The Portrait of a Political Genius: Sultan Abdulhamid II PDF

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Editor-in-Chief Nihat YALÇIN Author Dr. Raşit GÜNDOĞDU Editor Harun TUNCER Grafics&Design iletisim.media Translation A-Tercüme Original Title Bir Siyasî Dehanın Portresi: Sultan Abdülhamid The Portrait of a Political Genius: Sultan Abdulhamid II Rumuz Publishing: 72 History Series: 24 1. Edition...

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Editor-in-Chief Nihat YALÇIN Author Dr. Raşit GÜNDOĞDU Editor Harun TUNCER Grafics&Design iletisim.media Translation A-Tercüme Original Title Bir Siyasî Dehanın Portresi: Sultan Abdülhamid The Portrait of a Political Genius: Sultan Abdulhamid II Rumuz Publishing: 72 History Series: 24 1. Edition: İstanbul, Nisan 2019 Limit Ofset Metin ESKİBAĞ Address: Maltepe Mah. Litros Yolu 2. Matbaacılar Sitesi No:2-4 D: ZA-13 Zeytinburnu/İSTANBUL Phone: 0212 567 45 35 Certificate Number: 28397 ISBN: 978-605-5112-86-8 Address: Muratreis Mah. Nuhkuyusu Cad. No: 295/2 Üsküdar / İSTANBUL Phone: 0216 530 07 50 www.rumuzyayinlari.com [email protected] T.C. Kültür Bakanlığı Yayıncılık Certificate Number: 27601 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

The Portrait of a Political Genius

Sultan Abdulhamid II

Sultan Abdulhamid II

Contents FOREWORD ......................................................................................... 9 PRINCEDOM .......................................................................................... 15 A CAUTIOUS AND INTELLIGENT PRINCE .................................... 15 TRAVELS TO EGYPT AND EUROPE ................................................ 17 HOW DID THE PATH ......................................................................... 20 TO THE SULTANATE OPEN? ............................................................ 20 TRANSITION TO THE SULTANATE ....................................................... 23 THE FIRST MONTHS ........................................................................ 23 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SHIPYARD (TERSANE) CONFERENCE AND CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY ................... 30 MIDHAT PASHA IS SENT TO EXILE ................................................ 34 THE FIRST ASSEMBLY OPENS ........................................................ 36 THE SULTAN’S ASSEMBLY SPEECH............................................... 38 THE OTTOMAN-RUSSIAN WAR (THE WAR OF ‘93) ....................... 48 THE SOLE ADMINISTRATOR ................................................................ 55 SHUTTING DOWN THE ASSEMBLY ................................................ 55 TREATY OF SAN STEFANO ............................................................... 57 THE ÇIRAĞAN INCIDENT................................................................. 58 BRITISH DOMINANCE IN CYPRUS ................................................ 60 THE BERLIN CONFERENCE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ............ 61 THE DEATH OF SULTAN AZIZ IN YILDIZ COURT ........................ 65 THE BRITISH OCCUPY EGYPT......................................................... 67 FINANCIAL SECURITY WAS ACHIEVED WITH THE PUBLIC DEBT ADMINISTRATION ......................................... 68 5

