An Islamic Romania

[Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy]

I don't think that's really true. The period of actual conflict between the principalities and the Ottomans was not long,

There wasn't a "period of actual conflict", there was alternating war and peace between the late 14th and early 16th century, and after that mostly peace. But my point was that the Ottoman Empire was our most common adversary - we fought them more often than any other neighbor but the Tatars, who raided constantly.

and Ottoman rule was by the standards of the time light and unobtrusive, other than the unfortunate Phanariot thing. The "huge" tribute was actually rather small - mostly a symbolic thing -

Didn't seem like that to us. Furthermore, the tribute was only the more direct way by which we were getting shafted. Many princes between the early 16th century and the Phanariote period acquired their crown by spending a fortune on bribes and strategic ties and backroom deals. Once in power they needed to not only make that fortune back but also another fortune on top of it to fight off the exact same methods being used by their rivals; and on top of all that they needed to make a profit, which was the whole point of their effort.

and doesn't remotely compare to the situation of Romanians in Transylvania, who had very little rights at all in Hungary, or the forced Russification campaigns the Romanians of Bessarabia faced.

We're quite capable of multitasking. Anyway, our current beef with the Turks is more about ego - the others are more serious than that.

I think a lot of the attitude about the Ottomans stems from adopting a European identity. European = that which is not Ottoman.

You can't ignore the weight of history here. The Phanariote period left a deep scar that was still felt when Romanian nationalism appeared, and post-Phanariote Ottoman policy toward the Principalities was, for lack of a better word, retarded.

My point isn't that Ottoman rule was utopia, I'm saying that the ex-Ottoman states had an opportunity for national development in the Ottoman context that would have been difficult under the Hapsburgs and impossible under the Russians. Perhaps not as favorable as under total independence, but your Hospodars were no angels either, and independence wasn't going to happen under OTL's geopolitical realities.

As I said, the idea that all the bad was for the better isn't the sort that gets wide acceptance.

I mean if Vlad III is held up as a national hero, you were just fucked.

Not sure what you mean by this.

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

Decided to bump this thread. Any particular way Romania can become mostly Muslim.