This paper looks at the nature and
long duration of Ottoman
rule in the Balkans. The writer reviews the deep and long lasting
effects on the nations which today make up the Balkan Peninsula. The first part examines how during the first several centuries of Ottoman
rule, its legacy was conducive to the maintenance of order, prosperity and ethnic and religious toleration. The second part explores how certain facets of Ottoman policy and practice, also contributed to the stunting of the area's political, economic and intellectual growth.