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THE CAPITULATIONS In the autumn of 1556, when the army bearing the corpse of Süleyman reached Belgrade, his heir, Selim II, came to pay final respects to his father and receive the homage of the troops. To gratify the soldiers, especially the Janissaries, Selim distributed a bonus to each man, a dangerous custom which, once begun, could never be omitted by his successors. The politics of Istanbul were dominated in the early part of his reign by Mehmet Sokullu who held the office of grand vezir. He, in turn, was supported by the financial power of several wealthy Sephardic Jewish families of the capital, especially Doña Gracia and her son Joseph Nasi. Another, less influential group, dominated by the sultan's principal wife, opposed Mehmet Sokullu and sought to increase Venetian interests over French in Selim's council. Since Sokullu hoped to revive the French alliance, inoperative since the death of Francis I, new talks were commenced between the vezir and the French ambassador in Istanbul. These resulted in an agreement known as the Capitulations of 18 October 1569, the first of a long series of such agreements between Paris and Istanbul which made France the most important ally of the Turks as long as the Empire existed. The implications for the future of Catholicism in the sultan's domain were most important, for under the shield of the Capitulations it was possible for the church to send missionaries into Ottoman lands to provide for Catholic Christians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AFTER THE CONQUEST During the Turkish siege of Constantinople, which began in late April 1453, the Catholic community living within the Byzantine capital was divided. Some actively sought to aid Emperor Constantine XI and the Greek defenders; others believed that the only practical course was to remain neutral. Generally speaking, the first point of view was held by those living inside the city's walls, Venetians and those Westerners who had come specifically to aid in its defence. With them stood Cardinal Isidoros of Kiev, legate of Pope Nicholas V, who had announced the decisions of the Council of Florence in the past December, his companion Leonardo of Chios, archbishop of Mitilini, and the Franciscan friars of the convent of St Anthony of the Cypresses. They believed it their duty to support the emperor because he had advocated the union of the churches. The contrary opinion was held by most of the Latin Catholics who lived in Galata, the thriving Genoese colony on the eastern side of the Golden Horn. There were no romantics in that community of hard-headed merchants whose sentiments reflected the sober assessment that the Empire could not survive. It made little difference to them whether the ruler of Constantinople was Greek or Turk. Their concern was business; they could deal with anyone who allowed them to pursue their commercial interests in the East. While they might sympathize with the gallant struggle of their fellow Christians, they were anxious to be on good terms with Mehmet II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MEHMET II ATTACKS BELGRADE Before the conquest of Constantinople there was a single precedent for relations between the Turkish government and a Catholic community. This was the treaty concluded between Sultan Bayezit I and Dubrovnik (Ragusa) in 1399, which allowed the citizens of that town to pay an annual tribute and recognize the sultan's sovereignty in return for local autonomy and the right of its merchants to travel freely within the borders of the empire. Dubrovnik was completely Catholic. No Orthodox churches were permitted there and any person seeking to remain in the city had to convert to the Latin faith. Within its wall, churches and monasteries abounded. However, the aristocrats who governed the city saw to it that the church's role was kept subordinate to political interests. To ensure this, they enacted legislation which specified that no native citizen might become archbishop lest he become ambitious and busy himself with municipal affairs. The unique arrangement which the nobility enjoyed with the Turks may have been frowned upon by other Christian states, but it brought prosperity to the Dubrovnik merchants, who formed colonies in all the major cities of the Ottoman world. The continuation of their treaty of vassalage to the sultan was the cornerstone of Dubrovnik's security and it had the highest priority in the city's foreign policy. The treaty was respected and renewed by Mehmet II. The Orthodox Serbs who lived east of Dubrovnik did not enjoy the same benign treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]