By comparatively analysing the territorial regimes, legal arrangements and cultural integration practices of the Byzantine Empire, the Anatolian Seljuk Empire and the Second Bulgarian Empire, this study aims to reveal the effects of the harmonisation processes with ethnic and religious minorities on state legitimacy and the political loyalty of the population. Through a historical-communicative method of analysis, primary sources such as contemporary Byzantine chroniclers such as Anna Comnena, Leo Diakonos, George Akropolites, Niketas Choniates, as well as epigraphic and foundation documents are systematically evaluated. The study shows that the Byzantine transition from the thema system to the pronoia system transformed the peasants into a dependent economic class, while the Seljuk miri land regime strengthened the political loyalty and territorial stability of the local Greek population. In contrast, pronoia-based land policies in the Second Bulgarian Empire did not lead to inclusive integration, preserved the privileged position of noble and religious landowners, and did not lead to revolutionary change in favour of the peasantry. In conclusion, the distinctive roles played by different territorial arrangements and strategies of cultural appropriation in shaping the perception of "Romanness" and loyalty to state authority in frontier societies are highlighted, along with their historical and sociocultural contexts.
Berkay Gürel (Tue,) studied this question.