MILLET


Meaning of MILLET in English

n.

Turkish term referring to an autonomous religious community under the Ottoman Empire ( 0441; 1300–1923).

Each millet was responsible to the central government for obligations such as taxes and internal security and also had responsibility for social and administrative functions not provided by the state. Beginning in 1856, a series of secular legal reforms known as the Tanzimat ("Reorganization") eroded much of their administrative autonomy.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.