Greek independence war 2

The Fall of Constantinople on 29 May 1453 and the subsequent fall of the successor states of
the Byzantine Empire marked the end of Byzantine sovereignty. After that, the Ottoman Empire ruled
the Balkans and Anatolia (Asia Minor), with some exceptions.[i] Orthodox Christians were granted
some political rights under Ottoman rule, but they were considered inferior subjects. [4] The majority of
Greeks were called Rayah by the Turks, a name that referred to the large mass of non-Muslim
subjects under the Ottoman ruling class.[ii][5]
Meanwhile, Greek intellectuals and humanists, who had migrated west before or during the Ottoman
invasions, such as Demetrios Chalkokondyles and Leonardos Philaras, began to call for the
liberation of their homeland.[6] Demetrius Chalcondyles called on Venice and "all of the Latins" to aid
the Greeks against "the abominable, monstrous, and impious barbarian Turks". [7] However, Greece
was to remain under Ottoman rule for several more centuries.
The Greek Revolution was not an isolated event; numerous failed attempts at regaining
independence took place throughout the history of the Ottoman era. Throughout the 17th century
there was great resistance to the Ottomans in the Morea and elsewhere, as evidenced by revolts led
by Dionysius the Philosopher.[8] After the Morean War, the Peloponnese came under Venetian rule
for 30 years, and remained in turmoil from then on and throughout the 17th century, as the bands
of klephts multiplied.[9]
The first great uprising was the Russian-sponsored Orlov Revolt of the 1770s, which was crushed by
the Ottomans after having limited success. After the crushing of the uprising, Muslim Albanians
ravaged many regions in mainland Greece.[10] However, the Maniots continually resisted Ottoman
rule, and defeated several Ottoman incursions into their region, the most famous of which was
the invasion of 1770.[11] During the Second Russo-Turkish War, the Greek community
of Trieste financed a small fleet under Lambros Katsonis, which was a nuisance for the Ottoman
navy; during the war klephts and armatoloi (guerilla fighters in mountainous areas) rose once again.
[12]

At the same time, a number of Greeks enjoyed a privileged position in the Ottoman state as
members of the Ottoman bureaucracy. Greeks controlled the affairs of the Orthodox Church through
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, as the higher clergy of the Orthodox Church was
mostly of Greek origin. Thus, as a result of the Ottoman millet system, the predominantly Greek
hierarchy of the Patriarchate enjoyed control over the Empire's Orthodox subjects (the Rum
milleti[13]).[4]
The Greek Orthodox Church played a pivotal role in the preservation of national identity, the
development of Greek society and the resurgence of Greek nationalism. [iii] From the early 18th
century and onwards, members of prominent Greek families in Constantinople, known
as Phanariotes (after the Phanar district of the city) gained considerable control over Ottoman
foreign policy and eventually over the bureaucracy as a whole. [14]