Identity issues of the Ottoman Greeks in the age of nationalism as reflected in the educational policies of the Greek community of İstanbul, 1895-1915

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b1167582 (Table of Contents)

The subject of this thesis is the identity issues of the Ottoman Greeks during the last decade of the nineteenth and the first decades of the twentieth century. The particular research focuses on the educational policies which were applied in the Greek Orthodox schools by the Patriarchate and members of the educated elite of the Greek Orthodox community. The aim of this thesis is to trace back the process of nation building regarding the Greek orthodox community in the Ottoman Empire, especially through the application of the Greek language in the Greek Orthodox schools. The way the Greek language was used by the Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox community in order to Hellenize the Orthodox millet linguistically have been discussed as well as their attitudes and perceptions regarding the teaching of foreign languages in the Greek Orthodox schools and the functioning of the foreign missionary schools, in relation to the process of the linguistic homogenization of the Orthodox millet. Moreover, in order to explain the process of Hellenizing the Orthodox millet linguistically, the attitudes towards the puristic form of the Greek language-Katharevousa- have been discussed as well as the intensively classical orientation of the Greek orthodox education. Finally, the attempts of the Ottoman governments to integrate Greek Orthodox schools into the public educational system and the resistance of the Patriarchate to these attempts have been elaborated.