the Balkans - from an Ottoman perspective. Drawing on Ottoman and European archival material, the book undermines the customary negative stereotypes of Ottoman rule, offering a more nuanced interpretation. Gawrych provides a critical but objective examination of the evolution of government policies toward Albanians, from attempts to mould them into an "iron barrier" to the establishment of a uniform system of administration. He argues that this was a result of a complicated set of conflicting allegiances and identities, rather than a simply adversarial struggle between government imposition of policy and Albanian resistance. The author also analyses the general problems of endemic violence and misadministration at the provincial level, and examines Albanian efforts to gain nationality rights and maintain local privileges and tribal autonomy. Weaving his analysis of these events into a chronological framework, he concludes that Albanian independence resulted from a confluence of foreign and domestic developments rather than from the design and will of the Albanians themselves. This stimulating study offers many fresh insights into the dynamics of power within the Ottoman Empire and contributes a new perspective to the study of the development of Albanian nationalism."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Annotation A balanced and original picture of Ottoman rule and the Albanians during a critical period of Balkan and Middle East history. The Crescent and the Eagle examines the awakening of Albanian national identity from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of the First World War - a period of intense nationalism in the Balkans - from an Ottoman perspective. Drawing on Ottoman and European archival and other primary source material, Gawrych contradicts and undermines the usual negative stereotypes of Ottoman rule. Instead he provides a critical but objective examination of the evolution of government policies toward Albanians, from attempts to mold them into an ""iron barrier"" to establishing a uniform system of administration. The author also analyzes the general problems of endemic violence and misadministration at the provincial level, and examines Albanian efforts to gain nationality rights and maintain local privileges and tribal autonomy. A stimulating study which offers many fresh insights into the dynamics of power within the Ottoman Empire

A balanced and original picture of Ottoman rule and the Albanians during a critical period of Balkan and Middle East history. The Crescent and the Eagle examines the awakening of Albanian national identity from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of the First World War - a period of intense nationalism in the Balkans - from an Ottoman perspective. Drawing on Ottoman and European archival and other primary source material, Gawrych contradicts and undermines the usual negative stereotypes of Ottoman rule. Instead he provides a critical but objective examination of the evolution of government policies toward Albanians, from attempts to mold them into an "iron barrier" to establishing a uniform system of administration. The author also analyzes the general problems of endemic violence and misadministration at the provincial level, and examines Albanian efforts to gain nationality rights and maintain local privileges and tribal autonomy. A stimulating study which offers many fresh insights into the dynamics of power within the Ottoman Empire.

The Crescent and the Eagle examines from an Ottoman perspective the awakening of Albanian national identity from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of World War I - a period of intense nationalism in the Balkans. Drawing on Ottoman and European archival material, the book undermines the customary negative stereotypes of Ottoman rule, offering a more nuanced interpretation. Gawrych argues that the Ottoman-Albanian relationship was not a simple adversarial struggle between Turkish rule and Albanian resistance but a complex set of intertwined and sometimes conflicting allegiances and identities. Examines the awakening of Albanian national identity from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of the First World War - a period of intense nationalism in the Balkans - from an Ottoman perspective. Drawing on Ottoman and European archival material, this book undermines the customary negative stereotypes of Ottoman rule. List of Images viii List of Maps ix Maps x Introduction 1 1. Religion, State, and Motherland 7 2. A Rude Awakening 38 3. Hamidism and Albanianism 72 4. Hamidian Rule in Albania 106 5. The Revolution 140 6. Road to Independence 170 7. Conclusion 203 Notes 213 Bibliography 243 Glossary 253 Index 255 This study on Ottoman rule in Albania begins with the play Besa yahud Ahde Vefa or Pledge of Honor or Loyalty to an Oath, written by Semseddin Sami Bey Frasheri (1850-1904), an emerging Albanian intellectual, and performed on stage in Istanbul in 1874. Gawrych,George.,The,Crescent,and,the,Eagle,:,Ottoman,Rule,Islam,and,the,Albanians,1874-1913,I.,B.,Tauris,&,Company,Limited,2006.,ProQuest,Ebook,Central,http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rug/detail.action?docID=5338695. Examining from an Ottoman perspective the awakening of Albanian national identity from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of WWI, this book focuses on the evolution of government policies toward Albanians