2708) Russian Atrocities In Asia & Europe During Jun Jul Aug 1877 Constantinople Printed By A. H. Boyajian 1877

A collection of various official and private telegrams respecting the atrocities committed by the Russians in Asia and Europe during the months of June, July, and August 1877.

Series Editor’s Notes
Russian Atrocities in Asia and Europe is an unsophisticated . . work. In the book the Ottoman Government simply printed reports from officials and individual Muslims who had suffered in the 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War, with little editorial comment. It is thus a valuable historical document, although it cannot have been of much use as propaganda.

The book contains numerous misspellings and grammatical infelicities. Only the most obvious misspellings of ordinary words have been corrected. Names and descriptions often appear in the text in more than one form. For example, the Turkish form of the name Muhammad, Mehmet, appears as Mehemmed, Mehemed, Mehemet, and Mehmed. The meanings of these are obvious and have been left unchanged. Spellings and definitions that are not obvious are listed below.

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Abaxes (Abhaz) natives of the Eastern Black Sea region forced from their
lands by the Russians and settled in the Ottoman Empire
araba wagon, drawn by horse, donkey, or water buffalo
Arnautlu Albanian
bashi bozouk (başı bozuk) irregular soldier, drawn from the populace in time of war.
caïmakam (kaymakam) head official of a district (division of a sancak)
Circassians natives of the Eastern Black Sea region forced from their
lands by the Russians and settled in the Ottoman Empire
muderris (müderris) head teacher in a Muslim religious school
mudir (müdür) official in charge of a sub-district, mayor
mutessarif (mutassarıf) official in charge of a sancak (division of a province)
seraskier (serasker) commander-in-chief of the army
Tatars natives of the Crimea, forced from their lands by the
Russians and settled in the Ottoman Empire
zaptieh (zaptiye) gendarme
zeïbek (zeybek) infantryman

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PREFACE
The letters and dispatches, official and private, which are published herewith cover a large area of territory, and come from many different personages. They refer to incidents which have happened during the last few months in various parts of the Empire, and they combine to strengthen each other’s testimony.

From the statements they contain, it will be seen that the Russians invading Turkey in the name of religion have had for their object the extermination of the Turkish race; that they have hesitated at no cruelty or excess however terrible to accomplish this work, and that they have actually succeeded in depopulating and desolating vast, populous, and thriving districts, It will also be noted that this terrible example has been followed not only by the semi-savage Cossacks who have accompanied the Russian forces but also by the ignorant and excitable Bulgarian peasantry, with a result so deplorable that history produces no parallel.

In offering this concurrent testimony of many witnesses to the English public the Ottoman Government desires to rouse no revengeful feelings, but rather to show that Russia has no right to claim the mission of “Humanity’s Champion” and that in invading Turkey she is prompted by no other sentiments than those of greed, ambition and hate.

Upon the misery which this cruel and unjustifiable war has caused it is needless here to dwell. A perusal of the following pages will bring its own conviction to mind of any impartial and reasonable person. Unhappily the mute . .

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