The transformation of Ottoman crete: cretans, revolts and diplomatic politics in the late Ottoman Empire, 1895-1898

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate Ottoman Crete during the late Ottoman Empire (1895-1898). It examines the internal dynamics of Ottoman Crete, the Cretan revolts of 1896 and 1897, massive involvement of Greece and the European states into the internal conflicts of the island, the establishment of the autonomous regime, and the withdrawal of the Ottoman forces from the island within a specific historical framework. This study analyzes the Cretan revolts of 1896 and 1897 as manifestations of nationalist ideology in the island. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of internal dynamics and contribution of the local inhabitants as the crucial driving force shaping the overall transformations within the island. Furthermore, it examines the infiltration of the Greek modern identity into Ottoman Crete and its impact on the Orthodox Christian inhabitants of the island. Contrary to the standard argument which is based on a notion that the main aim of the Cretan Christians was to unite with Greece, this dissertation argues that the Cretan Christians aimed to change the socio-economic and political structure of the Cretan society and to seize of power by overthrowing the Ottoman administration and the evacuation of the Ottoman troops from the island. The present dissertation is largely based upon the primary material produced during the period under the study. The Ottoman, British and American archives are the main archives that were used in this study. It is the first time that the holdings of the Ottoman Bank Archives and Research Centre on Crete are used in a doctoral dissertation.