Guiding questions and topics for essay related to reforms and changes

in the late 18th and 19th century Ottoman Empire

ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1-Write an essay on periodization in the history and discuss the main
characteristics of the periods of the history of Modern Turkey as
explained by the historian Eric Zurcher, limiting yourself to the periods
within the timeframe of 1789 to 1923. Would you periodize history of
modern Turkey in the same way, and why? (page 1-4)
2-Write and essay on Ottoman system of governing and the
characteristics of the Ottoman population before the era of Reforms
that started by Selim III (You need to speak about ilmiye (madrasas,
head of the ilmiye, and its hierarchy, control of Ottoman educational
system, interpretation and reproduction of great tradition, kalemiye
(system of bureaucracy, center periphery integration, official
documentation, tax collection etc.), seyfiye (sipahis and timar based
soldiers; janissaries, devshirme, being salaried army etc.), and
teba/subject of the sultan, how it is categorized as Muslims and nonMuslims teba (subject), their tax responsibility, population density of
the empire.)
3-Compare the Ottoman system of government by 18th century with
modern nation-state (page 13-14-15)
4-Write an essay on Ottoman tax-system before and after the changes
from Selim III reign to the Tanizmat reforms. Write main
characteristics of the tax system of the classical period (Timar system,
and tax-in-kind and change into tax-farming system (ottoman malikane
and iltizam system, which shows changes from tax-in-kind to tax-incash). The problems of Iltizam system, what majors Selim III did take to
fix tax-collection problems.
5-Write an essay on emergence of Eastern Question from the reign of
Selim III to the period of Tanzimat. You need to analyze major
European power involvement in international crisis between the
Ottoman State and Russia (main wars between them, page 19-21, 5356), Greek and Egyptian crisis page 34-35, 36-38-39; foreign powers
involvement with modernization and support for Christian bourgeoisie
and Economic integration with Europe in relation to the Eastern
question, page 38-39).
6-Ottoman millet system and how it has changed by reforms of 19th
century (Jews, Christians and Armenian millets, their conditions before
and after the reforms of the Tanzimat)

7- Tanzimat : Evaluate the overall reforms of the Tanzimat era: 183971. (Reforms in military system (page 57), bureaucracy (page 57), tax
system (page 59), reform in law and judiciary (page 61), in education,
(page, 62).
8-Discuss the economic integration of Ottoman Empire into European
based Capitalist World Economy during the era of Tanzimat and what
was the main turn in this relation during the era of Tanzimat (page 6366).
9-Write an essay on the rise of nationalism and the independence
movements from 1800 to the end of the Tanzimat era (1800 to 1870s).
(Page 25-27, 31-34, 55-56)
10-Write an essay on Emergence of movement of the Young Ottomans
as a 19th Century Ideological Trend to save the Empire against the
currents of nationalism (focus on page 66-70)
ONE DISCUSSION QUESTION
1-Discuss the interplay between religious authority and state authority
within the context of the rise of nation state in the 19th century Europe
as modern secular-nation state and the use of Religion as a means of
Imperialist pressure on Ottoman Empire by European Imperial forces
and Russia. (France claim to have protectorate role over Maronite
Christians of Lebanon, Russias claim to be protector of the entire
Christian orthodox subjects of the Ottoman Empire, and Russias
officially recognizing the Ottoman Sultan to be the khalifah (religious
head) of the independent Crimea versus policies of nationalism and
secular nation buildings in the 19th century Europe.
CONCEPTS FOR I.D. QUESTIONS:
adab
Adalet
aar
askeri
Ayan
bab-i ali
bedel-i askeri
cizye
Capitalist World-System Theory

Constitutional Monarchy
iftlik
dervish
Eastern Question
eriat
fetva
nizamiye courts
Glhane Hatt-i erif
hatt-i hmayun
ltizam
medrese
mft
millet (as a concept within Ottoman Millet System)
Modernization
Msavat
Napoleonic Wars
Nationalism
nizam-i cedid
Oriental despotism
Orientalism
Sened-i ttifak
eyhlislam
The Concert of Europe
timar
tanzimat
ulema
Young Ottomans
Westernization