Tanzimat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History of the
Ottoman Empire
Period (Eras):
Rise (1299–1453): Interregnum
Growth (1453–1683) :
Stagnation (1683–1827): Köprülü era
- Sultanate of women - Tulip period
Decline (1828–1908): Tanzimat era -
1stConstitutional Era
Dissolution (1908–1922):
2ndConstitutional Era - Partitioning
External Timeline
Graphical timeline

The Tanzimat (Ottoman Turkish: تنظيمات), meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimat reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against nationalist movements and aggressive powers. The reforms encouraged Ottomanism among the diverse ethnic groups of the Empire, attempting to stem the tide of nationalist movements within the Ottoman Empire. The reforms attempted to integrate non−Muslims and non−Turks more thoroughly into Ottoman society by enhancing their civil liberties and granting them equality throughout the Empire.

Contents

[edit] Origins

Tanzimat emerged from the minds of reformist sultans like Mahmud II and Abdülmecid I as well as prominent reformers who were European educated bureaucrats, such as Ali Pasha, Fuad Pasha, Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, and Midhat Pasha. They recognized that the old religious and military institutions no longer met the needs of the empire in the modern world. Most of the symbolic changes, such as uniforms, were aimed at changing the mindset of imperial administrators. Many of the reforms were attempts to adopt successful European practices. Changes included universal conscription; educational, institutional and legal reforms; and systematic attempts at eliminating corruption.

[edit] Goals

The ambitious project was launched to combat the slow decline of the empire that had seen its borders shrink, and was growing weaker in comparison to the European powers.

[edit] Reforms

It began under Sultan Mahmud II. On November 3rd, 1839, Sultan Abdülmecid issued an organic statute for the general government of the empire named the Hatt-ı Şerif of Gülhane (the imperial garden where it was first proclaimed). It is also called the Tanzimat Fermanı. In this very important document, the Sultan stated that he wished "to bring the benefits of a good administration to the provinces of the Ottoman Empire through new institutions", and that these institutions would principally refer to:

  • guarantees to ensure the Ottoman subjects perfect security for their lives, honour, and property
  • introduction of the first Ottoman paper banknotes (1840)
  • reorganization of the army and a regular method of recruiting, levying the army, and fixing the duration of military service (1843–44)
  • adoption of an Ottoman national anthem and Ottoman national flag (1844)
  • reorganization of the finance system according to the French model
  • reorganization of the Civil and Criminal Code according to the French model
  • establishment of the Meclis−i Maarif−i Umumiye (1845), the prototype of the First Ottoman Parliament (1876)
  • institution of a council of public instruction (1846)
  • establishment of the first modern universities and academies (1848)
  • abolition of the capitation tax on non−Muslims, with a regular method of establishing and collecting taxes (1856)
  • non−Muslims were allowed to become soldiers (1856)
  • various provisions for the better administration of the public service and advancement of commerce
  • The establishment of railroads
  • Replacement of guilds with factories
  • the first Stock Exchange in Istanbul was established (1866)

The edict was followed up with the Hatt-ı Hümayun of 1856 which promised full legal equality for citizens of all religions, and the Nationality Law of 1869 that created a common Ottoman citizenship irrespective of religious or ethnic divides.

[edit] Effects

Tanzimat reforms had far reaching effects. Those educated in the schools established during the Tanzimat period included Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and other progressive leaders and thinkers of the Republic of Turkey and of many other former Ottoman states in the Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa.

The reforms peaked in 1876 with the implementation of an Ottoman constitution checking the autocratic powers of the Sultan. The details of this period are covered under the First Constitutional Era. While the new Sultan Abdülhamid II signed the first constitution, he quickly turned against it.

State institutions were reorganized; laws were updated according to the needs of the changing world; modern education, clothing, architecture, arts, and lifestyle were encouraged.

Land reforms, and especially the change in land ownership structure, allowed Russian Jews to buy land in Palestine, thus enabling them to immigrate there, starting the first Aliya and signaling the beginning of Zionism.

The Armenian National Constitution (Turkish: "Nizâmnâme−i Millet−i Ermeniyân") of 1863 was approved by the Ottoman government. The "Code of Regulations" consisted of 150 articles which were drafted by the Armenian intelligentsia and defined the powers of the Armenian Patriarch (position in the Ottoman Millet System) and the newly formed "Armenian National Assembly".[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Richard G. (EDT) Hovannisian "The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times" p. 198.oo

[edit] Literature

  • Edward Shepherd Creasy, History of Ottoman Turks; From the beginning of their empire to the present time, London, Richard Bentley (1854); (1878).
  • LAFI (Nora), Une ville du Maghreb entre ancien régime et réformes ottomanes. Genèse des institutions municipales à Tripoli de Barbarie (1795–1911), Paris: L'Harmattan, (2002).
  • LAFI (Nora), Municipalités méditerranéennes. Les réformes municipales ottomanes au miroir d'une histoire comparée, Berlin: K. Schwarz, (2005).

[edit] Further reading