Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Balkan and Black Sea Studies, cilt.6, sa.10, ss.101-109, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi)
The population balance in Crete, which was annexed to the Ottoman lands in the 17th century, was achieved not through immigration but through conversion. There were different complications within the framework of conversions on the island. One of them was circumcision. Circumcision, one of the conditions of being a Muslim, sometimes created a problem, especially for those who later became Muslims. As a matter of fact, it is understood that some Muslim men in Crete in the 17th and 18th centuries were lax about circumcision. The administration, on the other hand, accepted the practice of circumcision as a “sharia-i istimalet” and tried to prevent laxity in this matter. Another problem with circumcision in the sources arises regarding the practices of crypto-Christians. Circumcision in crypto-Christians refers to a different practice that leaves only a trace.
Keywords: Crete, conversion to Islam, circumcision, Muslim, Christian