So how can the ruler of Bulgaria under the Ottomans be coopted into the upper imperial hierarchy?
Essentially being a junior sultan
Essentially being a junior sultan
I imagine you mean the Bulgarian prince having a role in the whole Empire, rather than the rather odd sort-of-enemy-but-still-a-vassal relationship they had between 1878 and 1908?So how can the ruler of Bulgaria under the Ottomans be coopted into the upper imperial hierarchy?
Essentially being a junior sultan
I imagine you mean the Bulgarian prince having a role in the whole Empire, rather than the rather odd sort-of-enemy-but-still-a-vassal relationship they had between 1878 and 1908?
Hmmm an intriguing one to start with.Maybe they try and make a 'Prince of Bulgaria': a hereditary position similar to the Patriarch? An overtly Christian member of the Ottoman hierarchy, with some sort of temporal, rather than spiritual role in the Empire? I'll be honest, I don't quite know how such an idea would operate in practice. Unfortunately for this idea, the obvious question is why you'd need him when you already have the Patriarch...
Yeah. Good job I managed to do it so elegantly. Oh, wait...Yeah. Couldn't think how to word it![]()
Lord knows how such a thing would work, but it might. Almost as a Minister / Prince of all the Christians in the Empire, while still being subservient to the Emperor. At this point, the title 'Prince of Bulgaria' becomes more honorific than geographic, but if he's descended from the ruling house of Bulgaria, it might stick...Hmmm an intriguing one to start with.
Lord knows how such a thing would work, but it might. Almost as a Minister / Prince of all the Christians in the Empire, while still being subservient to the Emperor. At this point, the title 'Prince of Bulgaria' becomes more honorific than geographic, but if he's descended from the ruling house of Bulgaria, it might stick...
That might be better. Over time, Christians in the Ottoman Empire could simply come to identify as 'Bulgarian', rather than 'Greek', 'Aremnian', or anything else...Why not "Prince of Bulgarians"?
Might it be language-based? An earlier official recognition that Greek and Slavic are very different might perhaps lead to this Prince of Bulgaria being responsible to the christians in those areas where the liturgy uses Old Chrurch Slavonic; whereas the Greek areas remain under the oversight of the patriarch?
Similar constructs would have pretty good consequences for Bulgaria, for the Ottoman empire and for the Central powers in total.
The line Heligoland-Basra would be solid as iron bar...![]()
Possible systems are:
1. Put the Patriarch ( Exarch ) of the independent since 1870 Bulgarian ortodox church in such position. Territorialize Bulgaria as with the 1870th Exarchate map, or EVEN commission almost all ( except the Capital district ) territory of the Ottoman Empire under the administration of such entity. The entity would be tributary ( paying compound tax/fee ) AND vassal one ( contributing with army under common/union command ). The entity could be granted the administration of ( expanded ) Lybia ( and Tunisia? ) as a gift. The exarchate won't be hereditiary but rather conservative-democratic. Similar arrangement, though unfortunatelly shortlived was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenians_in_the_Ottoman_Empire#Armenian_National_Constitution.2C_1863 -- i.e. there WAS trend for territorialization of the Millet system of the Ottomans.
2. Bulgaria could have the Ottoman Sultan as an emperor, nominal Head of State, but the Head of government to be directly or by-parlament elected, thus becoming de jure monarchy , but de facto presidential republic. Again the Ottomans would have interest to delegate their European territories affairs to this entity from which they'll have lots of positives, given they have the anti-seccession mechanisms in place. ( In fact such talks have been held between PM Stambolov and the Sultan in early 1890es ). Bulgaria would be far better off, too cause it won't be impacted by the international politics while persuading the national unification dreams... and being in very fast pace industrializing nation would enjoy the vastness of the Ottoman market.
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Interesting indeed.
Would there be some way to combine the two?
*Bulgaria in this sense might end up with most of the Balkans sth of Wallachia