The Duality of Authoritarianism and Reformism in Sultan Abdülaziz and its Impact on the Tanzimat Era

Document Type : Research/Original/Reqular Article

Author

Department of History and Civilization of Islamic nations, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Rereading the process of the collapse of the Ottoman state necessitates attention to the various developments of the late Ottoman period. Examining the policies of the Ottoman sultans of this era is of great importance. In a situation where the center of power had shifted from the Bab Humayoun (Imperial Gate/ Palace) to the Bab Ali (Sublime Porte/ Government) since the beginning of the Tanzimat period, the sultans of this era harbored the idea of restoring the absolute power of the Ottomans despite adapting to the new circumstances. Sultan Abdülaziz (r. 1277-1293 AH/1861-1876 CE), after ascending to the throne, actively sought to revive the authority of the Bab Humayoun. Therefore, this article seeks to investigate: "What impact did the dual mindset and approaches of this Ottoman Sultan have on the developments of the Tanzimat era?" A review of Abdülaziz's actions and measures during his reign, relying on the method of historical character analysis, shows that to achieve the revival of Sultanic authority, Abdülaziz tried to portray himself as the main proponent of the Tanzimat and reforms. While pretending to be committed to reformist modernization, he focused his efforts on weakening the Bab Ali. Abdülaziz attempted to lead the modernization within the state and society by preventing the rise of the successors of Ali Pasha to the position of Grand Vizier and sidelining figures like Midḥat Pasha. This was an endeavor in which he did not achieve much success. Consequently, instead of reforming affairs, not only did the Ottoman state's internal and external problems not decrease, but the exacerbation of the annual budget deficit revealed public dissatisfaction with him. Accordingly, in addition to reformist and modernizing groups, the traditional segments of Ottoman society also opposed the policies of this Ottoman Sultan. As a result of the continuation of the precarious situation and the political deadlock that arose, Abdülaziz was deposed from the throne by the efforts of Ottoman political figures because he was unwilling to relinquish his absolute authority. Therefore, according to the findings of this research, the duality governing Abdülaziz's policy-making and his vacillation between absolute authoritarianism and reformist modernization led to the further weakening of the Ottoman state during this time.

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References

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Iranian Journal for the History of Islamic Civilization
Volume 58, Issue 1
(Spring & Summer 2025)
November 2025
Pages 247-270

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  • Receive Date: 19 May 2025
  • Revise Date: 24 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 07 September 2025

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