MANASTIR ŞEHRİNDE AMERİKALI PROTESTAN MİSYONERLER VE FAALİYETLERİ (1873-1913)
THE AMERICAN PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES IN THE MONASTIR (BITOLA) PROVINCE AND THEIR ACTIVITIES (1873-1913)

Summary/Abstract: The main purpose of this study is to investigate the activities of the American Protestant missionaries getting into act in the Monastir Province during the period from 1873 until 1913. In this scope, the influence of the missionary activities on the social and political life of the area and the precautions taken by the Ottoman authorities against this have also been tried to be revealed.The Monastir station established in October, 1873 based on the European Turkey Mission was the station placing in the westernmost of the American Board organization. The missionaries in charge at this station opened a boarding school for girls in 1878 and also a home for orphans in 1904. Furthermore, they also got into act some places used as domicile for the purpose of health and education. In addition to the educational institutions founded by the missionaries, they also carried out activities of publishing and distributing religious books for the declaration of ProtestantismThe Ottoman Empire had to sign a treaty enabling privileges such as immunity from real property tax and customs-exemption to the French institutions in 1901. This treaty served as a precedent for other states, and, in this regard, the American Missionaries also took action in order to benefit from the same rights starting from 1903. As a result of too much insistence and political manoeuvres, the American institutions including the boarding school for girls and the home for orphans in Monastir got the rights for benefitting from the exemptions granted to other states in 1907 on condition that they should ensure the conditions in the regulation. From this perspective, the missionaries carried out their activities in order to make apparent the political dominance of the USA in the region.The sources of the present search were mainly the documents available in the Ottoman Archives. Moreover, the missionary reports providing information and comments related to the issue and other sources informing about the activities of the American Protestant missionaries in Monastir Province were considered.

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