Abdul Hamid II Abdulhamid II ( Ottoman Turkish : عبد الحميد ثانی " " , ) ( 22 September 1842 – 10 February 1918 ) was the 99th caliph of Islam and the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire . He was the last Sultan to exert effective control over the Ottoman Empire . He oversaw a period of decline in the power and extent of the Empire , ruling from 31 August 1876 until he was deposed on 27 April 1909 . He was succeeded by Mehmed V . His deposition following the Young Turk Revolution was hailed by most Ottoman citizens , who welcomed the return to constitutional rule . During his tenure , he was responsible for the modernization of the Ottoman Empire , and exerted maximum control over its affairs . Changes included : rationalization of the bureaucracy ; the ambitious Hijaz Railway project ; the creation of a modern system of personnel records ( 1896 ) ; establishment of an elaborate system for population registration and control over the press ; systematization of officials salaries ( 1880 ) ; and the first modern law school ( 1898 ) . Between the period 1871 - 1908 , the Sublime Porte thus reached a new degree of organizational elaboration and articulation . Politics . Abdülhamid II was born in Topkapı Palace in Constantinople ( now known as Istanbul ) , on September 21 , 1842 . He was the son of Sultan Abdülmecid I and one of his many wives , the Valide Sultan Tirimüjgan ( 16 August 1819 – Constantinople , Feriye Palace , 3 October 1852 ) , originally named Virjin . He later also became the adoptive son of another of his father ' s wives , Valide Sultan Rahime Perestu . He was a skilled carpenter and personally crafted most of his own furniture , which can be seen today at the Yıldız Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace in Istanbul . Abdülhamid II was also interested in opera and personally wrote the first - ever Turkish translations of many opera classics . He also composed several opera pieces for the " Mızıka - ı Hümayun " which he established , and hosted the famous performers of Europe at the Opera House of Yıldız Palace which was recently restored and featured in the film " Harem Suare ( 1999 ) " of the Turkish - Italian director Ferzan Özpetek , which begins with the scene of Abdülhamid II watching a performance . Unlike many other Ottoman sultans , Abdülhamid II traveled to distant countries . Nine years before he took the throne , he accompanied his uncle Sultan Abdülaziz on his visit to Austria , France and Britain in 1867 . Accession to throne . He ascended to the throne following the deposition of his brother Murad on 31 August 1876 . At his accession , some commentators were impressed by the fact that he rode practically unattended to the Eyüp Sultan Mosque where he was given the Sword of Osman . Most people expected Abdülhamid II to have liberal ideas , and some conservatives were inclined to regard him with suspicion as a dangerous reformer . First Constitutional Era , 1876 – 1877 . He did not plan and express any goal in his accession speech , however he worked with the Young Ottomans to realize some form of constitutional arrangements This new form in its theoretical space could help to realize a liberal transition with Islamic arguments , which could balance the Tanzimat ' s imitation of western norms . The political structure of western norms did not work with the centuries - old Ottoman political culture , even if the pressure from the Western world was enormous to adapt western ways of political decision . On 23 December 1876 , under the shadow of the 1875 insurrection in Bosnia and Herzegovina , the war with Serbia and Montenegro and the feeling aroused throughout Europe by the cruelty used in stamping out the Bulgarian rebellion , he promulgated the constitution and its parliament . The international Constantinople Conference which met at Constantinople towards the end of 1876 was surprised by the promulgation of a constitution , but European powers at the conference rejected the constitution as a significant change ; they preferred the 1856 constitution , the " Hatt - ı Hümayun " and 1839 " Hatt - ı Şerif " of Gülhane , but questioned whether there was need for a parliament to act as an official voice of the people . In any event , like many other would - be reforms of the Ottoman Empire change proved to be nearly impossible . Russia continued to mobilize for war . However , everything changed when the British fleet approached the capital from the Sea of Marmara . Early in 1877 the Ottoman Empire went to war with the Russian Empire . Disintegration . Abdul Hamid ' s biggest fear , near dissolution , was realized with the