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Brief History of Reform Attempts in Ottoman Empire

Brief History of Reform Attempts in Ottoman Empire. OTTOMAN EMPIRE. Sultan. Turcomans. Ottoman Empire was a cosmopolitan , multi- ethnic and multi- religious empire ruled by absolute monarchy.

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Brief History of Reform Attempts in Ottoman Empire

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  1. Brief Historyof Reform Attempts in Ottoman Empire

  2. OTTOMAN EMPIRE Sultan Turcomans Ottoman Empire was a cosmopolitan, multi-ethnicand multi-religiousempireruledby absolute monarchy. Fromitsestablishment on, there was a tensionbetween Sultan (theruler) andTurcomanallies. The Absolute Ruler (Sultan) With theconquestof Balkan province, sultansfound out thattheycouldcreate a strong stateand a counter-forceagainstTurcomansfromamong Christians.

  3. Devshirme (Collection, Gathering) System • Sultan Murat I begantheprocessofrecruitingthebrightestandmosttalented male youthsamong Christians in newlyconqueredlands, broughtthemtohiscapitalandtrained. Theywereconvertedto Islam. • Through devshirme system, peoplebecameeithersoldiers (Janissaries) oradministratorsandofficers in centralandprovincialgovernment. • Howevertheirpositionsof power andwealthcould not beinheritedbytheirchildrenwhowereborn Muslims. • The system lasteduntil 18th century.

  4. Through Devshirme System

  5. Anyother Class? Socialandeconomicstructure was stable Thus Nosectorofeconomy (agrarian, commercialorindustrial) was permittedtobecome dominant andupsetthebalance

  6. 16th Century-The Reform Idea

  7. Wheretostart?

  8. Oppositions • Conservatives backedbyJanissariesandreligiousleaders/scholarsrefusedtheideaofreformwhichwouldunderminetheirposition. • There was noforce in society: Neither a bourgeoisienorlandedaristocracytowhichsultancould turn in ordertocounterthe power ofconservatives.

  9. 18th Century • Seriousattemptstowesternizetherulingclassthroughimportof European furnitureandfashionstarted. It was expectedtocreate a newlifestyle! • This westernizationeffortshadtheimpactofmaking a small but significantsegmentofTurkishsocietymore open to Western ideas. • Members ofrulingclassstartedvisiting Europe, especially France. • In 18th century, rulingfamily was reformistandJanissarieswhoweresufficiently powerful todeposereformistsultanswereconservatives.

  10. 18th Century

  11. 19th Century • Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839), a reformistsultan, abolishedJanissaryarmyandestablishednew-style army (Nizam-i Cedid). • Reformist wereabletorestructurethestate but not thesocietybecauseof a lack ofclassorsocialbaseforthenewstate. • 19th centuryreformsbroughtthecreationofnewbureaucraticclassmore loyal tothestatethanthesultanand Ottoman dynasty.

  12. 19th Century Reformers • New bureaucractslaunchednewprogrammeofreformandreorganization. Theysaw Europe astheirmodelandinspiration. Forthem, thereasonforthesuccessof Europe was thesanctityof private propertyandconstitutionallimitations on theauthorityofthesultan. • Theyare also convincedthattheonlywayfor Ottoman Empire tosurvivewas integrationtoworldeconomy. (This idea was partiallyrejectedby Unionist wingof Young Turks after 1908 andthe Kemalist factionduringrepublic. After 1945, itagainbecametheprevailingviewandcontinueduntilearly 1990s).

  13. 1838 Anglo-Ottoman Commercial Convention • This convention was thefirststepby 19th centuryreformerstodestroyexistingsocialandeconomicstructures in ordertomake a wayfornewones. • Untilthisconvention, Ottoman merchantsandcraftsmenwereprotectedagainst European competition. After this, protectionismabandonedandforeignmerchantspermittedtoengagedirectly in internaltradeforthefirst time.

  14. Change Came • In a short time, theempirehadmoved in directiontomoneyeconomy • Itcreateddemandfor cash in rural areas • 1839: Taxfarmingabolishedandreplacedbydirectcollection • Sharp increase in commercialactivityforcedpeasantrytoproducemoreandmoreforthemarket • Moneylendersemerged in rural areas, peasantsbecamedependent on themandsometimesgaveuptheirlandsbecauseoftheirdebts • In 1839 Noble GulhaneRescriptwhichpromisedguaranteeandperfectsecurityforlife, honorandpropertywas declared • 1856 Imperial Reform Edictwhichpromisedequality in educationandgovernmentappointments was declared

  15. Opposition and 1st Constitution • Young Ottomans, thefirst Muslim pressuregroup, opposedfree-trade policiesoftheregime. • In 1876 the 1st constitutionoftheempire was declaredbytheforceof Young Ottomans. This constitution was seenas a voiceofdepressedclassesseekingrelieffromfreetradeandaskforinterventioniststate. • On theopposite, peoplewhobenefitedfromthefreetradepoliciesoftheregimewereseeking a weakand non-interventioniststate. This dichotomy was non-solved in 19th centuryandhaslastinglegacy in presenttimes.

