The Tanzimat Reforms

# Background

* *The Battle of Nezib*, June 1839, between Egypt and the Ottoman Empire. The morale of the Ottomans was broken, after the Egyptians advanced under Ibrahim's leadership, because they took heavy losses.
* A continuous need to face challenges => Strengthen its reforms.
* The impact of Liberalism.

# The New Reformers-civilian reformers

* Europeanized Ottoman bureaucrats.
* Knowledge of European Languages.
* Service in the ministry of foreign affairs, ambassadors, grand viziriate.

# Goals

* To equalize the status of Muslims and non-Muslims.
* To secure the loyalty of the Christian subjects.
* To break down the religious and cultural autonomy of the millet.
* To create one state, one system, the notion of Ottomanism – Ottoman citizenship.

# Reforms

* Legal:
	+ Nationality Law in 1869- all individuals living within Ottoman domains shared a common citizenship regardless of their religion.
	+ Ministry of Justice.
	+ System of secular courts, *nizamiye*
	+ The Mejelle new civil code in 1876 –the combination of the new and the customary law–.
* Educational:
	+ Creation of the Ministry of Education in 1847.
	+ Institutions of higher learning for civilians:
		- The Civil Service School (1859).
		- The Imperial Ottoman Lycée at Galatasaray (1868).
	+ Secondary Schools.
* Social and Cultural:
	+ New generation of intellectuals: Ottoman and Arabic speaking.
	+ The Young Ottomans –a group of intellectuals and bureaucrats- that:
		- Criticized the Tanzimat.
		- Elaboration of the notion of Ottoman patriotism –devotion to this territorial entity above any religious loyalties–.
		- Promoted the democratization of the government.
		- Believed empire deprived of essential Islamic political and social values, inefficient due to adoption of European institutions
		- Believed the decrees emphasizing religious equality was the beginning of territorial patriotism Ottomans ought to share feelings of devotion to territorial entity above loyalties to religious communities

# The Gülhane Decree (1839-1853) The decree of the Rose Garden – Resid Pasa

* Guarantees for the life, dignity and property of all subjects of the Sultan.
* Reform of the tax system and cancellation of the Iltizam system.
* Equality of all subjects to the law, regardless of their religion.
* Change in the system of recruitment to the army and greater equality in recruitment.

# The Ottoman Constitution of 1876

* They understood that Europe's success arrives from its political organizations.
* In 1876, therefore, an Ottoman Constitution was proclaimed.
* The Sultan Abdul Hamid II, pledged to uphold:
	+ Minimal restrictions on the Sultan's powers.
	+ Reaffirmed the equality of all Ottoman subjects, including their right to serve in the new chamber of deputies.
	+ Proclamation of Ottomanism and Ottoman patriotism.
	+ The Empire was capable of resolving its problems.
* In 1878, after two sessions the Sultan dissolved the assembly, suspended the constitution and inaugurated 30 years of autocratic rule.

# Political and financial developments

* The Empire lost most of its European territories due to national revolts
* Growing tension between Muslims and Christians: reforms forced from above, backed by European powers
* Egypt practically became a separate entity
* Increased Ottoman political and financial dependency on Europe, the empire is on the verge of bankruptcy. Finally in 1876 they declared bankrupt.
* Decree of Muharram (1881) authorized establishment of Ottoman debt administration surrender of finance to European interests