Partners of the Empire : The Crisis of the Ottoman Order in the Age of Revolutions

__Partners of the Empire__ offers a radical rethinking of the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Over this unstable period, the Ottoman Empire faced political crises, institutional shakeups, and popular insurrections. It responded through various reform options and settlements. New institutional configurations emerged; constitutional texts were codified—and annulled. The empire became a political theater where different actors struggled, collaborated, and competed on conflicting agendas and opposing interests.This book takes a holistic look at the era, interested not simply in central reforms or in regional developments, but in their interactions. Drawing on original archival sources, Ali Yaycioglu uncovers the patterns of political action—the making and unmaking of coalitions, forms of building and losing power, and expressions of public opinion. Countering common assumptions, he shows that the Ottoman transformation in the Age of Revolutions was not a linear transition from the old order to the new, from decentralized state to centralized, from Eastern to Western institutions, or from pre-modern to modern. Rather, it was a condensed period of transformation that counted many crossing paths, as well as dead-ends, all of which offered a rich repertoire of governing possibilities to be followed, reinterpreted, or ultimately forgotten. "Partners of the Empire propose de repenser radicalement l'Empire ottoman au XVIIIe siècle et au début du XIXe siècle. Au cours de cette période instable, l'Empire ottoman a été confronté à des crises politiques, des bouleversements institutionnels et des insurrections populaires. Il a réagi par le biais de diverses options de réforme et de règlements. De nouvelles configurations institutionnelles sont apparues ; les textes constitutionnels ont été codifiés - et annulés. L'empire est devenu un théâtre politique où différents acteurs se sont battus, ont collaboré et se sont affrontés sur la base d'agendas conflictuels et d'intérêts opposés. Ce livre jette un regard global sur cette époque, s'intéressant non pas simplement aux réformes centrales ou aux développements régionaux, mais à leurs interactions. S'appuyant sur des sources d'archives originales, Ali Yaycioglu met au jour les schémas de l'action politique - la formation et le démantèlement des coalitions, les formes de construction et de perte du pouvoir et les expressions de l'opinion publique. À l'encontre des idées reçues, il montre que la transformation ottomane à l'âge des révolutions n'a pas été une transition linéaire de l'ordre ancien au nouvel ordre, de l'État décentralisé à l'État centralisé, des institutions orientales aux institutions occidentales, ou du pré-moderne au moderne. Il s'agissait plutôt d'une période condensée de transformation qui comptait de nombreux croisements de chemins, ainsi que des impasses, qui offraient tous un riche répertoire de possibilités de gouvernance à suivre, à réinterpréter ou finalement à oublier."-- Site de l'éditeur "Partners of the Empire offers a radical rethinking of the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Over this unstable period, the Ottoman Empire faced political crises, institutional shakeups, and popular insurrections. It responded through various reform options and settlements. New institutional configurations emerged; constitutional texts were codified--and annulled. The empire became a political theater where different actors struggled, collaborated, and competed on conflicting agendas and opposing interests. This book takes a holistic look at the era, interested not simply in central reforms or in regional developments, but in their interactions. Drawing on original archival sources, Ali Yaycioglu uncovers the patterns of political action--the making and unmaking of coalitions, forms of building and losing power, and expressions of public opinion. Countering common assumptions, he shows that the Ottoman transformation in the Age of Revolutions was not a linear transition from the old order to the new, from decentralized state to centralized, from Eastern to Western institutions, or from pre-modern to modern. Rather, it was a condensed period of transformation that counted many crossing paths, as well as dead-ends, all of which offered a rich repertoire of governing possibilities to be followed, reinterpreted, or ultimately forgotten." -- Publisher's description 'Partners of the Empire' offers a radical rethinking of the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Over this unstable period, the Ottoman Empire faced political crises, institutional shakeups, and popular insurrections. It responded through various reform options and settlements. New institutional configurations emerged; constitutional texts were codified-and annulled. The empire became a political theater where different actors struggled, collaborated, and competed on conflicting agendas and opposing interests. This work takes a holistic look at the era, interested not simply in central reforms or in regional developments, but in their interactions. Drawing on original archival sources, Ali Yaycioglu uncovers the patterns of political action--the making and unmaking of coalitions, forms of building and losing power, and expressions of public opinion. Countering common assumptions, he shows that the Ottoman transformation in the Age of Revolutions was not a linear transition from the old order to the new, from decentralized state to centralized, from Eastern to Western institutions, or from pre-modern to modern. Rather, it was a condensed period of transformation that counted many crossing paths, as well as dead-ends, all of which offered a rich repertoire of governing possibilities to be followed, reinterpreted, or ultimately forgotten."--Publisher's description Descripción del editor: "Partners of the Empire offers a radical rethinking of the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Over this unstable period, the Ottoman Empire faced political crises, institutional shakeups, and popular insurrections. It responded through various reform options and settlements. New institutional configurations emerged; constitutional texts were codified--and annulled. The empire became a political theater where different actors struggled, collaborated, and competed on conflicting agendas and opposing interests. This book takes a holistic look at the era, interested not simply in central reforms or in regional developments, but in their interactions. Drawing on original archival sources, Ali Yaycioglu uncovers the patterns of political action--the making and unmaking of coalitions, forms of building and losing power, and expressions of public opinion. Countering common assumptions, he shows that the Ottoman transformation in the Age of Revolutions was not a linear transition from the old order to the new, from decentralized state to centralized, from Eastern to Western institutions, or from pre-modern to modern. Rather, it was a condensed period of transformation that counted many crossing paths, as well as dead-ends, all of which offered a rich repertoire of governing possibilities to be followed, reinterpreted, or ultimately forgotten." Contents 8 Preface 10 A Note on Transliteration and Exchange Rates 14 Introduction 18 1. Empire: Order, Crisis, and Reform, 1700–1806 34 I. The Ottoman World 36 II. The New Order 55 2. The Notables: Governance, Power, and Wealth 82 3. Communities: Collective Action, Leadership, and Politics 134 4. Crisis: Riots, Conspiracies, and Revolutions, 1806–1808 174 5. Settlement: The Deed of Alliance and the Empire of Trust (1808) 220 Conclusion 256 Select Bibliography 266 Notes 318 Index 354 Partners of Empire offers a radical rethinking of the Ottoman Empire in the 18th and early 19th centuries.