BOZAN, Oktay Dicle Üniversitesi - İlahiyat Fakültesi - İslam Tarihi Bölümü, Turkey

THE ADVENT AND ACTIVITIES OF AMERICAN MISSIONARIES TO DIYARBAKIR PROVINCE IN THE OTTOMAN ERA

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Bymeans of their activities reaching many places in the Ottoman State from the begining of early XIX. century, American missionaries played a critical role in the formation of religious ands ocial life. American ABCFM Protestant Organization, which entered Anatolia forthe purpose of converting Eastern Christians in the Ottoman Stateto protestants from the years of 1830s and founded stations in many cities for the missionary activities in Anatolia, had a special interest on Diyarbakır. This organization began to closely regocnize Assyrians and Armenians in Diyarbakır from the 1840s. In 1850, the missionaries, most of whom were physicians, founded a missionary centre in Diyarbakır and in a short time some other branches were formed. In this process, due to the secterian alterations Muslims also showed fierce reactions to protestant missionarie sbesides Asyrrians and Armenians. In the late XIX. century, American protestant missionaries showed a close interesttoArmenians, even suppoorted them in Armenian rebels that took place in the region. The activities of ABCFM missionaries lasted till the out break of 1st World War, and from then on missionary centres were shutdown.

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Diyarbakir , American missionaries , Armenians , George W. Dunmore , Judson Smith.

dicle university journal of social sciences institute

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