Politics in Ottoman Empire before Tanzimat in terms of reforms

 

Mahmud II before-after the clothing reform

  Throughout history, many states in their managements have made planned and systemic changes to have a more consistent system and to find their right position in the international area. Thanks to this kind of reforms and arrangements, states in the past could improve or keep their current situations. This event can be easily seen in the Ottoman Empire, especially its last century. Although the Ottoman Empire had a strong system and order in its classic age, Ottoman bureaucrats have noticed that they were not live in their shining gold age and they started to apply innovations to Ottoman Empire. Beginning of these tests, Ottoman officials could not show a good performance, unfortunately. After the 1718 Treaty of Passarowitz, Ottoman bureaucrats tended to meet the Western world that was ‘küffar’=heathen. They sent ambassadors abroad and they tried to do some reforms in the military. In the late 18th century, Selim III was the first reform implementer. He tried to innovate in terms of military, economy, administration, and attire. After Selim III, next sultans who were Mahmud II and Abdulmejid I followed his way and they succeeded. Between these sultans, Mahmud II was a more successful sultan in terms of applying reforms. He did a lot of innovations that previous sultans did not dare. In this paper, I am going to evaluate Ottoman political structure and reforms before Tanzimat reforms in terms of politics, military and social life.

      Contrary to what is believed, Ottoman reform movements were older, according to some historians. Osman II from the 17th century was thinking that janissaries should be destroyed because of their defeats in battlefields and a new army should establish. I think his thought should be accepted first reform. However, his reform ideas were not related to the West. As mentioned, after the Treaty of Passarowitz, the Tulip Period began and Ottoman statesmen, especially Nevşehirli Ibrahim Pasha, started to be interested in the West. Firstly, sending ambassadors abroad started during the Tulip Period such as Yirmisekiz Mehmed Çelebi. They wrote sefâretnâme, literally the book of an embassy. Thanks to these books, a lot of reforms applied in many areas, 1 mostly the military. In the period of Abdulhamid I, Ottoman Empire received support from France and many officers came to Ottoman Empire to develop the Ottoman Empire such as Claude Alexandre de Bonneval (as known Humbaracı Ahmet Pasha). His mission was regulating Humbaracı Corps that was bombardier and mortar troops. Until Selim III, reforms were only related to the military. Its reason was the Ottoman Empire started to feel their failures in battlefields. After Selim III throned in 1789, he was aware of his state’s situation. Therefore, he began workings on regulations in the army. He established the first modern army which called New Order (as known Nizam-ı Cedid) in 1789. Their uniforms had blue and red colors. Their first and last engagement was Siege of Acre in 1799 against the French First Republic. Also, he established Selimiye and Levent Barracks in 1800 and. In these military schools, for the first time, foreign language (French) education began. Therefore, Ottoman army could benefit from European states in terms of military affairs. Imperial School of Military Engineering (as known Mühendishâne-i Berrî-i Hümâyun) opened by Selim III in 1795. On the other hand, he attached importance to the development of marine and building shipyard. Janissaries did not keep silent in the face of these reforms and they revolted against the new army and the sultan with leadership of Kabakçı Mustafa in 1807. Thus, Selim III had to dethrone from the throne after 18 years old sultanate. After his nephew Mustafa IV’s short reign, Mahmud II throned in 1808 thanks to Alemdar Mustafa Pasha who was Rusçuk ayan (today’s Ruse, Bulgaria) and one of the strongest ayan. Mahmud II did not want to draw a reaction from janissaries and ulama, therefore, he attitudinized an abstainer attitude at the beginning of his reign. In 1808, the Charter of Alliance (as known Sened-i İttifak) was signed between Mahmud II and ayans. After he managed ulama and politics, he decided to disband the janissaries and he attained his goal in 1826 with Auspicious Incident (as known Vaka-i Hayriye). He decided to destroy the army because they could not quell the Greek Uprising in 1821. He removed confiscation system (müsadere) in the Ottoman Empire. Thus, private property has developed in Anatolia. Mahmud II had his portrait post in government offices. That was for improvement of central administration. For the first time, the official newspaper, Takvim-i Vekayi, was published in 1831. Additionally, it was decided that civil servants were obliged to wear jackets, trousers and fez. The postal organization was established to apply centralization. In short, Mahmud II was not a just military reformist like previous sultans. He reformed nearly all areas such as culture, education, communication, fashion, etc. 

According to some historians Osman II (1618-1622) 

was first reformist sultan

    When everything is taken into account, until Selim III, reforms did not apply successfully because of awkward Ottoman statesmen and conservative sultans. Before him, only military reforms were tried to be implemented and Ottoman bureaucrats ignored cultural, industrial, or art innovations. With Selim III, many reforms got a chance for implementation such as military, culture and education. Mahmud II was the most successful reformist sultan between sultans who tried to apply some reforms. He nearly changed all Ottoman system and Ottoman Empire could find its position in the international area. Otherwise, unless these reforms can be applied successfully, Ottoman Empire’s life would be shorter. Ottoman reforms before Tanzimat mostly involved the army for modernization. However, it does not change that truth the reforms touched other areas. On the other hand, these reforms became an example for next statesmen and new founded the Republic of Turkey’s Kemalist revolutions. 

 Claude-Aleksandre Comte de Bonneval (as known Humbaracı Ahmed Pasha) 

Selim III (1789-1807) 

Sultan Abdulmejid (1839-1861)