Релациите меѓу Високата Порта и Охридската архиепископија во 18 век (причини за приближување и одделување)
Relations between the Sublime Porte and the Archbishopric of Ohrid in the 18th century (reasons for rapprochement and estrangement)

Summary/Abstract: Non-canonical abolition of the Ohrid Archbishopric on May 17, 1767 is an act that made deep impact in Macedonian history. The abolition of the Ohrid Archbishopric, conducted at the discretion of the Constantinople Patriarchate – is the key axis around which present denials of Macedonian Church revolve together with the denial of historical cultural tradition of Macedonian nation, Macedonian territories and Macedonian name. As a result of this situation, from today’s perspective, we are given the opportunity to highlight the raising of Macedonian question, which unfortunately hasn’t been resolved primarily due to the politics of our neighbours. Since the abolishment occurred during the Ottoman rule in Macedonia, the subject matter results from it as well as the consideration of relations between the Sublime Porte and the Ohrid Archbishopric. Ever since the 14th century Macedonia was territorially and administratively under the Sublime Porte, where as spiritually it was independent (as of the 10th century). The Porte not interfering with the autocephaly of Ohrid Archbishopric provided a range of benefits to the development of Macedonian medieval written tradition (notably by scriptor centers), the continued development of Slavic church services, the development of other cultural spheres as well as preservation of Macedonian folk language and Macedonian beat. The key turning point in deteriorated relationship between the Archbishopric and the Porte occurred in the late 17th or early 18th century, when the Porte was highly engaged in European political and military events, when its economic power declined, when phanariotes strengthened their positions as Constantinople Patriarchate and in the external and internal politics of the Ottoman empire. Their propaganda against Ohrid church superiors was so successful that triggered frequent replacement of archbishops, their financial power was so great that they became leaders in trade on the Balkans, Russia and Europe, they acquired range of privileges, one of the key being that they were official interpreters – dragomen in negotiations between the Porte and European powers. They used it all to achieve their political goal – abolition of the Ohrid Archbishopric, an act through which they tended to realize their Megali Idea for the process of which they began assimilation that interfered with church services, cultural heritage, language, identity and the territory of Macedonian people.

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