Identity, nationalism and cultural heritage under siege : five narratives of Pomak heritage - from forced renaming to weddings

Acknowledgements . . viii
List of Tables and Figures . . ix

1 Heritage of Pluralism or Having Cultural Agency: An Introduction . . 1
  Making Sense of the Past . . 1
  Having Cultural Agency . . 4
  The Role of Heritage Brokers . . 9
  Heritage as Identity . . 14
   1 Heritage as Vernacular (Dissenting) Identity . . 15
   2 Heritage as National (Dominant) Identity . . 20
  Five Case Studies . . 23
  In Conclusion . . 26

2 Nationalism and Violence: The Case of Pomak Christianization (Pokrustvane) in Bulgaria, 1912-1913 . . 32
  The Nationalism Premise . . 33
  The Pomaks . . 40
  War and Pokrustvane (Conversion) in 1912-1913 . . 47
   1 The Balkan Wars . . 48
   2 The Pokrustvane . . 51
    2.1 The Killings in Oral History . . 64
    2.2 The Killings Documented . . 71
    2.3 Humanity and Survival Along the Way . . 75
    2.4 The Pokrustvane of Muslim Prisoners of War (POWs) . . 82
    2.5 The Tide is Turning . . 85
   3 War and Pokrustvane No More . . 91
 Conclusion . . 93

3 The Vuzroditelen Protses: Identity Crisis and the Forced Renaming of the Pomaks (1944-1989) . . 96
  Policy and Ideology of the Vuzhroditelen Protses . . 96
  Bringing about Identity Crisis . . 104
  From Pokrustvane to Vuzhroditelen Protses . . 110
   1 The Rebirth of Organization Rodina . . 110
   2 Mission: "Revival" . . 120
  Turmoil in the (Western) Rhodopes . . 126
  Economic Opportunities in the Vuzhroditelen Protses . . 131
  Conclusion . . 136
   1 External Pressure, Internal Turmoil, and the "Big Excursion" . . 136
   2 The End Is Near or Is It? . . 138
   3 Implications for Pomak Heritage . . 142

4 A Pomak Life of Dissent Amidst Cultural Oppression in Communist Bulgaria . . 144
  Meeting Ramadan . . 144
  Ramadan's Vuzhroditelen-Protses Ordeal . . 145
  Trouble in Kornitsa . . 148
  Trouble in Exile . . 154
  Bloody Revival in the Rhodopes . . 156
  Prison Tribulations . . 161
   1 Arrest, Detention, and Trial . . 161
   2 Tortured Prisoner . . 164
   3 Release and Re-imprisonment . . 168
  "Take the Passport or Die" . . 171
  Conclusion . . 172

5 The Ribnovo Wedding: A Pomak Tradition . . 175
  Introduction . . 175
  Ribnovo: Place and People . . 178
  Colorful Fairytale Ribnovo . . 181
  The Cheiz . . 199
  The Essence of the Ribnovo Wedding . . 201
  Marriage: "The Key Turning Point in... Adult Life" . . 203
  Asserting Identity through Custom . . 208

6 Preserving Historical Heritage: The Case of Salih Aga of Pasmakli, the Pomak Governor of the Ahi Celebi Kaza of the Ottoman Empire (1798-1838) . . 214
  Finding Salih Aga . . 215
  Salih Aga and His Time . . 219
  Who Wrote about Salih Aga . . 223
  Salih's Family Tree . . 228
  Salih, the Family Man . . 230
   1 Mustafa Adzhi Aga . .  230
   2 Salihagavitsa (the Wife of Salih Aga) . . 236
  Salih, the Public Man . . 240
  The Death of Salih Aga . . 242
  Conclusion: Salih Aga's Heritage . . 248

Appendices
2.1 Report of Pazardzhik Activists for Pomak Conversion to Archbishop Maxim . . 252
2.2 Excerpts from the Carnegie Report on the Balkan Wars, 1914 . . 255
3.1A Applications for Emigration Submitted by Pomaks . . 257
3.1B Number of Passports Issued to Pomaks . . 258
3.1C Statistics on Pomak Immigration . . 259
3.2 Statistics on Zagrazhden Municipality . . 260
6.1 Ballad about the Killing of Salih Aga . . 267

Bibliography . . 270
Index . . 275