THE HISTORY OF ISLAM IN THE BALKANS

The History Of Islam In The Balkans And Ottoman Influence

The History Of Islam In The Balkans And Ottoman Influence

About the Balkans

The Balkans is a collection of southeastern European nations that lie at a major intersection between the terrains of Europe and the Near East. The nations that make up the Balkans are Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia (Montenegro and Serbia), and Bosnia Herzegovina. Geographically, a small region around Istanbul by the name of European Turkey is also included in the Balkans. The unique fragmentation of the Balkans, as well as most of its consistently and habitually violent history, is attributed to its geographical location since it practically forms the transit point between Asia and Europe (Stone, 1880, p. 33). As a result, the significance of the Balkans throughout the history of Europe has been due to its geographic positioning. Generally, the particular region was viewed to be a convergence of distinctive public orders. It has traditionally acted as a crossroads between the Greek and Latin figures of the Roman Empire, becoming one of the most important destinationsfor wide scale immersion of rationalist Slavs(Stone, 1880, p. 33). It was also a zone where Catholic and Orthodox Christianity first crossed paths. The region was also the occasional social center between Islam and Christianity.

The History of Islam in the Balkans

There were mainly two major causes that were responsible for the spreading of Islam through the Balkans. The first of these was linked to the attempts of the military that were aimed at stretching and expanding the borders of the Islamic Empire; the second was the overwhelming influence of the Islamic teachings themselves which were effective in encouraging the people to uphold it later (Stone, 1880, p. 33). Peering again into the chronicles of history, it would be essential to investigate which approach of the two was most influential in spreading Islam in the Balkan Peninsula - the might of the sword or the teachings of the religion (Norris, 1993, p. 37). Mostly, the Muslim guards opened the gates of their culture for the Islamic human progression with the intention of presenting themselves so that the people might see the dissimilarity.

Islamic influence was most prosperous in the southeastern Balkans, mainly due to increased contact with Spanish Andalusia (Shaw & Shaw, 1978, p. 39). From there, its influence reached as far south as the Mediterranean Sea and the country of Italy, and as far north as Hungary(Shaw & Shaw, 1978, p. 39). The point of these investigations is not to accurately determine and locate the origins of the Islamic revolution in the Balkans. Instead, the emphasis is on the manner in which the revolution occurred (Quataert, 2005, p. 52). There were some major points that were common throughout the progress and spread of Islam. These are mainly increased trading ties, migrations, and military/ political alliances and agreements(Quataert, 2005, p. 52).

When taking into account the stark reality that the Ottoman Empire is not perceived as being a kingdom of Europe, ...