Ottoman Perception of French Senegalese Troops

Sam Dolbee, New York University

French Senegalese Troops at Lemnos, 1916
Source: Library of Congress

In the wake of World War I, British, French, and Greek troops occupied the remnants of the Ottoman Empire and war raged for four years, culminating in the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923.  The fight between Turkish nationalists and French forces is perhaps most evident in the south, where two Anatolian cities were given honorific titles in recognition of their efforts.  Maraş became Kahraman (Heroic) Maraş and Antep became Gazi (Veteran) Antep.  But the French found their way to the north, too.  The coal-rich Black Sea city of Zonguldak, whose miners have been treated at length by the late Donald Quataert, was also a target.  This document reports on the arrival of French Senegalese troops in the port city in 1919.     

While the placement of occupying forces surely carried strategic motives, this dispatch evinces as much curiosity about the Senegalese themselves as their proximity to valuable natural resources.  After noting that the 5,000 troops came for the purpose of controlling mines, the writer addresses race, religion, and language.  Although the troops apparently hailed from “south and central Africa” (a puzzling detail given their description as Senegalese), the writer claims, “Regarding the people who are present, they are completely from the black race.”  Continuing, he notes that “some are Muslims and some are idolaters.”  Yet the issue of language and religion provokes some surprise.  “Although they do not know languages other than their mother tongue and the partial French which they speak, for worship, they are seen continuously going to the main mosque.” 

Aside from the almost anthropological tone of the document, it is also a good example of the influence of Persian on Ottoman Turkish.  The word for idolatry, bütperest, comes from the Persian words for idol and worshipper.  Similarly, the expression for mother tongue, lisan-ı maderzad, utilizes the Persian word for congenital and the Arabic word for language or tongue.            

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Source: BOA, DH-EUM-AYŞ 68/51 (24 C 1338, 15 M 1336)

race	occupation