THE OTTOMANS 17001923
Originally conceived as a military history, this second edition completes the story of the Middle Eastern populations that underwent significant transformation in the nineteenth century, finally imploding in communal violence, paramilitary activity, and genocide after the Berlin Treaty of 1878.
Now called The Ottomans 17001923: An Empire Besieged, the book charts the evolution of a military system in the era of shrinking borders, global consciousness, financial collapse and revolutionary fervor. The focus of the text is on those who fought, defended, and finally challenged the sultan and the system, leaving long-lasting legacies in the contemporary Middle East. Richly illustrated, the text is accompanied by brief portraits of the friends and foes of the Ottoman house.
Written by a foremost scholar of the Ottoman Empire and featuring illustrations that have not been seen in print before, this second edition will be essential reading for both students and scholars of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman society, military and political history, and Ottoman-European relations.
Virginia Aksans particular interests lie in the Ottomans in a comparative imperial context, focusing on borderlands, warrior societies, knowledge transfer, intermediaries, and perceptions of the Ottoman evolution in a revolutionary age. Her publications include An Ottoman Statesman in War and Peace: Ahmed Resmi Efendi, 17001783 (1995); The Early Modern Ottomans, co-edited with Daniel Goffman (2007), and more than 40 edited chapters and journal articles.
Modern Wars in Perspective
This ambitious series offers wide-ranging studies of specific wars, and distinct phases of warfare, from the close of the Middle Ages to the present day. It aims to advance the current integration of military history into the academic mainstream. To that end, the books are not merely traditional campaign narratives, but examine the causes, courses and consequences of major conflicts, in their full international political, social and ideological contexts.
ALSO IN THE SERIES:
Austrias Wars of Emergence Michael Hochedlinger
The French Civil Wars R.J. Knecht
Ottoman Wars: An Empire Besieged, 17001870 Virginia H. Aksan (second edition, The Ottomans 17001923: An Empire Besieged, 2022)
The English Revolution and the War of the Three Kingdoms, 16381652 Ian Gentles
Russias Wars of Emergence, 14601730 Carol B. Stevens
The Seven Years War in Europe, 17561763 Franz A.J. Szabo
War and Empire: The Expansion of Britain, 1790-1830 B. Collins
The War of American Independence: 17751783 R. Middleton
The Global Seven Year War, 17541763: Britain and France in a Great Power Contest D. Baugh (second edition 2021)
The Italian Wars, 14941559: War, State and Society in Early Modern Europe Michael Mallett and Christine Shaw
The Dutch Wars of Independence: Warfare and Commerce in the Netherlands 15701680 Marjolein t Hart
The Italian Wars, 14941559: War, State and Society in Early Modern Europe Christine Shaw and Michael Mallett
The Wars of Napoleon Charles J. Esdaile
THE OTTOMANS 17001923
An Empire Besieged
Second edition
Virginia Aksan
Second edition published 2022
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
2022 Virginia Aksan
The right of Virginia Aksan to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Pearson Education Limited 2007
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Aksan, Virginia H., author.
Title: The Ottomans 1700-1923: an empire besieged / Virginia Aksan. Other titles: Ottoman wars, 1700-1870 Description: Second edition. | Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2022. |
First edison published as Ottoman wars, 1700-1870: an empire besieged by Pearson Education Limited 2007. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021013422 | ISBN 9781138923232 (hardback) | ISBN 9781138923249 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003137566 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Turkey--History--1683-1829. | Turkey--History--19th century. | Turkey--History--20th century. Classification: LCC DR542 .A37 2022 | DDC 956/.015--dc23
LC record for this bookavailable at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021013422
ISBN: 978-1-138-92323-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-92324-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-13756-6 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003137566
Typeset in Bembo
by MPS Limited, Dehradun
Dedicated to the memory of my beloved Oktay Aksan.
Contents
List of figures
List of maps
Acknowledgements
Chronology
Maps 0.10.5
Introduction
The Ottomans 17001923: An empire besieged
PART I
The Ottoman World pre-1800
Imperial crisis in the Eurasian context
The northern arc from Belgrade to Azov
Border societies in the Danube region
Eastern border strategiesPersia
The southern frontier: Egypt, Arabia, the Gulf and Mesopotamia
Mediterranean strategies: the western frontier
Istanbul (Constantinople): Gate of Felicity
Topkap: the imperial household
Observing the Ottoman House: Luigi Marsigli, Osman Agha of Temevar and Lady Wortley Montagu
Further Reading
The Ottoman system circa 1700
The Ottoman difference
Austro-Russian-Ottoman imperial strategies
The Ottoman military system
Provincial forces: sipahis
Political households and elites
Distribution of wealth/Ottoman economic system
Stalemate and illusions 17001760s
Imperial collapse 1768-1800
Questioning the Ottoman House: Ibrahim Mteferrika, Comte de Vergennes and Ahmed Resmi Efendi
Further Reading
PART II
The revolutionary moment 18001840
Selim III and the Ottoman revolution
The crisis deepens
The new critics
Selim III's new order (Nizm- Cedid)
A new army and navy
Spreading the word
New order expansion beyond Istanbul
Radical diplomacy
Napoleon's invasion of Egypt
The revolutionary moment: the final challenge to Selim III
Challenging the Ottoman House: Ahmed Vasf Efendi, Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti, Canikli Ali Pasha
Further Reading
Mahmud II: An Ottoman Reign of Terror
