The Clash Between Albanian Nationalism and the Ottoman Empire Over the Albanian Language, from Tanzimat to 1912

Ethem Çeku and Anton Panchev

Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 2025, vol. 27, issue 5, 714-734

Abstract: This paper examines the clash between Albanian nationalism and the Ottoman Empire, focusing on the role of the Albanian language from the Tanzimat reforms to 1912. The Tanzimat period marked significant political and educational reforms within the 19th-century Ottoman Empire, where elementary education was primarily conducted in religious languages, hindering the development of a unified Albanian national consciousness. This study employs historical and comparative methodologies, utilizing primary and secondary sources to investigate the evolution of Albanian nationalism within the broader context of Balkan nationalist movements. By analysing the role of language in Albanian cultural nationalism and contrasting it with religiously-based nationalisms in neighbouring regions, the paper highlights how efforts to promote the Albanian language as a marker of national identity heightened tensions with Ottoman authorities. The research concludes that the rise of Albanian nationalism, driven by linguistic unity, directly confronted Ottoman interests and mirrored the rise of Turkish nationalism.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/19448953.2025.2461970

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