Russian declaration of war on 24 April 1877 . In that conflict , the Ottoman Empire fought without help from European allies . Russian chancellor Prince Gorchakov had effectively purchased Austrian neutrality with the Reichstadt Agreement . The British Empire , though still fearing the Russian threat to British dominance in Southern Asia , did not involve itself in the conflict because of public opinion against the Ottomans , following reports of Ottoman brutality in putting down the Bulgarian uprising . The Russian victory was quickly realized . The conflict ended in February 1878 . The Treaty of San Stefano , signed at the end of the war , imposed harsh terms : the Ottoman Empire gave independence to Romania , Serbia , and Montenegro ; it granted autonomy to Bulgaria ; instituted reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina ; and ceded the Dobruja and parts of Armenia to Russia , which was also paid an enormous indemnity . After the war with Russia , Abdulhamid suspended the constitution in February 1878 , and he also dismissed the parliament after its solitary meeting in March , 1877 . For the next near half century , the Ottoman Empire was ruled by Abdulhamid from Yildiz Palace . As Russia could dominate the newly independent states , her influence in Southeastern Europe was greatly increased by the Treaty of San Stefano . Due to the insistence of the Great Powers ( especially the United Kingdom ) , the treaty was later revised at the Congress of Berlin so as to reduce the great advantages acquired by Russia . In exchange of these favors , Cyprus was " rented " to Britain in 1878 while the British forces occupied Egypt and Sudan in 1882 with the pretext of " bringing order " to those provinces . Cyprus , Egypt and Sudan remained as Ottoman provinces " on paper " until 1914 , when Britain officially annexed those territories in response to the Ottoman participation in World War I at the side of the Central Powers . Crete was granted " extended privileges " , but these did not satisfy the population , which sought unification with Greece . In early 1897 a Greek expedition sailed to Crete to overthrow Ottoman rule in the island . This act was followed by war , in which the Ottoman Empire defeated Greece ( see the Greco - Turkish War ( 1897 ) ) ; however as a result of the Treaty of Constantinople , Crete was taken over " en depot " by the United Kingdom , France , and Russia . Prince George of Greece was appointed as ruler and Crete was also lost to the Ottoman Empire . Armenian Question . Starting around 1890 the Armenians began demanding the implementation of the reforms which were promised to them at the Berlin conference . Unrest occurred in 1892 and 1893 at Merzifon and Tokat . Armenian groups staged protests and were met by violence and 300 , 000 Armenians were killed . Sultan Abdülhamid , referred to as the " Bloody Sultan " in the West , did not hesitate to put down these revolts with harsh methods , possibly to show the unshakable power of the monarch , and often used the local Muslims ( in most cases the Kurds ) against the Armenians . In 1907 , the Armenian Revolutionary Federation attempted to assassinate him with a car bombing during a public appearance , but the Sultan delayed for a minute and the bomb went off early , killing 26 , wounding 58 ( of which four died at hospital ) and demolishing 17 cars in the process . This continued aggression , along with the handing of the Armenians lead to the western European powers taking a more hands - on approach with the Turks . Securing Germany ' s support . The Triple Entente – that is , the United Kingdom , France and Russia – maintained strained relations with the Ottoman Empire . Abdülhamid and his close advisors believed the empire should be treated as an equal player by these great powers . In the Sultan ' s view , the Ottoman Empire was a European empire , distinct for having more Muslims than Christians . Abdülhamid and his divan viewed themselves as modern . However , their actions were often construed by Europeans as exotic or uncivilized . Over time their perceived abuse by France , the occupation of Tunisia in 1881 , and Great Britain , the 1882 power grab in Egypt , caused Abdulhamid to gravitate towards Germany . Kaiser Wilhelm II was twice hosted by Abdülhamid in Constantinople ; first on 21 October 1889 , and nine years later , on 5 October 1898 ( Wilhelm II later visited Istanbul for a third time , on 15 October 1917 , as a guest of Mehmed V ) . German officers ( like Baron von der Goltz and von Ditfurth ) were employed to oversee the reorganization of the Ottoman army . German government officials were brought in to reorganize the Ottoman government ' s finances . Abdülhamid tried to take more of the reins of power into his own hands , for he distrusted his ministers . Germany ' s friendship was not disinterested , and had to be fostered with railway and loan concessions . In 1899 a significant German desire , the construction of a Berlin - Baghdad railway , was granted . Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany also requested the Sultan ' s help when having trouble with Muslims . During the Boxer Rebellion , the Chinese Muslim Kansu Braves fought against the German Army repeatedly , routing them along with the other 8 nation alliance forces at the First intervention , Seymour Expedition , China 1900 . It was only on the second attempt in the Gasalee Expedition did the Alliance manage to get through to battle the Chinese Muslim troops at the Battle of Peking . Kaiser Wilhelm was so alarmed by the Chinese Muslim troops that he requested the Caliph Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire to find a way to stop the Muslim troops from fighting . Abdul Hamid II agreed to the Kaiser ' s demands and sent Enver Pasha to China in 1901 , but the rebellion was over by that time . 2nd Constitutional Era , 1908 . The national humiliation of the situation in Macedonia , together with the resentment in the army against the palace spies and informers , at last brought matters to a crisis . In the summer of 1908 the Young Turk revolution broke out and Abdülhamid , upon learning that the troops in Salonica were marching on Constantinople ( 23 July ) , at once capitulated . On the 24th an " irade " announced the restoration of the suspended constitution of 1876 ; the next day , further " irades " abolished espionage and censorship , and ordered the release of political prisoners . On 17 December , Abdülhamid opened the Turkish parliament with a speech from the throne in which he said that the first parliament had been " temporarily dissolved until the education of the people had been brought to a sufficiently high level by the extension of instruction throughout the empire . " Countercoup , 1909 . The new attitude of the sultan did not save him from the suspicion of intriguing with the powerful reactionary elements in the state , a suspicion confirmed by his attitude towards the counter - revolution of 13 April 1909 known as " 31 Mart Vakası " , when an insurrection of the soldiers backed by a conservative public upheaval in the capital overthrew the cabinet . The government , restored by soldiers from Salonica , decided on Abdülhamid ' s deposition , and on 27 April his brother Reshad Efendi was proclaimed as Sultan Mehmed V . The Sultan ' s countercoup , which had appealed to conservative Islamists in the context of the Young Turks ' liberal reforms , resulted in the massacre of tens of thousands of Christian Armenians in the Adana province . Deposition and aftermath . The ex - sultan was conveyed into dignified captivity at Salonica . In 1912 , when Salonica fell to Greece , he was returned to captivity in Constantinople . He spent his last days studying , carpentering and writing his memoirs in custody at Beylerbeyi Palace in the Bosphorus , where he died on 10 February 1918 , just a few months before his brother , the Sultan . He was buried in Constantinople . Abdülhamid was the last relatively authoritative Sultan of the Ottoman Empire . He presided over thirty three years of decline . The Ottoman Empire had long been acknowledged as the Sick Man of Europe by its enemies , the British , French and most European countries excluding Germany , Bulgaria and Austria - Hungary . Ideology and Progress . Paranoia . Abdul Hamid was paranoid for his security . The memory of the deposition of Abdul Aziz I was on his mind and convinced him that a constitutional government was not a good idea . Because of this , information was tightly controlled and the press was tightly censored . The curriculum of schools were subject to close inspection to prevent dissidence . Ironically , the schools that Abdul Hamid tried to control , became “ breeding grounds of discontent ” as students and teachers alike chafed at the clumsy restrictions of the censors . Abdul Hamid ’ s reign also had a fully functioning state spy system . These spies greatly impeded the state system because officials were always scared that a false report would be filed against them . In “ Spies , scandals and sultans , ” by Ibrahim Al - Muwaylihi recounts how spies were all across Istanbul and how so many spies followed around the Shaykh al - Islam that he was paralyzed with fear . Additionally , al - Muwaylihi