Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

erlikhan · 23rd May 2005, 01:09 PM

interesting . about the "Ottoman period- etnoghraphic weapons of Balkan peoples else than Turks" subject, according to my opinion, just opinion open to all corrections, matter is densely related to 1-religion 2- distance to Istanbul and how much direct the control over the land is.
Peoples like Albanians and Bosnians which entered Islam became politicaly equal citizens who could carry edged weapons. They continued to have and develop their own characteristic etnoghraphic arm styles under Ottoman rule,and we all know their characteristics from plenty of definite samples. Croatians,Hungarians were distant to Istanbul, total time under rule was relatively short, Turkish civil colonisation less or none, and control was weaker or indirect, which let their characteristic arms live too. western part of today's Romania was like that too. But , when it comes especially to Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece , as the control was direct, land strategically critical, Turkish colonisation was dense even reaching to 30-50s of the total population countrywide , local Christian people were not let to carry weapons,especially long ones I am sure strictly forbidden with perhaps very little exceptions. The environment wasnt suitable for the local types to live and evolve. For example, as all samples I have seen of what is called Greek yatagans and daggers carry clear Islamic prayers, dragon head and Turkish figures, I have to think they'd better be counted still of Turko-Islamic origin having geographical nuances, ordered by mostly Moslem customers to Turk or any other local Moslem or Christian craftmen. But of course this was till 1800s. Then, with the decrease and fall of Ottoman authority, rising nationalism and interest to ethnical roots, any model could be fastly recreated, developed ,modified using Turkish ones, or national types of pre-Ottoman middle age, any other types etc. This could explain the lack of characteristic national weapon samples from Ottoman era of before 19th c. in these Balkan countries. A good sample which can be attributed directly to these people must have some Christian religious or national signs. Are there such numerous samples that I dont know?
regards

23rd May 2005, 01:09 PM	#14
erlikhan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Istanbul Posts: 452	interesting . about the "Ottoman period- etnoghraphic weapons of Balkan peoples else than Turks" subject, according to my opinion, just opinion open to all corrections, matter is densely related to 1-religion 2- distance to Istanbul and how much direct the control over the land is. Peoples like Albanians and Bosnians which entered Islam became politicaly equal citizens who could carry edged weapons. They continued to have and develop their own characteristic etnoghraphic arm styles under Ottoman rule,and we all know their characteristics from plenty of definite samples. Croatians,Hungarians were distant to Istanbul, total time under rule was relatively short, Turkish civil colonisation less or none, and control was weaker or indirect, which let their characteristic arms live too. western part of today's Romania was like that too. But , when it comes especially to Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece , as the control was direct, land strategically critical, Turkish colonisation was dense even reaching to 30-50s of the total population countrywide , local Christian people were not let to carry weapons,especially long ones I am sure strictly forbidden with perhaps very little exceptions. The environment wasnt suitable for the local types to live and evolve. For example, as all samples I have seen of what is called Greek yatagans and daggers carry clear Islamic prayers, dragon head and Turkish figures, I have to think they'd better be counted still of Turko-Islamic origin having geographical nuances, ordered by mostly Moslem customers to Turk or any other local Moslem or Christian craftmen. But of course this was till 1800s. Then, with the decrease and fall of Ottoman authority, rising nationalism and interest to ethnical roots, any model could be fastly recreated, developed ,modified using Turkish ones, or national types of pre-Ottoman middle age, any other types etc. This could explain the lack of characteristic national weapon samples from Ottoman era of before 19th c. in these Balkan countries. A good sample which can be attributed directly to these people must have some Christian religious or national signs. Are there such numerous samples that I dont know? regards Last edited by erlikhan; 23rd May 2005 at 08:00 PM.