  16. A classissueagain • 19th centurynewbureaucractstriedtocreate a socialbase in Ottoman society. Theygaveemphasis on landholderswhowerebulkofthestaterevenue, largely Muslim andTurkishandpotentiallyreliablesourceofpolitical power. • In 1838 Convention, landholdersweregivengreaterfreedom. The Porte gaveupitspurchasingmonopolyandallowedthemtoselltheirproductsdirectlytoforeignbuyers. • Itledtothecommercializationofagriculturethatlandholdersprospered a lot. Thus, in 1876 landholdersemergedas an interestgroup! • All thereformattempts in 1839, 1856 and 1876 weresteps in recognitionandlegalizationof private property, which was a turningpoint in Turkishpoliticalandeconomichistory.

  17. Abdulhamid II (1876-1909) • Sultan Abdulhamid shelvedthe 1876 constitutionandabolished all free-trade activitiesoftheempire. • Againsthispolicies, theCommitteeofUnion and Progress (CUP) was establishedas a secretsociety in 1889 byyoungarmymembers. • This group, betterknownas Young Turks, restoredtheconstitution in 1908 andruledtheempireuntilits end in 1918.

  18. CUP

  19. Against Unionist Wing of CUP • The army was largelyconservative, reactionaryagainst Unionists andaskedtorestore Abdulhamid power. • In 1912, liberal wingof CUP attemptedtooustthe pro-Unionistscabinetandplacedliberals in power but becauseofthe Balkan wars (1912-1913) itdid not happen.

  20. 31st of March Incident • Liberalstriedto end theruling power of Unionists in 1913 byusing Islamist discourseagainstthem(theirargument was the Unionists weregodlessandatheists). • TheymassacredArmanians in Adana in order British and French armiestointerruptandousttheCommittee. • Forthefirst time, religion was massivelyexploitedforpoliticalends.

  21. Unionists were in Power • 1913, Unionists achievedtotake power andimmediatelyeliminated all otherfactions in thearmy. Manymembersofthearmywhowereagainstthemretiredandthearmy was convertedinto an instrumentof Unionist policy. • The governmentandarmypassedintothehandsofthe same class. • Unionists introducedtheideaofunionandprogressandcommittedtoconstructing a capitalistsociety out ofexistingorder. Theystruggledforthecreationofnewclassesamong Turks especiallybourgeoisie. Theystartedtocreate a national economy in 1908 andbroughtTurkey intotheageofcapitalism. The Republicadoptedthe same policy in 1930s pavingthewayforthetriumphofbourgeoisie in 1950s.

  22. After 1913 • Balkan wars, independencemovementshadchangedthestructureofpopulationwithintheempire. Turkishpopulationbecamemore prominent. However, Islam not nationalismreceivedthemostemphasissincemost Turks still viewedthemselvesprimarilyas Muslims andattachedto Ottoman dynasty. Thus, Islam was an importantfactor in Unionist foreignpolicyas war approached. • Unionistsdecidedtoenter First World War beside Germany and in 1918, atthe end of war, Ottoman empire was severelydefeated.

  23. A New Empire, State, Mandate?

  24. Towards a Nation state • After treatyofSevr was signedby last sultanVahdettin, thearmy was in dilemmaagain. Officerssupportingsultanturnedtheir back againandformer Unionists startedtodefinethemselvesasnationalistsandbecameeagerforresistancemovements. • The armywentforpatriotic-nationalist identityratherthan traditional dynasticone. But whatwouldbetheregime? A constitutionalregimewithcaliphate, a mandateof USA?

  25. Republicof Turkey • Former commander in Ottoman army, Ataturk becamethe prominent leaderofthisperiod. He was appointedasInspectorGeneral ofArmiesof Anatolia andachievedtogather all armedforces in Anatolia underoneumbrellaasAssociationofDefenceoftheRightsof Anatolia andRumeli. • In 1920, Ataturk declared a new Grand National Assembly in Ankara that was independentfrom Ottoman dynasty. • Nobody was expecting a secular, nationalistrepublic out of Ottoman Empire, a multi-ethnic, multi-religioussocietybecauseIslamicdiscourse was verywellusedbynationaliststounite all communities (Arabs, Turks, Kurds, Lazes, Circassians) duringnationalist war. However, after firstworld war, Turkey had a small, immaturebourgeoisieandaccordingto Ataturk himself, that was sufficienttoestablish a secularrepublicwhichwouldhave rapid progresstowardsmodernity. 23 October 1923, TurkishRepublic was officiallydeclared.

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