Tanzimat

Reform program in the Ottoman Empire from 1839 until 1876. Tanzimat is Turkish for reorganization, and was a program that based itself on the changes started by grand Turk Mahmud 2. The actual program was started under sultan Abdulmecid 1, and corrupted and destroyed by sultan Abulaziz. The Tanzimat program was one of highest importance to the Ottoman Empire. It was initiated by reformists who understood why the empire was growing weaker while neighbour countries were growing stronger. The blank space was clearly illustrated by numerous military defeats.Inside the empire also, there were many an(prenominal) dangerous tensions that could lead to conflicts and demands of autonomy. This had already happened in Egypt, when Muhammad Ali achieved autonomy. notwithstanding high in the empire there were many people with conservative ideas, as strong as many who (accurately) feared for their own positions, and who opposed the reform processes. One feature of the Tanzimat that made it hard to accept for many, was that it had been formed upon European ideas and ideals.And Europe was considered the lands of the infidels. The reforms of the Tanzimat was administered under the Grand Vizier. The most known of the Tanzimat viziers was Mustafa Resid Pasha, who served altogether 6 terms. speckle the Tanzimat program might have saved the Ottoman Empire, or at least prolonged its existence, one may assert that it came too late. But even more(prenominal) grave, it was discontinued by sultan Abdulaziz abuse of regime and little respect for the reforms.And there was even less hope for the reforms when Abdulhamid 2 ascended the sultan throne in 1876, and as among the first of many irresponsible acts stopped the Tanzimat. The program The program was defined in a instrument of 1839 c onlyed Hatt-i Serif (Noble Edict of the Rose Chamber). It contained new regulations in several handle young administration Provincial representative assemblies (nothing to do with democracy i n modern terms, of course) were established, together with tell apart courts that ruled independent of the religiously learned.But more important than that, the local administrations started to function as parts of large state structure. Also, new codes of commercial and criminal law were introduced. Standardized system of taxation Earlier there had been abuses in many provinces, allowing local rulers to enrich themselves on the locals. The system of taxation also applied to military enlistion and training, a system that now was regulated, and involved less pressure on the locals. New conscript system The Ottoman Empire now introduced a conscript system based upon Prussian patterns.This involved the total end of the devsirme system, from which the Janissaries had been recruited. Rights of the case-by-case No matter what race or religion a citizen had, his or her security of life, property and honour was guaranteed inside the empire. In return, the state demanded that all citizen s were loyal to the sultan and the Ottoman administration. Secular school system Earlier, Islam had been the pedestal for schooling. Now, modern ideals were introduced instead.