he general principles of the Koran forbade compulsory conversion. During the Ottoman conquest, whenever the local population chose to surrender unconditionally, they were granted certain privileges, liberties and guaranteed their life. Widespread compulsory Islamization, moreover, would have been disastrous for the state, as the non-Muslims paid higher taxes and constituted the basis of state organization. Besides, the administration was reliant on the institution of the children's levy (paidomazoma) on the selection and training of non-Muslim children for high office. Nevertheless, during the centuries of Ottoman domination in the Balkans and Asia Minor, there were certainly cases of Islamization; in some cases the result of constraint and in others, genuinely voluntary conversion. Conversion to Islam meant severing all social ties, but it also meant access to high office and power. Notable examples of mass Islamization include Crete at the end of the 17th century, and Bosnia from the 15th century. The inhabitants of these regions clearly believed that embracing Islam would bring with it political, social and financial benefits.
