IDENTITY UNDER PRESSURE: NATIONALISM AND IMPERIAL REFORM IN THE AGE OF THE ISLAHAT EDICT

Abstract

Nineteenth-century Ottoman history has long been interpreted through a Eurocentric lens that depicts the empire as a passive actor shaped primarily by European intervention. Within this framework, the Tanzimat Edict of 1839 and the Islahat Edict of 1856 are often understood as externally imposed concessions, particularly regarding the treatment of minority populations. However, recent scholarship challenges this perspective by emphasizing the agency of Ottoman policymakers and the internal dynamics that shaped reform processes. Building on this debate, the article argues that these reforms were not merely responses to European pressure but were also driven by strategic considerations related to imperial governance, legitimacy, and cohesion. Through qualitative historical analysis combining process tracing and discourse analysis, the study situates the reforms within broader transformations, including the rise of nationalism and the geopolitical context of the Crimean War and the Treaty of Paris. The findings demonstrate that Ottoman reformers pursued a pragmatic modernization agenda, seeking to balance external pressures with internal priorities. The promotion of an “Ottomanism” identity aimed to counter fragmentation within a multi-ethnic empire, while negotiations with European powers enabled limited but meaningful autonomy. Overall, Ottoman modernization emerges as a complex and negotiated process rather than a simple product of European dominance.