Political history of Christians in the Orient
The Christianization of the Orient and Europe took place through the proclamation of the Christian faith by the apostles of Jesus Christ and early Christian missionaries in the various regions. The believers of the new religious community were first referred to as Christians (Χριστιανοί) in Antioch . Many Christians were persecuted for a long time by the rulers in the various regions (see also Persecution of Christians ). At times their beliefs were tolerated by the rulers, or the Christians were under the protection of some rulers. In 301 the Christian faith was first introduced in history in Armenia by Trdat III. (280–330) raised to the status of state religion , 325 in Aksum (Ethiopia) by King Ezana, 327 in Georgia ; while Constantine I (280 to 337) is considered the first emperor to reign in the name of Christ in the Roman Empire.
In the centuries that followed, most of the Orient and North Africa was Christianized. Some of the dominions were ruled by Christians. Characteristic of Christian rule is the juxtaposition of secular and spiritual "power", both of which are considered to be given "by God's grace" and should theoretically be exercised in a "symphony". In fact, it was not uncommon for a conflict to arise over this.
Under Islam , Christian communities were given autonomy in internal affairs. This gave the church leaders a "secular power" over the members of their churches. The laity's demands for codetermination have repeatedly led to internal church disputes (e.g. among Armenians and Copts ).
Byzantium
The Byzantine Empire emerged from the division of the Roman Empire into the Western and Eastern Roman Empire. The capital of the Eastern Empire became Byzantium (now Istanbul ) under Constantine the Great . The Byzantine Empire was ruled by Christian rulers until its fall. The empire lasted until Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans in 1453. After that, the Christians (Byzantines) lived as subjects of protection ( dhimma ) in the Ottoman Empire . This status was associated with a lower legal position in relation to the Muslims and the payment of a special tax ( jizya ).
Under Muslim rule
Due to the Islamic expansion and conquest, large parts of the Middle East came under Muslim rule. In the beginning, the Christians in these states were even in the majority but under the Islamic law dhimma , as it were, under protection, ie citizens with fewer rights than the Muslims. The introduction of the tax on non-Muslims resulted in Christians and other non-Muslims converting to Islam.
Muslim rule in the Middle East changed several times ( Umayyads , Abbasids , Seljuks , Saracens , Mameluks , Fatimids , Ottomans ). The frequent changes of rule between Muslim rulers increased the pressure on the minorities to convert to Islam. There have been several pogroms against Christians in the history of Muslim rule .
Individual areas in the region where Christians lived, such as the Ghassanids , Maronites , Nubians , Aramaeans , etc., were for a long time Christian enclaves that were autonomously administered by Christians. These enclaves were within the surrounding large Muslim area.
Crusader States and Protectorates
A temporary change in rule in the Orient took place at times through the Crusades (11th to 13th centuries and the protectorates in the 20th century). Through the crusades, several crusader states ( County Edessa from 1098 to 1144 and County Tripoli from 1151 to 1289, Kingdom of Jerusalem , and the Principality of Antioch ) were founded, which were under Christian leadership, mostly of Western European origin. These crusader states existed from 1098 to 1289 AD. Another Christian state on the verge of the crusades was the kingdom of Lesser Armenia , which lasted 300 years.
Christians were preferred by Muslim rulers as tax officials, treasurers or finance ministers (e.g. the son of Gabriel ibn Bochtischu ). There were several reasons for this. Practical reasons include the weak position of Christians as a minority, who put themselves in danger if they are unfaithful, and many Christians were well educated. Banking in the Middle East was first built by the Christians. A fundamental reason may also be the Islamic rule, which prohibits Muslims from earning interest.
Modern times
With the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, the western states of France and Great Britain took over Middle Eastern protectorates in what is now Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait. With the creation of the state of Lebanon , some offices were reserved for oriental Christians in government as well as in the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and in political practice. The Lebanese President is a Maronite and the Deputy Prime Minister is an Orthodox Christian. The ministerial portfolios as well as the parliamentary seats in Lebanon are to be filled according to a denominational key. In Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt there are some Christians in parliament, and usually a Christian minister in the respective governments. But there is currently no state in the Middle East that is run solely by politicians of Christian denominations.
See also
literature
- Paul Löffler: Arab Christians in the Middle East Conflict: Christians in Political Tension . Lembeck, Frankfurt / Main 1976
- Alfred Schlicht: France and the Syrian Christians 1799–1861. (Islamic Studies Volume 61) Klaus Schwarz, Berlin 1981
- Boulos Harb: From the cedar land to the oak forest: memories of a rebellious oriental Christian . Schiler, Berlin 2012, discussed by Wolfgang G. Schwanitz : Christians under the star, cross and half moon (PDF; 245 kB). Explizit.Net, October 23, 2012.