The Pathway to the First Ottoman Constitution
The Pathway to the First Ottoman Constitution

Summary/Abstract: The reform movements in the Ottoman Empire date from the beginning of the eighteenth century when several measure were introduced in order to halt the decline in the power of the Empire following serious military defeats around the end of the 17th century. The first such attempts involved reorganising the military system and military technology. At the same time, the Ottomans took an interest in Western culture and society, searching for new inspiration. Following the French Revolution, nationalistic ideas began to penetrate the Empire, and then reform - not only of the military system, but also of state administration - became vital for the Ottomans. The most significant feature of the innovations was the emergence of the idea of an Ottoman state, composed of peoples of various nationalities and religions and based on secular principles of sovereignty — contrary to the medieval concept of an Islamic empire. The concept of Tanzimat (literally, the Reform Movement) was inspired by Europe in order to bring a Western style of thinking and a similar model of public administrative to the Ottoman Empire. The significance of this era is that the initiative for modernisation came from government officials who became the vanguard of the Reform Movement, with the compliance of the Sultan. The emergence of a group known as the Young Ottomans gave birth to a new concept for the Ottoman Empire in its efforts to reconcile Western political instruments with traditional Islamic law and Ottoman theory and practice. These efforts led to the period known as Birinci Mejrutiyet or, in other words, the First Constitutional Era.

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