Gulhannnnnnnnne

After reading the Gulhane Proclamation (1839), I feel that I better understand the intentions of the Tanzimat Reforms. After the rise in the dominance (and corruption) of the Janissaries and the decline in the enforcement of established laws, the Ottoman Empire was stuck in a period of overall decline. As the proclamation stated, “An empire in fact loses all its stability as soon as it ceases to observe its laws.” The proclamation attempted to modernize the empire both socially and militarily in order to compete with the European powers.

The three principles of the proclamation were all very qualified. I believe the most important to be the third, “An equally regular system for the levy of troops and the duration of their service.” This is probably a response to the strife caused by the excessive power of the Janissaries who were eventually abolished in the 1820s. A strong, but faithful, military is necessary for the livelihood of any nation.

The rest of the decree was equally pertinent. “The innocent heirs of a criminal shall not be deprived of their legal rights.” When reading this line I thought of Enlightenment philosopher Cesare Beccaria, whose writings dealt primarily with crime and punishment. Beccaria took a more liberal approach to the dealings of law, saying that accusations of crimes carried a very heavy “price tag” on the accused and their family. It was an enlightened thinking to believe that “the son will not be punished for the sins of the father.” The Ottomans took a big step in attempting to adopt these more enlightened mindsets.

Even within the Ottoman bureaucracy, the Sultan wanted a shift back towards positions based on merit rather than social status. The influx of unqualified citizens into the bureaucracy led to the weakening of the government, but the Sultan seemed to believe it was not too late to save these institutions with the help of highly qualified individuals.

Overall, the policies of this edict were favorable to the non-Muslims in the empire. This includes those of the Balkan region. “These imperial concessions shall extend to all our subjects, of whatever religion or sect they may be; they shall enjoy them without exceptions.” The ideas expressed in the document prove to me that the Ottomans were not “the sick man of Europe” with regards to their philosophical thinking, but rather the strength of their government had declined to the point where it may have been too late to make effective, meaningful changes.

That's my take on the Gulhane Proclamation. Sorry if it reads like an essay but I'm thought it encompassed a good bit. Any thoughts?