The movements of the Bulgarian gangs in Macedonia as reported in the Prime mMinister's Ottoman archives (1870-1912)

Various problems emerged in the Balkan territory under the rule of the Ottoman Empire beginning from the 19th century. Of these, the most significant one was probably the nationalism movement caused by the French Revolution. Inarguably, the Ottoman Empire, which then included several ethnic groups, was influenced by this movement as well. One of these most prominent ethnic groups was Bulgarians. Bulgarians initiated their first struggle on the way to national awakening against the Ecumenical Patriarchate. After obtaining their religious freedom by gaining victory in their first struggle against the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the 19th century, their subsequent aimed was to struggle against the Ottoman Empire and gain their political independence. To attain this aim, Bulgarians aspired towards the Macedonian territory. Due to its strategic significance, the Macedonian territory became a prominent land in the Balkans. Numerous armed gangs were organized by Bulgarians so as to cut Macedonia off from the Ottoman rule. The Bulgarian gangs aimed at proving the weakness of the Ottoman Empire by disorganizing the Macedonian territory. Therefore, the Ottoman Empire tried to take various measures in order to suppress the attacks and movements of these gangs. Key Words: Bulgarian Gangs, Macedonia, the Ottoman Empire, Committee.