According to many experts, the resettlement policy, which is one of the most important reasons behind the Ottoman Empire’s becoming a great empire by holding the lands it conquered, has been successfully implemented for hundreds of years. Let’s take a closer look at the resettlement policy of the Ottomans in Rumelia and see its aims and results.
Founded as a small principality in Söğüt in 1299, the Ottoman Empire became a state over the years; Over the centuries, it turned into an empire. Conquests for the expansion of lands are of course a military success, but keeping the conquered lands is a purely political success. One of the most important reasons behind this political success that lasted for hundreds of years is It is the resettlement policy applied in non-Muslim lands.
Thanks to the settlement policy implemented in all Turkish and non-Muslim lands conquered by the Ottomans, especially Rumelia, many internal problems were solved and it was aimed to prevent local rebellions by ensuring that the conquered land met Turkish and Islamic culture. Bride, which the Ottomans practiced in Rumelia what is housing policy Let’s take a closer look and objectives and results see.
What is the resettlement policy, what are its aims and consequences?
Let’s start with the basics, what is housing policy?
Settlement policy, in the non-Muslim areas conquered by the Ottoman Empire It is a system implemented to ensure permanence. Within the scope of the resettlement policy, Turkish and Muslim people in Anatolia were settled in the conquered regions where there were no Turkish and Muslim populations, especially Rumelia.
Although it is not certain, it is thought that Orhan Bey was the first Ottoman sultan to implement the resettlement policy. No revolt in the lands seized by military force, The resettlement policy was implemented in order to make the state policies understandable, to develop the region, to familiarize the people with the dominant culture of the state and to stop the conflicts in different regions.
How was the resettlement policy implemented?
Since the day it was founded as a requirement of the period, the Ottoman Empire has been a state aiming to add these regions to its lands by organizing conquests in the surrounding regions. In cases where the Turkish and Muslim populations in the surrounding regions were high, the principle of permanence was ensured in the conquered regions. However in areas with a large non-Muslim population military success is always in danger of being lost.
The Ottomans, who wanted to prevent this loss, would both develop that region and change the population density in the non-Muslim regions it conquered. It was sent by Turkish and Muslim people. At the head of these people are dervishes. Mosques and dervish lodges opened by dervishes in the region of conquest both introduced the people to Islam and created a new center for the region.
The reason why we see a great mosque in all regions that were once Ottoman lands is the settlement policy. because Those who go to the region within the scope of the resettlement policy first build a great mosque. Then, other living spaces are built around this mosque and a center is created for the region. In the regions outside the center, cultural diffusion is applied architecturally by building bridges, madrasahs, fountains and bazaars.
What are the aims of the resettlement policy, why was it implemented?
- Ensuring the Turkification of the Conquest region
- Spreading Islam in the region of conquest
- To ensure permanent settlement of Yoruks and Turkmens
- Reducing the chances of revolt
- To reconcile quarreling families and tribes
- Making conquests permanent
Ensuring the Turkification of the Conquest region:
The Ottoman Empire is one of the largest Turkish states in history. Even though people from many religions and nationalities live in the state. The Ottoman Empire has been a Turkish state from its foundation until its collapse. For this reason, it is extremely important for people of different nationalities living in the conquered regions to recognize, accept and respect Turkish culture.
Spreading Islam in the region of conquest:
The Ottoman Empire is one of the largest Islamic states in history. In fact, the basis of Islam is the understanding of gas and jihad. According to this understanding All non-Muslims are asked to become acquainted with Islam. The Ottomans also wanted to spread this religion among the people in the non-Muslim lands they conquered as an Islamic state. However, there was no compulsion in any region of conquest, and everyone was free to live their own faith.
To ensure permanent settlement of Yoruks and Turkmens:
Turks are a nomadic nation, it is in our blood. No matter how big the Ottoman There were nomadic communities called Yörük and Turkmen. Since the nomads did not get along well with the state authority, it was extremely important for them to settle into a settled life. Nomadic Turks were settled in the newly conquered lands, sometimes by force.
Reducing the chances of rebellion:
With a strong military force, it is easy to defeat the opposing army and conquer that area. However It is not easy to suppress the revolts of the local people. The placement of Turks and Muslims affiliated with the state in that region reduces the possibility of rebellion. At the same time, the local people do not see the Ottoman Empire as an invader, as the conquered region was developed with the settlement policy. This is the main reason why there was no rebellion for hundreds of years.
To reconcile quarreling families and tribes:
Those who were sent to the conquered region within the scope of the resettlement policy often left of their own accord, but sometimes there were also those who were exiled by the state. Especially Fights between families and tribes causing conflicts in Anatolia often resolved by the resettlement of a family. This residence was sometimes temporary and sometimes indefinite.
Making conquests permanent:
When we consider the great military power of the Ottoman Empire, it is possible to say that the conquests took place easily. However, in that region, which became the territory of a Turkish and Muslim country, If there are no Turks, if the azan is not read, if the flag is not waving. and other cultural structures are not formed, the conquest becomes meaningless. The resettlement policy is the social work done to make these conquests permanent.
What are the consequences of the resettlement policy?
Even if each of them left by revolting as a result of the provocation of the imperialist powers in the following years, when we look at the time between the conquest and the rebellion, it is thanks to the settlement policy of the peoples living in the Balkans and Rumelia. that they lived in peace for hundreds of years we can say. In fact, when we consider the terrible events that took place in these regions after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, it is possible to see how successful the resettlement policy provided peace.
Thanks to the resettlement policy implemented by the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years, in the Balkans and Rumelia both the Turkish population increased and Islam spread. The unused regions have been developed. Even today, when you go to these regions, it is possible to see structures created with Ottoman architecture even in non-central places. For this reason, the policy of resettlement is also called istimalet, that is, the policy of tempting and conciliatory conquest.
practiced by the Ottoman Empire in non-Muslim regions for hundreds of years. what is housing policy We examined the aims and results of this policy through the question. Of course, there are countless points to criticize, but it should not be forgotten that the Ottoman Empire was the biggest state that took such conciliatory steps to ensure peace in the lands it seized with the sword.