Even today, Bosnia stands out for having a Muslim European population. While Albania also has a Muslim population, it is not Slavic, making Bosnia more unique IMO. Of course, other Balkan nations had (and still have) significant Muslim minorities (e.g., Bulgaria, Greece), but most were either forced to convert or expelled to Turkey later on.
Despite being considerably more distant from Istanbul and the core of the Ottoman Empire, and being surrounded by Christian nations, Bosnia has maintained a majority Muslim population, even after all the wars and post-Yugoslavia conflicts. Some could argue that being encircled by Christian nations—but the "wrong ones," depending on who you ask—was a crucial factor in Bosnia adopting Islam, especially since it was situated between areas where Catholicism and Orthodoxy were in competition.
This religious split predates the introduction of Islam in the region, as Bosnia already "had its own religious institution", the Bosnian Church—a schismatic branch considered heretical by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. However, the Bosnian Church was already in decline before the adoption of Islam. Some might also mention the mysterious "Bogomils," an even older heretical branch of Gnostic Christianity. However, little is known about them, including their true beliefs and influence. Until recently, it was heavily implied that the Bosnian Church was related to Bogomilism, but this idea is now rejected by most scholars.
Therefore, it's evident that the region which would become Bosnia had fertile ground that was neither Catholic nor Orthodox. This, along with the classical joke that 'Croats and Serbs are literally the same people but with a different alphabet and Christianity,' led me wondering if, instead of adopting Islam, Bosnia could have embraced some form of early Protestantism. I apologize for not being able to specify which branch or form of Protestantism would be more 'suitable,' since I don't have a profound knowledge of denominations or the Reformation, but I imagine it wouldn't be too far-fetched to have a South Slav Protestant nation there.
We could consider either a stronger/reformed Bosnian Church or a more 'mainstream' Protestant branch (Hussites offshoot?). I believe this wouldn't significantly change Balkans's history, as it would likely still fall under Austro-Hungarian influence, and Serbia would still attempt to annex these lands, etc. Perhaps later it would be called the 'State of Slovenes, Croats, and Bosnians'? I don't know, but I think it would be interesting to see how this could play out. I can also see some Muslims still exiting, but not as many as IOTL
related threads:
Despite being considerably more distant from Istanbul and the core of the Ottoman Empire, and being surrounded by Christian nations, Bosnia has maintained a majority Muslim population, even after all the wars and post-Yugoslavia conflicts. Some could argue that being encircled by Christian nations—but the "wrong ones," depending on who you ask—was a crucial factor in Bosnia adopting Islam, especially since it was situated between areas where Catholicism and Orthodoxy were in competition.
This religious split predates the introduction of Islam in the region, as Bosnia already "had its own religious institution", the Bosnian Church—a schismatic branch considered heretical by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. However, the Bosnian Church was already in decline before the adoption of Islam. Some might also mention the mysterious "Bogomils," an even older heretical branch of Gnostic Christianity. However, little is known about them, including their true beliefs and influence. Until recently, it was heavily implied that the Bosnian Church was related to Bogomilism, but this idea is now rejected by most scholars.
Therefore, it's evident that the region which would become Bosnia had fertile ground that was neither Catholic nor Orthodox. This, along with the classical joke that 'Croats and Serbs are literally the same people but with a different alphabet and Christianity,' led me wondering if, instead of adopting Islam, Bosnia could have embraced some form of early Protestantism. I apologize for not being able to specify which branch or form of Protestantism would be more 'suitable,' since I don't have a profound knowledge of denominations or the Reformation, but I imagine it wouldn't be too far-fetched to have a South Slav Protestant nation there.
We could consider either a stronger/reformed Bosnian Church or a more 'mainstream' Protestant branch (Hussites offshoot?). I believe this wouldn't significantly change Balkans's history, as it would likely still fall under Austro-Hungarian influence, and Serbia would still attempt to annex these lands, etc. Perhaps later it would be called the 'State of Slovenes, Croats, and Bosnians'? I don't know, but I think it would be interesting to see how this could play out. I can also see some Muslims still exiting, but not as many as IOTL
related threads:
Why Did Bosnia and Albania Convert When No One Else Did?
It seems somewhat odd to me that only two Ottoman controlled regions became majority Muslim when in the other parts of the empire they had largely remained Christian. What where the general causes for only those two to convert while the rest remained the same?
www.alternatehistory.com
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