Muslims of Crete island during the period of Ottoman rule, origin and destiny

The island of Crete was conquered by the Ottomans between 1644-1669 AD/1054-1080 AH. In a relatively short time after this conquest, there were a large number of Muslims on the island of Crete. This Muslim population, which initially had a relatively better position compared to the Christians of the island, was put in a difficult position after the beginning of the independence movements of the Christians of the island in 1821 AD/1326 AD. The main topic of this research is the study of the origin of the Muslim population of the island, the emergence of a large Muslim population in a relatively short period of time and its fate after the beginning of the independence movements on the island. Based on available first-hand sources and with a descriptive analytical approach, this research attempts to answer the question of how the large Muslim population of Crete emerged and what was the fate of this large population after the beginning of the independence movements and the weakening of the Ottoman government’s power on the island. The results of the study showed that a large part of the island's Muslim population were the natives of the island who converted to Islam as a group and individually since the beginning of the Ottoman conquests on Crete. After the beginning of the independence movement in Crete, especially from the end of the nineteenth/beginning of the fourteenth century, i.e. simultaneously with the weakening of the power of the Ottoman government, these Muslims were attacked by Christian Greeks and their property was often looted or destroyed. The Muslims were forced to leave the island as living conditions became increasingly difficult.