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Ottoman Empire Research Paper

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At the beginning of 19th century, the Ottoman Empire experienced a series of events that demonstrated the need for major reform efforts. Revolts were taking place in Serbia that were increasingly concerned about separating from Ottoman rule.Territory in the Balkans and in parts of modern day Turkey and Bulgaria had been ceded to Russia. In Egypt, the power vacuum left behind by the French had yet to be filled. Europe was increasingly intervened in Ottoman and Egyptian conflicts due to the fear that disintegration. While the empire was still largely intact, it was in a very precarious situation. Both the Ottomans and the Egyptians recognized the need to address the rise in internal conflict and the increasing encroachment of foreign power. …show more content…

It was all about how to achieve Egyptian independence. This meant fostering egyptian economic prosperity. Thus the first large change administratively was carried out with the goal of maximizing economic gains. Ali nationalized the Egyptian agricultural system and cultivated cotton as a cash crop to be exported and solid. There was a huge demand for cotton in Europe and at the time Britain and France were its largest buyers. If executed properly Egypt would join the international economy. Demonstrating extreme caution, Muhammad Ali eventually created a monopoly on agricultural trade in Egypt. The result? Egypt became an emerging economic power (Fahmy). From there, Muhammad Ali was able to establish a professional bureaucracy within Egypt after sending hundred of students to Europe. They returned to fill positions in several new positions in the egyptian government and reorientated several Egyptian institutions. With trained bureaucrats and administrators, the government was able to build and staff several state schools, circulate a state newspaper, and establish state hospitals. While these actions would later be used to credit Muhammad Ali Pasha with the founding of Modern Egyptian state, he did so at the expense and wellbeing of the Egyptian people. While he did consolidate power in a central government which put an end to years of internal political conflict, Egypt was put in a position to be …show more content…

The Tanzimat, began in November of 1839, with the Rose Garden Edict. In the edict, the government outlined basic principles to what the relationship between the Empire and its subjects were. The tanzimat also sought to give universal protections to all Ottomans regardless of religious background. This was done to try and instill a sense of Ottomanism within the empire. In other words, this was a last attempt at keeping provinces like the Balkans from leaving the empire but it did not work (Quataert). State institutions like the Ottoman military were reorganized in a way heavily influenced by Europe. The Ottoman Empire created new modern education systems, made several infrastructure advancements, and implemented a new taxing system (Genell). Donald Quataert explains that during this time in the Ottoman Empire “the number of civil officials that totaled perhaps 2,000 persons at the end of the eighteenth century reached 35,000-50,000 in approximately 1908” (Quataert, 62). These reforms had varying levels of success within the empire. However it did achieve the goal of allowing the central government to play a greater role in the daily lives of its citizens (as good or bad as that may have been). Furthermore, new laws regarding the election of local leaders allowed for the central government to become increasingly hierarchical and decreased the amount of power

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