An Ottoman statesman in war and peace
Subtitle: Ahmed Resmi Efendi, 1700-1783
By: by Virginia H. Aksan.
Series: The Ottoman Empire and its heritage,; v. 3
Publisher: E.J. Brill
Published: 1995
Place of publication: Leiden; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 253
Subjects: Ahmet Resmı̂ Efendi, Giridı̂, 1700-1783.; Statesmen -- Turkey -- Biography.; Turkey -- History -- Mustafa III, 1757-1773.; Turkey -- History -- Abdul Hamid I, 1774-1789.; Turkey -- Foreign relations -- Europe.; Europe -- Foreign relations -- Turkey.
Description: This study of the life and milieu of a statesman, utilizing a wide array of hitherto unused chronicle and documentary material, offers new insights into many aspects of Ottoman eighteenth-century society. Subjects touched upon include career development and patronage in the central bureaucracy, increasing knowledge and interest in European diplomacy, and the impact of war on traditional attitudes.

Of particular interest is the section on the 1768-74 Russo-Turkish War, a traumatic awakening for the Ottomans, who yielded significant territory, but were also faced with the necessity of reconstructing a polity and ideology which no longer produced results on the battlefield. Ahmed Resmi was the first of a new generation of statesmen who saw real virtue in the rationalization of war and the need for peace within prescribed borders.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [220]-240) and index.