Ottoman conquest of Constantinople preserved most Christian churches and Orthodox autonomy.

Evidence

Eventually in 1453, despite the efforts of the Emperor to call upon last minute Latin help, the city fell to Mehmet II. His conquest was similar to the Ottoman takeover of other cities. After distributing the spoils, he called for peace with the Christians and all religious sects in the city. 20 Aside from changing the Hagia Sophia to a mosque, most other churches were granted protection and remained under Christian denomination and management. 21 Further, he allowed for the Orthodox to maintain their autonomy and appointed Gennadios II Scholarios as the new patriarch of Constantinople. 22 He was a staunch anti-unionist and saw the Pope as a far worse alternative to the Sultan. Gennadios saw the best hopes of Orthodox continuity as under the rule of the Ottoman state. — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 39

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader Ottoman millet system and patterns of religious toleration across other conquered Orthodox cities. — connects to: Some Orthodox Christians preferred Ottoman rule to papal supremacy — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople: A Critical…, 23; Ottoman control preserved Orthodox autonomy while Latin control demanded papal supremacy — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople: A Critical…, 26; Some Byzantine laity preferred Latin Christian rule over Ottoman Muslim rule. — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople: A Critical…, 33 (+9 more)
• QUESTION: Gennadios’s anti-unionist stance raises the question of how much Ottoman rule was preferred to Latin Church union by ordinary Orthodox believers.

Broader Connections

• Orthodox authorities perceived an invasion by the Latins as worse, for they would not afford them autonomy which might be hoped under Muslims. The land might remain under Christian rule, but the… #expands (0.90)
• The fall marked the end of the Eastern Roman Empire and highlighted the deep-rooted theological tensions within Christianity, tensions that were so profound that many Orthodox Christians preferred… #expands (0.85)
• The Orthodox church retained virtually all the traditional apparatus of their administration without having to compromise and alter a part of their beliefs or practice. As the millet system was a… #expands (0.85)
• Byzantine Orthodox preferred Muslim conquest over theological compromise with Latin Christians #expands (0.80) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 25
• The millet system allowed for each religious community within the city to have their own courts and religious hierarchy and educational systems. For example, for the Jews a chief haham was… #expands (0.80)
• Orthodox clergy preferred Ottoman rule over Latin rule during the fall of Constantinople. #expands (0.75) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 60
• Orthodox Christians preferred Ottoman rule because it shielded them from Latin interference. #expands (0.70) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 42
• Orthodox Christians valued doctrinal purity over military alliance with Rome. #expands (0.65) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 49
• Islamic conquests disestablished Christianity without systematic persecution #corroborates (0.55) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 115