The abolition of the Bektashi Order in 1826 was a turning point for Bektashism. Although the Order was abolished, Bektashism continued to exist clandestinely. The reasons of the abolition are explained extensively by the chroniclers which gave official reasons of the abolition. One of the reasons is that Bektashism was abolished due to its connection with the Janissary Corps. Following the abolition Bektashism was subjected to severe control of the Ottoman Empire. Initially, some Bektashi disciples were exiled, and others were executed in Istanbul. The Bektashi tekkes were destroyed and their waqf revenues were confiscated. Thus, the structure of the Bektashi Order changed after the abolition without ceasing. Moreover, it is known that the Bektashi tradition in the nineteenth century declined. As a result of the abolition, the unity within the Order ended, and the leadership struggle within Bektashism between the &Ccedil / elebi and the Babag&acirc / n became apparent. In this sense, from this struggle within the Order arose issues, such as lineage claims, the representation problem and waqf administration. In the historical context the Ottoman Empire was interested more in the &Ccedil / elebi branch. On the contrary, the Babag&acirc / n branch did not have any official relation with the Ottoman Empire. Therefore the &Ccedil / elebi branch played an important role in comparison with the Babag&acirc / n branch. In this thesis, I analyze the discussions inside the Order resulting from the abolition on Bektashism, which were voiced by the main branches of the Bektashi Order at the end of the nineteenth century.

L’islamisation est une des questions les plus intéressantes de l’histoire ottomane. La longue durée de la domination des Ottomans dans les Balkans a modifié le profil culturel et démographique de la région et l’islamisation a joué un rôle capital. Le changement de foi ne s’accompagnait pas d’un changement de langue, impossible à réaliser et qui n’intéressait pas les sociétés pré modernes comme la société ottomane. Un des groupes les plus connus à avoir été islamisé sur le territoire grec est celui des musulmans hellénophones de Macédoine occidentale, connus sous le surnom ironique de « Vallahades ». Leur langue d’origine grecque et leur maintien de nombreuses croyances chrétiennes et préchrétiennes dans leur comportement religieux les a fait paraître comme des musulmans étranges aux yeux de leurs voisins chrétiens, autant que de ceux des voyageurs et chercheurs qui se sont rendus en Macédoine occidentale au cours des deux derniers siècles de l’empire ottoman. On a ainsi formulé de nombreuses affirmations contradictoires sur leur origine, leur conversion à l’islam, leurs us et coutumes. L’objectif de la présente étude est d’analyser le processus de l’islamisation, en examinant pas à pas à travers les sources de chaque époque les conditions politiques, économiques et sociales qui ont favorisé en tant que motifs fondamentaux le changement de foi ainsi que les facteurs qui ont aidé à l’expansion de l’islam (ordres mystiques et bektachisme). Un autre objectif fondamental est de distinguer la vérité historique de la riche mythologie historique qui s’est inévitablement développée à propos des Vallahades sous l’influence de l’idéologie des États nations à partir du 18e siècle. / Islamization is one of the most interesting issues in Ottoman history. It has played a major role in the change of the cultural and demographic character of the Balkans during the long Ottoman rule of the region. Conversion in religion did not mean change in language as well. The latter was impossible to happen and it did not concern pre-modern societies like the Ottoman one. One of the best known islamized groups in Greece is the case of the Greek-speaking Muslims of western Macedonia, commonly labelled with the pejorative term “Vallahades”. Speaking Greek and maintaining numerous Christian and pre-Christian customs in their religious culture, they seemed like awkward Muslims in the eyes of their Christian neighbours, as well as in the eyes of travellers and researchers visiting the region in the last two centuries of the Ottoman empire. This led a number of contradictory theories regarding their origin, their conversion to Islam, and their culture. The aim of the present thesis is to analyse the process of Islamization and to examine step by step through the sources those political, economic and social circumstances of each period that encouraged the conversion and the general spread of Islam (mainly mystical orders and bektashism). Another important aim is to distinguish the historical truth from the legends regarding the Vallahades that inevitably flourished under the influence of the Nation-states ideology of the eighteenth century.