Explain how language was a social and political component of unrest within the Balkan part of the Ottoman Empire. .

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

One of the measures of nationalism is the emphasis on patriotism through a culture's language. The ethnic components of the Balkan and southeastern European states under Ottoman rule, however, were incredibly diverse. Several nationalist movements arose within the Ottoman Empire, but trying to create a sense of unification in this territory was impossible because of the heterogeneous composition of the population. While many would have liked to see freedom from Ottoman rule, there was no consensus on how to form a unified opposition. In many cases, unity was complicated not only by language differences but also through religious differences and literacy levels. For example, Serbian and Croatian were the same language, but the people were demarcated by their religions, with Serbs adhering to the Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity. Many of the languages in the empire were not written and not standardized, and many had a number of dialects. While nationalism arose in Belgrade under Serbian influences, support from European powers was divided: some argued for the support of Austria in the attack on Ottoman-held Belgrade in 1791, but gained nothing. Later, Serbians turned to Russia for assistance in the Karadjordje revolts starting in 1804. Other Serbs, such as Milos? Obrenovi? , felt that cooperation with the Ottomans would eventually lead to self-rule. Ultimately, independence was obtained in 1831, but popular support saw a continuation of conflict between the Karadjordje and Obrenovi? dynasties for the next hundred years.