Kayser-I-Rum taken seriously? Ottomans form Third Rome?

[The Whispering Monk]

"Around ~25% of the Greeks converted, ~35% of the Bulgarians converted, and most albanians and Bosniaks converted. It wouldn't be out of the question to assume that a good minority of Italians would convert too." Quoted from Sārthākā

Wasn't a primary motivator for some of those conversions the fact that you paid less taxes?

only mention the point to show those conversions to be potentially skin deep.

 

[Sārthākā]

"Around ~25% of the Greeks converted, ~35% of the Bulgarians converted, and most albanians and Bosniaks converted. It wouldn't be out of the question to assume that a good minority of Italians would convert too." Quoted from Sārthākā

Wasn't a primary motivator for some of those conversions the fact that you paid less taxes?

only mention the point to show those conversions to be potentially skin deep.

Conversion in Greece was definitely motivated by the Jizya and Conscription Laws, however, that was not really the case in Bulgaria, Albania and Bosnia. Bulgaria was largely affected by the sheer proximity it had to the centre of the empire, Istanbul,and Albania and Bosnia converted despite attempts by the Ottomans to stop said conversions.

 

[History Learner]

Conversion in Greece was definitely motivated by the Jizya and Conscription Laws, however, that was not really the case in Bulgaria, Albania and Bosnia. Bulgaria was largely affected by the sheer proximity it had to the centre of the empire, Istanbul,and Albania and Bosnia converted despite attempts by the Ottomans to stop said conversions.

Said features would not be in effect for Italy, however.

 

[Sārthākā]

Said features would not be in effect for Italy, however.

That would largely depend on the nature of the conquest, i would believe. However the reason for why so many Armenians, Coptics, and Greeks converted, bypassing the Conscription and Extra Taxes would still be in place, even in Italy. And the Muslim Sicilians (estimated to be at ~20% of the Sicilian Population by the Spaniards in 1513) would certainly aid the Ottomans consolidate southern Italy at least, which is in extreme close proximity to Ottoman controlled trade routes in the Adriatic and Central Mediterannean

 

[History Learner]

That would largely depend on the nature of the conquest, i would believe. However the reason for why so many Armenians, Coptics, and Greeks converted, bypassing the Conscription and Extra Taxes would still be in place, even in Italy. And the Muslim Sicilians (estimated to be at ~20% of the Sicilian Population by the Spaniards in 1513) would certainly aid the Ottomans consolidate southern Italy at least, which is in extreme close proximity to Ottoman controlled trade routes in the Adriatic and Central Mediterannean

I'm not really sure how Muslim Sicilians help conquer Italy given said Sicilians are, well, in Sicily. Likewise it needs to be noted the Armenians, Copts and the likes converted over quite literally centuries of Muslim rule in a very slow process; despite Egypt being among the first conquests of the Islamic Armies it until the 11th Century just to get a bare majority in place; such a timeframe imposed upon Italy from the late 15th Century would mean it would take until the OTL Victorian Age, presuming it could be done. Certainly a lot of the local factors that influenced conversion in the Balkans and the like wouldn't be in place in Italy, such as the inter-Orthodox disputes (ironically relating to Church unification with the Catholic Church).

I don't doubt there would be some conversion among the Italians, it just wouldn't be as large or as fast as in the Balkans.

 

[Sārthākā]

I'm not really sure how Muslim Sicilians help conquer Italy given said Sicilians are, well, in Sicily. Likewise it needs to be noted the Armenians, Copts and the likes converted over quite literally centuries of Muslim rule in a very slow process; despite Egypt being among the first conquests of the Islamic Armies it until the 11th Century just to get a bare majority in place; such a timeframe imposed upon Italy from the late 15th Century would mean it would take until the OTL Victorian Age, presuming it could be done. Certainly a lot of the local factors that influenced conversion in the Balkans and the like wouldn't be in place in Italy, such as the inter-Orthodox disputes (ironically relating to Church unification with the Catholic Church).

I don't doubt there would be some conversion among the Italians, it just wouldn't be as large or as fast as in the Balkans.

On that I would agree. The only place conductive for large scale conversions in Italy i would feel would be in the Apulian Peninsula, and the eastern seaboard of Sicily and the coastal regions of Calabria. Considering their importance in trade, these areas would be conductive for relatively fast conversion like in Albania, which was also partially motivated by the Adriatic trade to convert.

 

[stevep]

I think as well as escaping taxation being Muslim, at least in the earlier Caliphate's so probably at some times in the Ottoman empire it was seen as opening up better career opportunities. Especially if you wanted higher ranks in the civil service or military.

Very likely initial conversions would in many cases be superficial but to later generations of the family its likely to be accepted that your Muslim.

Would agree that its unlikely you would see rapid conversions in a conquered Italy, if that occurred, unless there were distinct social reasons for it. Such as Ottoman rule proving significantly better for a proportion of the population. Not sure what life was like in much of Italy at the time and what the Ottomans might have done differently as to whether this would be a possibility. Also given the deep links between Italy and the Catholic church which was the only really unifying element in the peninsula at the time I suspect a lot would cling to their faith. There isn't the same incentive as there was in the Balkans.