OTTOMAN EMPIRE UNIT V: Industrialization and Global Interactions1750-1914

PROBLEMS FACED BY THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Succession of weak sultans led to power struggle between ministers, religious experts, and Janissary commanders.

Elite factions developed – resulted in split of Empire and vast corruption. Local officials and land owning classes cheated the sultan and peasantry by skimming taxes.

Competition of imported goods from Europe led to a decline of the Ottoman economy. Inflation and decline of handicraft industry resulted in dependence on European goods. As a result, riots by merchants and artisans took place.

Janissary military lacked leadership, resources, and modern weaponry and training.

Rise of nationalism in Balkan Peninsula & Greek independence in 1830.

THE GREATEST EXTENT OF OTTOMAN RULE

Peak of empire--stretched from Hungary in North through Greece, around the Black Sea through Syria, across Egypt and then west to the Atlantic Ocean

Controlled access to Med., Black, Red Seas and the Atlantic Ocean

Divided into provinces ruled by local sultans, governors who would gain power and threaten sultans in Istanbul

REFORMS ATTEMPTED

Influenced by political & economic reforms in Europe

1789 Sultan Selim III attempts to modernize the army, resisted by Janissaries. and ulama (Muslim religious scholars)…overthrown, executed...reforms stopped…temporarily

I will carry out your reforms!

TANZIMAT REFORMS

Sultan Mahmud II (r. 1808- 1829) carried on cousin's policies; reorganized the military and financial institutions, reduced power of religious elite, employed European advisors, engineers, teachers

Abdul Mejid, son, led Tanzimat reforms

religious minorities released from special tax

Europeans gain extraterritorial rights

Young Ottomans, nationalistic group promoted liberalistic & nationalistic ideas in the 1860-1870s--wrote constitution led to modernization

TANZIMAT REFORMS

Created a westernized university system

Began training in science and math

Created a state run postal and telegraph system

Created railways, infrastructure, and a national bank

Legal reforms to stop corruption – helped religious minority and artisans – more secular law code

1876 - Constitution based on European ideas

Little reforms for women

THE ISSUE OF EGYPT

Napoleon defeated the Mamluks regime that ruled Egypt in 1798. Developed the idea of a canal across the Isthmus

of Suez so they could have easy access to the Indian Ocean Discovered the Rosetta Stone

Murad, the leader of the Mamluks, said Napoleon was nothing but a donkey boy whom he would soon drive from his lands.

However, the firepower and tactics of the French legions easily defeated the Mamluk cavalry.

Napoleon was later chased out of Egypt by the British (Nelson) but the attack sent shockwaves throughout the Muslim world.

NAPOLEON’S DEFEAT OF THE MAMLUKS

MUHAMMAD ALI

Albanian general sent by sultan to reclaim Egypt from the British

1805 took over Egypt as provincial governor and disposed of the Mamluks(many fled to Sudan)

Adopted French/ Napoleonic ideas in rebuilding Egypt

Used conscription and sent soldiers to be trained in Fr.

r. 1805-1849

MUHAMMAD ALI’S CHANGES IN EGYPT

began industrialization in Egypt

Cotton becomes cash crop (replaces American cotton because of civil war)

harmed peasants...shifted from producing food to producing cotton

wanted to turn Egypt into his own plantation so he could gain all profits

breaks away from Ottoman control

1841 seizes Syria and Arabia

ISMA’IL CONTINUES POLICIES

Begins construction of Suez Canal with French funds and Egyptian labor

France runs out of money abandons the project, Britain steps in and continues and finishes

Canal opens 1869

Egypt deeply in debt to Britain…can't pay back loans...1882 Br. occupies Egypt

r. 1863-1879

16,000 KM

10,000 KM

GEOGRAPHICAL IMPACT OF THE SUEZ CANAL, 1869

CRIMEAN WAR (1853-1856)

Russia v Ottoman Empire over control of Balkan Pen. and Black Sea

Br, Fr and Sardinia join with Ottomans against Russia....feared Russia would tip the balance of power (Concert of Europe)

EASTERN QUESTION--suspicious of Russia’s ambitions (Br esp.--worried about India too)

Russia hampered by lack of industrialization

few railroads, out of date guns and military training/leadership

corruption with in military...couldn't supply troops

Half a league, half a league,Half a league onward,

All in the valley of DeathRode the six hundred.

“Forward the Light Brigade!Charge for the guns!” he said.

Into the valley of DeathRode the six hundred.

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”Was there a man dismay’d?Not tho’ the soldier knewSome one had blunder’d.Theirs not to make reply,Theirs not to reason why,Theirs but to do and die.Into the valley of DeathRode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred.

Excerpt from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem: The Charge of the Light Brigade

CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADETHE BATTLE OF BALAKLAVA 1854

CRIMEAN WAR

war more devastating due to breech loading weapons rather than front loading, cartridges instead of powder....marks the transition to modern warfare

first war where journalism via telegraph made a propaganda impact-- transportation faster...within a week could have

pictures

Florence Nightingale--reformed hospitalization and nursing outbreak of war organized nurses corps to go to

Crimea and treat soldiers on the battlefield...number of deaths due to infection and dysentery...decreased by 45 % "Lady of the Lamp"

THE DECLINE OF OTTOMAN RULE

THE “SICK MAN OF EUROPE”

Nationalism and division of power in Europe – Did not want to upset balance of power if one European nation took control of the Ottoman Empire.

British and French supported the Ottoman Empire in the Crimean War to prevent the Russians from taking Istanbul and threatening Mediterranean sea trade.

Internal reforms were difficult to accomplish due to conflicts within the ruling elite. Some wanted western changes, others wanted return to old traditions, and some wanted no changes at all.

By this time, the Empire was known as "the sick man of Europe". By 1881, the Public Debt Administration was set up consisting of Ottoman and European representatives. This arrangement subjected the Ottomans to foreign financial control from which they failed to free themselves.

DECLINE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Balkan Peninsula "suffered" from Pan-Slavism nationalistic feelings against Muslims, demanded independence Russia aided, encouraged Pan-Slavism Most areas under Ottoman control gained independence by 1913

Britain & France chip away at Ottoman holdings in N. Africa Fr-Algeria Br-Egypt

Empire broken up after World War I

CULTURAL ISSUES OF MODERNIZATION

Traditional Islamic view in a "modern" world conflict

Adopted European military uniforms due to modern weaponry traditional garb cumbersome and dangerous Could not wear billed cap of European...would not allow forehead to

touch ground in prayer----FEZ

Traditional dress became a symbol of the religious, rural and parochial

Industrialization slow...nothing to export except opium

Women lose "power" as men take over textiles in factories...women and men don't mix...stayed at home

YOUNG TURK MOVEMENT / NATIONALISM

"The Sultanate has to be destroyed. The structure of the state has to be based on a homogeneous foundation. Religion and State have to be separated from one another. We have to turn away from the eastern civilizations and turn to the western ones. We have to do away with the distinctions between men and women and thereby found new social rules. We have to abolish the Arabic alphabet which prevents us from taking part in Western Civilization. We have to find an alphabet based upon the Latin script, and we have to focus ourselves towards the West in every respect, even as far as our clothes are concerned." Taken from: Akil Aksan ( publisher ): "Mustafa Kemal Atatürk/ from Speeches and Talks", Heidelberg 1981.