Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire

M. Sukru Hanioglu is the Garrett Professor in Foreign Affairs and professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University. He is the author of "Preparation for a Revolution" and "The Young Turks in Opposition".

"There are many fine insights in this short book. It is no surprise that many relate to political hypocrisy, since Hanioglu is well known for his studies of the Young Turk political movement. But he also offers often-illuminating discussions of cultural changes, mainly those of the Ottoman official and middle strata."--Choice "[T]his book raises a series of new questions and calls for developing new approaches and ideas to analyze the last Ottoman century and understand better the rise of national states in the Balkans and the Middle East, especially Turkey... In short, this is a thought-provoking book and I recommend it highly."--Kemal H. Karpat, American Historical Review "Forgoing 'the worn-out paradigms of modernization and Westernization,' Hanioglu opts instead for a consideration of Ottoman responses to the challenge of modernity... [This book] is a pleasure to read."--Kate Fleet, Journal of Islamic Studies "The Ottoman Empire was the longest-lived regional regime in the Middle East since antiquity; it was also the most recent, and left enduring traces. ?ukru Hanio?lu's A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is a major contribution to the better understanding of the region. His account is based on intimate knowledge of the Ottoman archives, as well as of many other sources, both internal and external. Concerned with trends more than events, this book illuminates the ideas and movements that shaped the course of history."--Bernard Lewis, Middle East Strategy at Harvard "This timely history is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the legacy left in the ruins of the empire--a legacy the world still grapples with today."--Turkish Daily News "A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the legacy left in this empire's ruins--a legacy the world still grapples with today."--Spartacus Educational "A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire deserves only unqualified praise. It is well written and comprehensive in its coverage--with diplomatic, economic and intellectual history interacting."--Peter Clark, Asian Affairs "In all, this is a fine effort well worth reading for its valuable background to WWI, to the politics of modern Turkey and the other Ottoman successor states. Its maps are particularly useful."--Len Shurtleff, Listening Post "[T]o readers familiar with the Ottoman Empire through the Balkans, A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is especially commendable as a fresh introduction to a bygone view from Istanbul."--Seth C. Elder, Balkanalysis "Hanioglu's seminal work presents a true spring of ideas not only for the late Ottoman history but also for the search of some earlier East Roman and Byzantine interplays of structures and identities."--Wolfgang G. Schwanitz, Sehepunkte "A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is a recommendable book to the specialist and novice alike. It would also appeal to public readership as a fine sample of international history."--Nur Bilge Criss, Turkish Studies "The strength of A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is its view of the late Ottoman Empire both from the imperial inside as well as from a reflective and inspiring historical distance. This concise book is very appropriate for general history classes."--Hans-Lukas Kieser, H-Net Reviews "Without a doubt or reservation, this brief history is must reading for scholars and students of Ottoman history, and the author is to be commended for his excellent approach to the study of this period, for this reviewer cannot think of any other scholar better equipped intellectually to analyze and place it in the proper perspective for a meaningful understanding of this critical phase of an empire on the verge of disintegration."--Caesar E. Farah, Historian "Historians and general readers embarking on an introduction to the Ottoman Empire could do far worse than to start with M. Sukru Hanio?lu's A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire. Concise, well-written, and narrative, it nonetheless successfully revises decades of misconceptions about the Ottoman Empire, creating a new model for our understanding of this long-lived system. The author presents several key arguments worth presenting. He encourages his readers to move beyond previous interpretations of Ottoman history, including the perception of the empire as a decrepit and dynastic straitjacket for nationalisms."--Wayne H. Bowen, Canadian Journal of History

• List of Figures ix Acknowledgments xi Note on Transliteration, Place Names, and Dates xiii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The Ottoman Empire at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century 6 Chapter 2: Initial Ottoman Responses to the Challenge of Modernity 42 Chapter 3: The Dawn of the Age of Reform 55 Chapter 4: The Tanzimat Era 72 Chapter 5: The Twilight of the Tanzimat and the Hamidian Regime 109 Chapter 6: From Revolution to Imperial Collapse: The Longest Decade of the Late Ottoman Empire 150 Conclusion 203 Further Reading in Major European Languages 213 Bibliography 217 Index 231