FROM CENTRALIZATION TO MODERNIZATION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE 1830S REFORMS AND TANZIMAT IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE (1830–1876) A BRITISH PRESS PERSPECTIVE
Odesa XHEMAILI
Abstract
This paper studies the Ottoman reforms of the 1830s and the Tanzimat reforms of 1839–1876. It compares them and looks at how the Ottoman Empire slowly moved from a traditional centralized system to a system with more European-style changes in administration, law, and society. The reform inatiatives Ottoman society happened during a difficult time, with political problems, a weak army, and strong pressure from the Great Powers. Facing these challenges, Ottoman leaders tried in different ways to change and improve the old system.
The methodology followed adopts a historical-analytical and comparative approach, using nineteenth-century British newspapers such as Morning Post, Tralee Chronicle, Pall Mall Gazette, and West Kent Guardian. These sources are supported by modern scholarly literature on Ottoman political and social developments. The findings reveal that most of the reforms of the 1830s remained within the traditional Ottoman system where the focus was on the army and administrative control. The Tanzimat reforms were a step further and introduced certain secular ideals and new institutions informed by Western models.
Pages: 80 - 87