ies ▁of ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁with ▁the ▁r uling ▁Ott om ans ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁an ▁Alban ian ▁state ▁in ▁past , ▁national ism ▁was ▁less ▁developed ▁among ▁Alban ians ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁than ▁among ▁other ▁sout heast ▁European ▁nations . ▁Only ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁and ▁on wards ▁did ▁a ▁movement ▁of ▁‘ n ational ▁aw ak ening ‘ ▁evol ve ▁among ▁them ▁- ▁greatly ▁delayed , ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁and ▁the ▁Ser bs . ▁The ▁ 1 8 7 7 – 1 8 7 8 ▁Rus so - T urk ish ▁War ▁de alt ▁a ▁decis ive ▁blow ▁to ▁Ott oman ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁B alk an ▁Pen ins ula . ▁The ▁Alban ians ' ▁fear ▁that ▁the ▁lands ▁they ▁inhab ited ▁would ▁be ▁partition ed ▁among ▁Mont en eg ro , ▁Ser bia , ▁Bulg aria , ▁and ▁Greece ▁fue led ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁Alban ian ▁national ism . ▁ ▁Ott oman ▁Constitution , ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁▁ ▁The ▁reform ist ▁period ▁pe aked ▁with ▁the ▁Constitution , ▁called ▁the ▁Kan û n - u ▁Es â s î ▁( mean ing ▁" Basic ▁Law " ▁in ▁Ott oman ▁Turkish ), ▁written ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Young ▁Ott om ans , ▁which ▁was ▁prom ul g ated ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁November ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁It ▁established ▁the ▁freedom ▁of ▁belief ▁and ▁equality ▁of ▁all ▁citizens ▁before ▁the ▁law .