BUHARLI GEMİ ÇAĞINDA OSMANLI GEMİ İSİMLERİ ÜZERİNDEN GELENEKTEN MODERNİTEYE GEÇİŞİ OKUMAK
READING THE TRANSITION FROM TRADITION TO MODERNITY THROUGH THE OTTOMAN SHIP NAMES IN THE STEAMSHIP AGE

Summary/Abstract: The 19th century saw great transformation the world over. The Ottoman State/Empire had now accepted the superiority of Europe in virtually all aspects of life and took many a step to Westernize and modernize its own organization – beginning with the army. By doing so, they would regain their former war prowess and be able to protect their lands better. The same applied to the navy as well, especially come the emergence of steamboat technology. While the transition from sailing ships to steamships was no easy one, the speed they offered when it came to transporting people and logistics virtually rendered older technology redundant. The modernization of Ottoman Empire took effect during the Tanzimat Era and and continued well after the Edict of Islahat. It moreover coincided with the emergence of steamships. Many of the names the steamships were given unsurprisingly reflected the Empire’s own political idiom. The Ottomans wanted to convey the sweeping political and institutionalized changes taking place at the time as well as advertise their own agendas. Periodically, changes in the state policy were also reflected in ship name. In this study, we shall examine Ottoman’s long and painful road to modernization through ship names from the era. Our goal is to try and understand the Empire’s shift in official policy and political lingo through the lens of the modernization of the navy.

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