The Balkans: A History of Bulgaria—Serbia—Greece—Rumania—TurkeyHogarth, D. G. (David George)
History
The Balkans: A History of Bulgaria—Serbia—Greece—Rumania—Turkey
Hogarth, D. G. (David George)
Balkan Peninsula -- History; Eastern question (Balkan)
The third element in Osmanli prestige, inherent qualities of the
Osmanli ‘Turk’ himself, will be admitted by every one who knows him and
his history. To say that he has the ‘will to power’ is not, however, to
say that he has an aptitude for government. He wishes to govern others;
his will to do so imposes itself on peoples who have not the same will;
they give way to him and he governs them indifferently, though often
better than they can govern themselves. For example, bad as, according
to our standards, Turkish government is, native Arab government, when
not in tutelage to Europeans, has generally proved itself worse, when
tried in the Ottoman area in modern times. Where it is of a purely
Bedawi barbaric type, as in the emirates of central Arabia, it does
well enough; but if the population be contaminated ever so little with
non-Arab elements, practices, or ideas, Arab administration seems
incapable of producing effective government. It has had chances in the
Holy Cities at intervals, and for longer periods in the Yemen. But a
European, long resident in the latter country, who has groaned under
Turkish administration, where it has always been most oppressive, bore
witness that the rule of the native Imam only served to replace
oppressive government by oppressive anarchy.
As for the Osmanli’s courage as a fighting man, that has often been
exemplified, and never better than in the Gallipoli peninsula. It is
admitted. The European and Anatolian Osmanlis yield little one to the
other in this virtue; but the palm, if awarded at all, must be given to
the levies from northern and central Asia Minor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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