FROM “MILLET-I HÂKIME” TO ROMANIAN CITIZENS: THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN DOBRUJA AND THE RELATION WITH THE ROMANIAN ROYAL FAMILY
FROM “MILLET-I HÂKIME” TO ROMANIAN CITIZENS: THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN DOBRUJA AND THE RELATION WITH THE ROMANIAN ROYAL FAMILY

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the transformation of the Muslim community in Dobruja from its privileged position as millet‑i ḥâkime within the Ottoman imperial order to its integration as a religious minority in the Romanian nation‑state between 1878 and the interwar period. Focusing on the relationship between the Muslim elites of Dobruja and the Romanian royal family, the study argues that this interaction functioned as a mechanism of mutual legitimation, combining symbolic representation with political‑administrative negotiation.Drawing on archival documents, press sources, institutional regulations, and royal memoirs, the analysis highlights two interconnected dimensions. On the symbolic level, the Romanian monarchy articulated a discourse of tolerance through royal proclamations, visits, architectural patronage, and ceremonial practices. The Royal Mosque “Carol I” in Constanța, the Hunchiar Mosque in Bucharest, and the orientalist aesthetics of royal residences at Balchik exemplified a visible incorporation of Muslim presence into the national imaginary. At the same time, representations found in the writings of Queen Marie reveal a benevolent, though asymmetrical, engagement with Muslim alterity.On the political‑administrative level, the study traces the preservation and reconfiguration of Islamic institutions—Muftiates, Qadiates, Muslim communities, and educational structures—within the Romanian legal framework. While the monarchy often symbolically endorsed the protection of Muslim religious autonomy, structural limitations persisted, particularly regarding institutional unification, stable financing, and political representation. Muslim elites responded by adopting a strategy of what can be described as “prudent loyalty”: a consistent affirmation of allegiance to the Romanian state and crown, coupled with moderated claims and limited criticism.By contextualizing this strategy within broader Balkan patterns of post‑Ottoman governance and “millet legacies”, the article shows that prudent loyalty secured short‑term visibility and protection but also constrained the development of a more assertive institutional critique. The Dobrujan case thus offers insight into the negotiated integration of Muslim communities in Southeastern Europe and the enduring influence of imperial governance models in modern nation‑states.

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