Impact of Tanzimat on Ottoman Empire (Essay Sample)

Impact of Tanzimat on Ottoman Empire
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Introduction
The Ottoman Empire had immense responsibility to control the impending decline of the ancient Empire. This led the government to attempt to colonize the Empire according to the Empire standards and, therefore, stop the direct influence of the European powers and influence in the Territory. The first phase of the reform was the Tanzimat period, which lasted from 1839-1876. After the first constitution period, Tanzimat came to an end when Sultan Abdulhamid II took over. His reign lasted till 1908 (Ahmad, 2013). During his reign all the reforms that were in Tanzimat were retained and supported. However, the Sultan abdulhamid era tried to change the culture of Tanzimat. He tried to return the Ottoman Empire to a nation that could rebuild its legislative system in Islamic ideologies and the reassertion of Sultanic authority. The change of Empire separated the ethic and religion of the Islam and the Ottoman Empire structure. The people of the nation embraced the new system in form of the Empire of Tanzimat reforms so that they can be able to create a new Ottoman identity that would concede the virtue of nationality and patriotism within the Empire. Many minority ethnic groups within the Empire separated. They felt that the Ottoman rule was degrading them, which led to separation from the majority of the Ottoman rule since they wanted a system that could allow them to follow their own religion, cultural traditions which were promised under the Tanzimat period. They also wanted less legal formalities to govern them (Foroqhi, 2006). Armenians were part of the Ottoman Empire who lived in all areas of Empire. There was a greater division among the Armenian the Ottoman Empire. The rich resided in the urban centers .While the peasants Armenians resided in the rural areas leading to a great class division between them. The Armenians were after the Ottoman government so that they can have their promised rights in the Hatt-I Sharif of Gulhame and the Islahat Fermani. The Tanzimat reforms highlighted the problems between the Armenians and the Muslim. This opposition led to ethical tensions that made them forgets the aim of overcoming the Ottoman government. Armenians under the Russian Tsarist, rule begun to generate ideas about how to resist the injustices within the Ottoman Empire (Sahim.2013).This paper will focus on a group of Christians called Armenians who were greatly affected by the Tanzimat reform in the Ottoman Empire. The essay explains both positive and negative impacts of Tanzimat reforms to the Armenians and the society in the empire.
Impact of the Tanzimat on the Ottoman Empire
Tanzimat reforms in the Ottoman Empire led to the negative impact to the Armenians and the society because it created a huge division in the Empire. Amid the time of changes, the Ottoman Empire was more assorted in every geographical region of the Empire. This division was due to the different experiences that people underwent depending on the kind of religion and belief they subscribed to (Sahim.D, 2013). For example, the Armenians, who were the Christians in the Empire were persecuted by the Muslims. It also created a great divide between the centers of the Empire. The majority of residents of the Empire were the only people enjoying the changes that were promised by the Tanzimat reforms. These were the Muslims residing in the empire. The minority groups in the Empire anticipated for more concrete from the decrees compared to those from the government, hence leading to a major division (Ahmad, 2013). In addition, the Tanzimat reform led to financial crises, due to foreign investment from the Europeans. This led to the emergence of debts which brought the Europeans to occupy the Empire that led to the loss of the empire’s economic sovereignty. For example the money generated from the investments was mostly directed into paying of interest that the Europeans had invested in the Empire. This prompted the bankruptcy of the empire exceptionally influencing the economy of the Empire. The military reforms also resulted to a lot of expenses and repercussions in attaining the military modernization, which led to financial problems in the Ottoman Empire too. These reforms on the military raised programs that led to the physical effect on population in the Ottoman Empire, which had a lot of effects on the future politics of Ottoman Empire. It raised the average cost for basic items of the individuals living in the empire. This was attributed to high taxation that was introduced so that the Empire can be able to compensate for the loans secured from other external sources to fund the kingdom. This led to a lot of pressure on the society of the empire since it was their taxes that paid off the government debts. This was during the rule of Muharram (Foroqhi, 2006). Lastly, the reforms that happened during the Tanzimat Period led increase in death rates. The emergence of the great massacre that was due to the conflict of the revolutionaries of Ottoman authorities. This was a great conflict between the Muslims and the Christians of the time that led to many attacks involving destruction of the buildings, rape, brutal killings and mass murder. These events accounted for the loss of more than 100,000 residing in the Ottoman Empire. Due to this massacre, the demography population declined and the economy of the Empire was greatly affected that affected the whole society
