Encyclopaedia Judaica
Jews in Ottoman
Empire 02: Surrounding Constantinople
Ottoman occupation of Asia Minor, Bulgaria, and Greece
- liberation from harsh Christian Orthodox Byzantium
terror rule
from: Ottoman Empire; In:
Encyclopaedia Judaica 1971, vol. 16
presented by Michael Palomino (2008)
<GROWTH OF OTTOMAN EMPIRE UNTIL CAPTURE OF CONSTANTINOPLE
(1453)
[1326: Bursa: Jews are
liberated from Christian Orthodox Byzantium terror - new
rights - new tax (kharaj)]
The first Jewish community to come under their protection
was that of *Bursa (Brusa), which was captured in 1326 by
Urkhan (1326-1359), the son of 'Uthman. In accordance with
the pact made between the inhabitants of the town and the
captors the Greek inhabitants were removed: the Jews
returned to the town by themselves and settled in a special
district, Yahudi
mahallesi (Jewish quarter).
The conquest was a blessing for the Jews after the
experience of servitude under [[Christian Orthodox]]
Byzantium, which had decreed harsh laws upon them: the Jews
were permitted by the sultan, who issued a firman (royal
order), to build a synagogue (Ez Hayyim). They were also
allowed to engage in business in the country without
hindrance and to purchase houses and land in the towns and
villages. On the other hand, they were obliged to pay the
government the poll tax, called here *kharaj.
Its collection was placed in the hands of a communal board
of elders (administrators) who usually paid for the poor. In
order to be certain that the number of taxpayers was
correct, the officers of the government treasury made the
elders take an oath while holding Scrolls of the Law in
their hands. At a later period this tax was imposed upon the
districts, and the community leaders of every district
apportioned it in accordance with the members of each
community.
[15th century: Jewish
influx from France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal]
The Jews of Bursa were all old inhabitants of the country
and were called *Romaniots (or Gregos); during the 15th
century they were joined by Jews from *France and *Germany,
as well as refugees from *Spain and *Portugal.
[Gallipoli liberated from
Christian Orthodox Byzantine terror]
The son of the sultan Urkhan, the vizier Suleiman Pasha,
proceeded to Europe, capturing *Gallipoli, which from early
times had had a small Jewish community, which, because of
persecution by the Byzantine emperors, had not grown. With
the beginning of Ottoman rule the community grew, however,
through the addition of local Jews.
[Angora and Adrianople
(Edirne) - Adrianople as new capital and largest Jewish
community - further occupations]
Angora (*Ankara) and *Adrianople (Edirne) were captured by
the sultan Murad I (1360-89). In Angora there was a Jewish
community from early times. Adrianople, which the sultan
turned (col. 1530)
into his capital in 1365 - in place of Bursa - became the
largest town in the empire and contained the largest Jewish
community in the Balkan Peninsula. Jews from Germany, Italy,
and France lived there, as well as Karaites. The Ottomans
continued their conquests taking Philippopolis (*Plovdiv),
*Sofia, and other towns. Nicopolis (*Nikopol) and Vidin were
captured by the sultan Bayazid I (1389-1403). These towns
contained various Jewish communities.
[Hungarians expelled to
Nicopolis - occupation of Bulgaria - stopped Mongols -
tolerance in Smyrna]
Besides the Rumanian [[Romanian]] and Bulgarian Jews, who
were early inhabitants, there were also recent settlers from
Hungary who had been driven out in 1376 by command of the
Hungarian king Ludwig I and admitted to Walachia near
Nicopolis. They continued from there, settling in Nicopolis
itself and in Vidin.
Bayazid conquered all *Bulgaria and fought the Mongols near
Angora [[Ankara]]. The town of *Izmir (Smyrna) was captured
by Sultan Muhammad I (1413-21). Before his conquest not many
Jews lived there, but afterward Jews from all the
surrounding districts concentrated in the town and
established a community.
*Salonika and *Ioannina were captured by Sultan *Murad II
(1421-51). At the time of the capture of Salonika in 1430 -
which had been in the possession of the Venetians - the city
had an ancient Romaniot community which had been augmented
by refugees from Germany and Italy. Ioannina was captured
two years later, together with other places in *Albania
where Jews lived. The Jews were well treated. Many were
enrolled in the troop of foreigners called ghariba (aliens) which
was established.
[Jewish dresses with yellow
headwear - Turks with green headwear]
Murad II was the first to introduce special clothes for Jews
(ghiyar; see Covenant of
*Omar). They were compelled to wear long garments like other
non-Muslims (Greeks and Armenians); their headwear was
yellow in order to distinguish them from other non-Muslims,
while the Turks wore green headwear and were called "green
ones" by the Jews.
[Occupation of
Peloponnesus]
A large part of the Peloponnesus was captured by Murad; Jews
had lived there from earliest times (see *Greece). Murad's
attitude toward them was expressed by his appointment of a
Jews as personal physician.> (col. 1531)
^
