Abstract:

The Ottoman State, administered non-Muslim citizens in a legal structure called the "Millet System". In the frame of this system non-Muslims were separated as three millets: Jews, Greeks and Armenians. Within this structure, all Christian subjects were divided into two as the Greek and Armenian millets. Christian communities not ethnically belonging to these millets were accepted as one of the Greek or Armenian millets according to their religious beliefs. In short, the Ottoman Millet system was a non-ethnic, religious structure. Hence the state recognized its citizens based on their religious identities. The Bulgarians, who are Orthodox Christians, also belonged to the Greek Patriarchate. This led to the implementation of the oppression and assimilation policies of the Greeks to Bulgarians, who belonged to the Greek Patriarchate. Thus, the Bulgarians has struggled to get rid of this situation and to have their national churches by getting out of the Greek millet. The radical changes in the administration of the Ottoman State regarding non-Muslims after The Imperial Reform Edict have increased the struggle of the Bulgarians. As a result, in 1870 the Bulgarians left the Greek Patriarchate and made their national churches recognized by the state. This article examines the struggle to establish the Bulgarian national church and the developments that have taken place after the recognition of the independent Bulgarian church by the state.

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