The Portrait of a Political Genius

REBELLION STARTS .............................................................................. 71 BULGARIAN REBELLION IN EAST RUMELIA .............................. 71 THE GREECE OPERATION ............................................................... 72 AUTONOMY TO CRETE...................................................................... 74 ARMENIAN OPERATIONS START .................................................... 74 ARMENIAN REBELLION IS GROWING .......................................... 80 WORLD POLITICS.............................................................................. 83 UNITED KINGDOM - GERMANY BALANCE ................................... 83 AS THE WORLD WAR IS APPROACHING ....................................... 87 THE GERMAN IMPACT IN THE OTTOMAN ARMY ......................... 88 THE VISITS OF THE GERMAN EMPEROR ..................................... 92 THE POWER OF THE CALIPHATE ................................................... 96 UNPAID DEBTS AND THE OCCUPATION OF LESBOS ................ 100 REVOLUTION IN MACEDONIA ...................................................... 102 A MESSAGE TO THE ALBANIANS ................................................. 106 THE DEMISE OF MURAD V ............................................................ 108 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST ABDULHAMİD II ............ 109 THE DEMISE of MURAD V .............................................................. 110 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST ABDULHAMİD II ............ 111 HAMİDİYE-HEJAZ RAILROAD........................................................ 121 THE SULTAN’S AQABA MOVE ........................................................ 128 THE FIRST STEP TO THE WORLD WAR: REVAL MEETING....... 131 OPPOSITION AGAINST THE SULTAN ................................................. 137 THE FIRST MOTION AGAINST THE SULTAN: .............................. 137 YOUNG TURKS ................................................................................. 137 THE ORGANIZATION THAT DEMOLISHED THE STATE: COMMITTEE OF UNION AND PROGRESS .................................. 143 JEWS DEMAND LAND FROM PALESTINE ................................... 150 SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCY DECLARED.................. 156 CONSECUTIVE LOSSES ................................................................. 169 THE THREE ERAS OF UNION AND PROGRESS .......................... 177 THE FINAL YEARS OF .......................................................................... 179 THE SULTAN ..................................................................................... 179 31 MARCH INCIDENT ..................................................................... 179

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Sultan Abdulhamid II

ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE VENERABLE SULTAN .............. 186 SULTAN ABDULHAMİD IS DETHRONED ..................................... 189 THESSALONIKI DAYS ..................................................................... 195 THE SULTAN IN BEYLERBEYİ....................................................... 199 THE SULTAN’S DEATH ................................................................... 206 HIS TOMB ......................................................................................... 207 THE SULTAN’S ...................................................................................... 209 PRIVATE WORLD ............................................................................. 209 CHARACTER AND MORALITY ........................................................ 209 HIS SUPERIOR INTELLECT ........................................................... 210 RELIGIOUS SENSITIVITY .............................................................. 211 HIS INTEREST IN ANIMALS .......................................................... 211 HIS READING .................................................................................. 212 HIS PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY .............................................. 212 HIS BODYGUARDS .......................................................................... 214 HIS CARPENTRY .............................................................................. 215 HIS NATIONALISM .......................................................................... 215 HIS INTEREST IN GLAZED TILE .................................................. 216 HIS FAMILY ...................................................................................... 216 THE SULTAN’S IMPROVEMENTS AND PROJECTS........................... 219 EDUCATION SERVICES .................................................................. 220 HEALTH SERVICES ......................................................................... 222 INDUSTRIAL BREAKTHROUGHS .................................................. 222 BRIDGE AND TUNNEL PROJECTS ................................................ 224 OIL EXPLORATION .......................................................................... 226 CHRONOLOGY OF THE SULTAN ABDULHAMID II ERA ................. 231

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Sultan Abdulhamid II

FOREWORD ultan Abdulhamid was one of the most important and controversial figures of the 19th century. Due to both the important occurrences of this “long century” and the many years of reign enjoyed by the Sultan helped him play a decisive role in the Turkish history.

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Sultan was ruling a land still known as the most proper part of the globe to be exploited in an era when imperialism was harshly colonizing the “under-developed” world. And just because of that he was a man that was hardly liked. As being one of the formidable leaders of the times when the classical conflict between the East and the West was evolving toward a very bloody fight, Sultan Abdulhamid was thought to be born for defense. Even deeply immersed in an intensive conflict both inside and outside the country, the Sultan was striving for the wellbeing of his people and his domain. In this study the writer tried to shed some light upon the personal life of the Sultan and to panoramically narrate his work as a statesman. He was also concerned for the language and style to be clear and objective; and for being able to present the reader a more imaginable text he enriched the work with visuals.