described how many spies follow the carriage of the Crown prince . Overall , these spies hampered the functioning of a regular state and their presence undoubtedly stifled a many creative impulses because people were afraid of being reported . As his got older , Abdul Hamid became increasingly isolated and paranoid . He was afraid of having any organization or individual near to his level of power . In response to this fear , he started to under fund army and this sparked the Third Army revolt in 1908 . Reforms . Most people expected Abdülhamid II to have liberal ideas , and some conservatives were inclined to regard him with suspicion as a dangerous reformer . In the event , like many other would - be reformers of the Ottoman Empire , change proved to be nearly impossible . Default in the public funds , an empty treasury , the 1875 insurrection in Bosnia and Herzegovina , the war with Serbia and Montenegro and the feeling aroused throughout Europe by the cruelty used in stamping out the Bulgaria n rebellion all proved good reasons not to undertake any significant changes . There were many setbacks : Financial embarrassments forced him to consent to a foreign control over the national debt . In a decree issued in December 1881 , a large portion of the empire ' s revenues were handed over to the Public Debt Administration for the benefit of ( mostly foreign ) bondholders . Over the years Abdülhamid succeeded in reducing his ministers to the position of secretaries , and he concentrated much of the administration of the Empire into his own hands at Yıldız Palace . But internal dissension was not reduced . Crete was constantly in turmoil . The Greeks living within the Ottoman Empire ' s borders were dissatisfied , as were the Armenians . His distrust for the reformist admirals of the Ottoman navy ( whom he suspected of plotting against him and trying to bring back the 1876 constitution ) and his subsequent decision to lock the Ottoman fleet ( which ranked as the 3rd largest fleet in the world during the reign of his predecessor Abdülaziz ) inside the Golden Horn caused the loss of Ottoman overseas territories and islands in North Africa , the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea during and after his reign . His push for education resulted in the establishment of 18 professional schools , and in 1900 , Darulfunun aka , the University of Istanbul , was established . He also created a large system of secondary , primary , and military schools throughout the empire . He reorganized the Ministry of Justice , and developed the rail and telegraph systems . Question of Islam . Abdülhamid recognized that the ideas of Tanzimat could not bring the disparate peoples of the empire to a common identity , such as Ottomanism . Abdülhamid tried to formulate a new and more relevant ideological principle . Ottoman sultans beginning with 1517 were also Caliphs . He wanted to promote that fact and emphasized the Ottoman Caliphate . Abdülhamid usually resisted the pressure of the European powers to the last moment , in order to seem to yield only to overwhelming force and to appear as the champion of Islam against aggressive Christendom . Panislamism was encouraged ; the privileges of foreigners in the Ottoman Empire , which were often seen as an obstacle to effective government , were curtailed . Along with the strategically important Constantinople - Baghdad Railway , the Constantinople - Medina Railway was also completed , making the trip to Hajj more efficient . Emissaries were sent to distant countries preaching Islam and the " Caliph ' s " supremacy . During his rule , Abdülhamid refused Theodor Herzl ' s offers to pay down a substantial portion of the Ottoman debt ( 150 million pounds sterling in gold ) in exchange for a charter allowing the Zionists to settle in Palestine . Abdülhamid ' s appeals to Muslim sentiment were not very effective due to widespread disaffection within his Empire . In Mesopotamia and Yemen disturbance was endemic ; nearer home , a semblance of loyalty was maintained in the army and among the Muslim population only by a system of deflation and espionage . After his rule began , Abdülhamid became fearful of being assassinated and withdrew himself into the fortified seclusion of the Yıldız Palace . Pictures from Empire . Abdülhamid commissioned thousands of photographs of his empire . Fearful of assassination , he did not travel often ( though still more than many previous rulers ) and photographs provided visual evidence of what was taking place in his realm . The Sultan presented large gift albums of photographs to various governments and heads of state , including the United States ( William Allen , " The Abdul Hamid II Collection , " History of Photography eight ( 1984 ) : 119 – 45 . ) and Great Britain ( M . I . Waley and British Library , " Sultan Abdulhamid II Early Turkish Photographs in 51 Albums from the British Library on Microfiche " ( Zug , Switzerland : IDC , 1987 ) . The American collection is housed in the Library of Congress and has been digitized . * Ottoman Empire photographs at the Library of Congress Personal life . Abdülhamid II was born at Çırağan Palace , Ortaköy , or at Topkapı Palace , both in Constantinople , the son of Sultan Abdülmecid I and one of his many wives , Tîr - î - Müjgan Sultan , ( Yerevan , 16 August 1819 – Constantinople , Feriye Palace , 2 November 1853 ) , originally named Virjin , an Armenian , but some says she was a Circassian . He later also became the adoptive son of another of his father ' s wives , Valide Sultan Rahime Perestu . He was a skilled carpenter and personally crafted most of his own furniture , which can be seen today at the Yıldız Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace in Constantinople . Abdülhamid II was also interested in opera and personally wrote the first - ever Turkish translations of many opera classics . He also composed several opera pieces for the " Mızıka - ı Hümayun " which he established , and hosted the famous performers of Europe at the Opera House of Yıldız Palace which was recently restored and featured in the film " Harem Suare ( 1999 ) " of the Turkish - Italian director Ferzan Özpetek , which begins with the scene of Abdülhamid II watching a performance . In the opinion of F . A . K . Yasamee : He was also a good wrestler of Yağlı güreş and a ' patron saint ' of the wrestlers . He organised wrestling tournaments in the empire and selected wrestlers were invited to the palace . Abdülhamid personally tried the sportsmen and good ones remained in the palace . Poetry . Abdülhamid was also a poet just like many other Ottoman sultans . One of the sultan ' s poems translates thus : He was extremely fond of Sherlock Holmes novels . First marriage and issue . He married firstly in Constantinople on 15 November 1868 to Georgian Bedrifelek Kadin Efendi ( Poti , 4 January 1851 – Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , 6 February 1930 ) , and had : Second marriage and issue . He married secondly at Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , on 2 September 1875 to Caucasian Biydâr Kadin Efendi ( Caucasus , 5 May 1858 – Erenköy , Asia Minor , 1 January 1918 ) , and had : Third marriage and issue . He married thirdly at Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , on 10 April 1883 to Georgian Dilpesend Kadın Efendi ( Tbilisi , 16 January 1865 – Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , 5 October 1903 ) , and had : Fourth marriage and issue . He married fourthly at Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , on 2 January 1885 to Azerbaijani Mezide Mestan Haseki Kadın Efendi ( Ganja , 3 March 1869 – Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , 21 January 1909 ) , and had : Fifth marriage and issue . He married fifthly at Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , on 24 January 1893 to Caucasian Peyvesti Osman Haseki Kadın Efendi ( Caucasus , 10 May 1873 – Paris , 1944 and buried there at Bobigny Cemetery ) , and had : Sixth marriage and issue . He married sixthly at Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , on 10 May 1900 to Georgian Behice Maan Haseki Kadın Efendi ( Batumi , 10 October 1882 – 22 October 1969 ) , and had : Seventh marriage and issue . He married seventhly at Constantinople , Yıldız Palace , on 4 November 1904 to Saliha Naciye Haseki Kadın Efendi ( 1887 – Erenköy , Asia Minor , 4 December 1923 ) , and had : Other marriages and issue . He married Nazikedâ Kadın Efendi and had : He married an unknown wife , and had : He married Georgian Emsalinur Kadın Efendi ( Tbilisi , 2 January 1866 – ? ) , and had : He married Caucasian Müsfikâ Kadın Efendi ( Hopa , Caucasus , 10 December 1867 – Istanbul , July 1961 ) , and had : He married Sazkâr Haseki Kadın Efendi ( 8 May 1873 – ? ) , and had : He married an unknown wife , and had : He married an unknown wife , and had : He married Circassian Gwaschemasch ' e Kadın Efendi ( Istanbul , Çırağan Palace , 21 June 1877 – ? ) , and had : He married Safinaz Kadın Efendi , sister of Yıldız Kadın Efendi , a wife of Sultan Abdülaziz I , without issue Styles . His Imperial Majesty , The Sultan Abdülhamid II , Emperor of the Ottomans , Caliph of the Faithful Abdul Hamid II was Grand Master of the following Ottoman Orders :