Some Byzantine laity preferred Latin Christian rule over Ottoman Muslim rule.

Evidence

While the Orthodox clergy preferred the rule of the Sultan to that of the Pope, some of the laity under the fear of threat uttered, “Would that the City were delivered into the hands of the Latins who call upon Christ and the Theotokos, and not thrown into the clutches of the infidel.” 12 This attitude shows the Orthodox reception to the Ottomans was not universally well received. Some still preferred the rulership of another Christian even if it meant slightly changing their doctrine of belief. Perhaps to laity who did not devote their lives to studying and defending the orthodox creed, a small change of words in one’s doctrine was seen as insignificant The Ottomans were therefore not universally seen as a positive change, rather they might be a worse consequence for some Christians. — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 33

Categorization

• XREF: Narrows the common ‘better the Sultan’s turban than the Pope’s tiara’ stereotype; connects to subsequent historiography on Byzantine anti-union sentiment and Ottoman reception. — connects to: The schism within Christianity was perceived as a greater threat than that of a foreign invasion; the Orthodox were relatively receptive towards having the Ottomans as material rulers in contrast to the Latins.; Joseph Bryennius, a Byzantine theologian said, ‘Let no one be deceived by delusive hopes that the Italian allied troops will sooner or later come to us. But if they do pretend to rise to defend us, they will take arms in order to destroy our city, race, and name.’ The military aid of the Latin might push off the Ottoman threat, but this assistance would have far worse consequence than those the rule of the Ottomans would have. Indeed, the Latins would require doctrinal subordination and recognition of papal superiority.; 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 Ottoman rule over submission to the Latin Church. This preference stemmed from a desire to maintain theological autonomy and avoid the doctrinal compromises required by the Latin Church. (+13 more)

Broader Connections

• Orthodox Christians preferred Ottoman rule because it shielded them from Latin interference. #expands (0.80) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 42
• The essay critically assesses the contemporary scholarship on Christian Islamophobia, arguing that it often overlooks the internal Christian divisions and portrays Christianity as a monolithic… #corroborates (0.80)
• Christian communities sometimes preferred Muslim rule to Latin Christian dominion. #corroborates (0.70) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 54
• Orthodox Christians valued doctrinal purity over military alliance with Rome. #expands (0.70) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 49
• Orthodox clergy preferred Ottoman rule over Latin rule during the fall of Constantinople. #expands (0.65) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 60
• Intra-Christian schism outweighed the foreign threat for Orthodox Byzantines. #qualifies (0.60) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 61
• Christians preferred Ottoman tolerance over Catholic persecution #corroborates (0.55) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 75
• Ottomans were seen as a political threat rather than a religious one #expands (0.50) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 76
• Ottoman conquest of Constantinople preserved most Christian churches and Orthodox autonomy. #expands (0.50) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 39