Simplify the following text for a Grade 12 native English-speaking person.
Original: However , the Ottomans under Abdul Hamid I claimed a diplomatic victory by being allowed to remain the religious leader of Muslims in the now-independent Crimea as part of the peace treaty : in return Russia became the official protector of Christians in Ottoman territory .
Simplified: However , the Ottomans under Abdul Hamid I claimed a diplomatic victory by assigning themselves the protectors of Muslims in Russia as part of the peace treaty .