Between Empire and Nation: Muslim Reform in the Balkans by Milena Methodieva, Stanford University Press, 2021, 344 pp, $75 (hardcover), ISBN 9781503613379.

Milena Methodieva's book Between Empire and Nation significantly contributes to filling a crucial void in the literature concerning Muslim minorities in Europe.While there exists a wealth of literature in other languages, particularly regarding the Turkish minority, there has been a notable absence of an English book to disseminate this knowledge to an international audience.By concentrating on the initial three decades following Bulgaria's establishment as a state (1878-1908), Methodieva's work delves into the intricate responses of Muslim communities to Bulgarian state policies, internal divisions within the community, and the complexities of conflicting loyalties and identities.Chapter 1 presents an overview of Ottoman rule in the Balkans from its inception until the conclusion of the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-78.In Chapter 2, attention shifts to the administrative structures of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia, established during the nine-month Russian provisional administration and the early years of the Bulgarian constitution.The chapter contends that, compared to its counterparts, the new Bulgarian constitution and minority administration displayed significant liberalism.The author argues that "the idea of a government guided by civic principles that afforded equal treatment of all diverse communities underpinned the official policies and rhetoric of the Bulgarian state" (pp.48-49).However, these principles as symbols of integration into the Western civilization turned out to be discriminatory when "there was an implicit understanding that the Bulgarians were the dominant group within the larger narod" (p.50).Despite addressing population movements and Muslim emigration, the chapter's examination of legal and administrative frameworks does not approach these foundational aspects of the Bulgarian state critically.For instance, the author mentions that Muslim minorities fell under the administration of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign and Religious Affairs (MFRA), attributing this to the Bulgarian intention to eliminate Ottoman intervention in religious matters of the minority (p.61).However, there is no interrogation as to why Muslim citizens of Bulgaria, possessing equal rights, were treated as "foreigners" under this administrative arrangement (Turan 1998, 188).Additionally, the text overlooks the categorical issues arising from grouping Turks, Pomaks, Tatars, and Roma under the Bulgarian state's definition of the Muslim minority.This portrayal contrasts sharply with minority communities' selfperception, where Islam is one aspect of their diverse religious, ethnic, and historical identities (Katsikas 2009, 183).Chapter 3 transitions from the state to the municipal level, examining the impact of urban transformations on Muslim communities.Drawing on examples from various Bulgarian cities, the book adeptly illustrates how ambitious urban redevelopment projects, mirroring those in Western European cities, inadvertently served as mechanisms for eradicating Ottoman heritage.This eradication mirrored the perception among Bulgarian elites that the Ottomans represented backwardness, and their removal from the Bulgarian landscape represented a crucial step toward integration into Western civilization.The chapter elucidates the detrimental consequences of this process on Muslim endowment (vakf) properties and land tenure.Beginning with Chapter 4, the book's primary contribution becomes evident: a thorough investigation of Muslim communities utilizing Ottoman Turkish and Bulgarian newspapers, along with archives from both states.This chapter is particularly significant for challenging the prevailing