An Initiative for New Reformation in Ottoman:Nizam-i Djedid and Kabakci Coup D'etat

Ottoman Empire founded and sustained a civilisation which the West couldn’t reach years ago. But brilliant performance at the beginning didn’t keep on up to the end. Ottoman civilisation lost its outstanding features considerably due to periods of stagnation, decline and dissolution. Some of the last Ottoman Sultans almost spent all their time for initiatives of change and reformation because facts of stagnation and decline needed precautions. While the main aim of change and reformation was initially to bring back the old magnificence, it converted into the aspiration to keep up with the West. Common destinies of these reformation movements became failure whether their aim was to bring back the old magnificence or to keep up with the West. All them were brought to an end by a coup d’etat. Ottoman society couldn’t thoroughly realize its aim of total change and transformation in any way although it achieved some goals. It had to wait for the declaration of Republic to be successful. The most significant one of the change and reformation movements was undoubtedly Nizam-i Djedid. This movement which was commenced and put into effect by Sultan Selim III was a planned reconstruction movement. Nizam-i Djedid was organized in a careful, confidential and planned way by considering the prominent change movements which failed in the past. But it was unable to escape from the same fate as old ones. It failed in spite of its superior characteristics such as carefull planning and well organizing.

Keywords

Sultan Selim III., Nizam-i Djedid, Kabakci Coup D’etat, Change and Reformation.