The Advancement of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans and the Danube Valley

Abstract

The aim of our research partnership was to outline the history of the area called Kosovo today, and to analyse its characteristics from the age of the Roman Empire up to now. This study is to introduce the results of the second phase of the research. In June 1458 the troops of the Ottoman Empire occupied the castle of Smederevo, the last Serbian-ruled area, and thus the Medieval state of the Serbs ceased to exist. Serbia – includig Kosovo – was under Turkish rule for almost 500 years, until as late as 1913. The 454 years of the history of Ottoman Kosovo can be divided into three shorter periods. 1. The period of relatively peaceful coexistence (1458–1683). 2. The period of srtict Turkish control (1686–1804). 3. The period of permanent conflicts (1804–1913). Our paper is to give and in-depth analysis of the characteristics of the above three periods, including political, economic and religios issues, ethnic processes, administrative changes and spatial processes.