The Tanzimat reform on the Ottoman Empire, on other hand, impacted the Empire positively. The reforms led to westernization that resulted to emergence of many series of reforms in the empire. For example reforms led the embracing of culture, education and religion in the Ottoman Empire. In these reforms, the dressing code of the military was changed and they embraced the western uniforms. These military changes in the kingdom expanded the productivity of the armed forces. This helped the Ottoman Empire to be more firm and strong. It was due to the Tanzimat reforms that the construction of and conscription of a military service in the empire came to realization. The people within the Empire acquired knowledge in the western models. The knowledge they acquired helped them to develop the empire economically. The Ottoman government took the westernized mode of ruling giving the empire a feeling of westernization. The Empire was saved from the Egyptian ruling, which was not enough to keep the property of the Empire (Gelvin.J, 2008). The Tanzimat reforms also led to the establishment of institutions that guaranteed the security of life within the empire regardless of the religion or the race one belonged to. The schools established in the year 1870s allowed young men and women within the empire to enroll in the government schools. Upon completing their studies the Armenians were now able to obtain positions in the Ottoman government’s bureaucracy thus giving the Armenians access to the government to fight for their rights in the Ottoman Empire. The Armenians had the capacity procure a benefit to make irreplaceable to the authorities of the Ottoman Empire. The Tanzimat empowered the development and came up with a standardized system of taxation to be used. This system eliminated abuses and instituted fair means of military training for the people joining the military within the Ottoman Empire (Sahim.2013). Tanzimat reform also promised the Armenians equality with the Muslims in the Ottoman Empire, which was of course not implemented in the later years. These untruths of the Muslims to the Armenians brought about differences which were provided in the Noble Edict. These reforms were implemented during the leadership of Mustafa Resid Pasa (Ahmad, 2013). In addition, the reforms led to the establishment of criminal and commercial courts under the Islamic religious council. The Tanzimat made a centralized administration in the Ottoman Empire. This demanded for much firm sovereignty for the ethnic group in the Ottoman Empire that is different from Ottoman rule, hence increasing the strength of Christians in the empire. The action was perceived to be geared towards increasing their economic and political power since the Armenians were part of the officials who had the command in the empire. This prevented most of non-Muslims from escaping the oppression of the Muslims to a certain degree (Sahim.D, 2013).
Tanzimat change positively impacted the Armenians since it prompted the foundation of area changes which influenced the responsibility for the area under the Ottoman land law in the year 1858. For example, this reform allowed Russian Jews who were Armenians to be able to buy land like the Muslims would freely do in the empire. This reform gave the Armenians the ability of mobility so that they can create the base of taxation. It also enabled the Armenians to be able to register land for the very first time in the Empire as it was under Aliya’s rule. Tanzimat changes prompted Ottomanism, which represented the differing ethnic gatherings in the empire. This led to the surge of the nationalist movements in the Ottoman Empire that encouraged equality to the Armenians and the Muslims to be Ottoman society that would enhance its liberty. This placed the populated Ottoman Empire into an equal era that could make people as part of the reform regardless of their origin, thus leading to nationalism within the Empire of Ottoman (Gelvin, 2008).Tanzimat reform in the Ottoman Empire led to the end of dominance of the millet system. It permitted individuals in the Empire to be different in the development of products inside the Ottoma...