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The Portrait of a Political Genius

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INTRODUCTION AND PHOTOGRAPH

SULTAN ABDULHAMID HAN II: Father: Abdulmejid Han Mother: Tîr-i Müjgân Sultan Birth: 21 September 1842 Succession to the throne: 31 August 1876 Spouses: Nâzikedâ, Bedrifelek Nûrefsun, Bîdâr, Dilpesend, Mezide, Emsâlinur, Müşfika Offspring: Mehmed Selim, Abdulkâdir, Ahmed Nuri, Burhaneddin, Abdurrahim, Nureddin, Bedreddin, Mehmed Âbid and Ulviye Zekiye, Nâime Nâile, Şadiye, Refia, Ayşe sultans Dethronement: 1909 Death: 10 February 1918 Tomb: Mahmud II Tomb, Çemberlitaş, Istanbul Order: 99th Islamic Caliph, 34th Ottoman Sultan

The Portrait of a Political Genius

Sultan Abdulmajid, Hamid's father 12

Sultan Abdulhamid II

On 31 August 1876 (10 Shaban 1293) Thursday, Sultan Murad V was removed from the Ottoman throne which he had reigned for 93 days. He was replaced with Abdulhamid Han as the 34th Ottoman Sultan. On 7 September, the new sultan girded a sword in Eyup Sultan Mosque. He visited the tombs of ancestors with a large ceremonial entourage. Hundreds of thousands of people were cheering along the roads and on the shore to greet the sultan as the entourage progressed from Edirnekapı to Topkapı Palace. In the meantime, the naval vessels were greeting the new sultan with artillery fire, the enthronement was celebrated with cannon fire from different parts of Istanbul. Sultan Abdulhamid, sat himself in the golden throne established in front of the Babüssaade, while all the state dignitaries pledged their allegiance one by one. The Sultan accepted the grand vizier, sheik al-Islam and the high state dignitaries in the audience hall. When Abdulhamid heard that his brother Murad V had been transferred to Ciragan Palace he boarded the imperial caique and left for Dolmabahce Palace. This was how he spent the first day of his reign that would last 33 years.

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Dolmabahçe Palace, Constantinople

Sultan Abdulhamid II

PRINCEDOM A CAUTIOUS AND INTELLIGENT PRINCE

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rince Abdulhamid who was born as the son of Sultan Abdulmejid and Tirimüjgân KadınEffendi was two years younger than his brother Murad V. At the age of 11, his mother passed away (31 October 1852). Abdulhamid was delivered to the loving care of Perestû Kadın Effendi, a wife of Sultan Mecid who had no children of her own. When he was 18 he lost his father Albülmecid Han and his uncle Abdulaziz Han ascended to the throne and since his children were small, the two children of Abdulmejid Han became crown princes. Prince Abdulhamid and his brother Murad Effendi received a good education together. They were instructed by renown names in their fields such as Edhem Pasha, Kemal Pasha, Saffet Pasha, Gardet, Gerdankıran Ömer Effendi, Ferid Effendi, Şerif Effendi, Ali Mahvî Effendi, Vak‘anüvis (Chronicler) Lütfi Effendi, Guatelli, Lombardi. They received instruction in Turkish, Arabic, Farsi, French. They learned how to use weapons, riding and similar military skills first from the teachers and then from military officers. He was instructed in interpretation, hadith and Islamic law by Gümüşhânevî Ömer Hulûsî Effendi. He learned about Ottoman history from Vak‘anüvis Lütfi Effendi. The Sultan was extremely interested in history. His respect for science and scientist was enormous. Abdulhamid Han had been following the local and foreign press since his princedom and would continue to follow the foreign press closely throughout his reign. Abdulhamid Han, a good calligrapher and carpenter, has been involved in trade since his princedom. He had a carpenter's workshop and farms, and had a wealth of experience operating a mine. In the future, he would use his private assets generously in the service of the state when necessary. 15...