Civilizations and World Order by Dallmayr Fred; Kayapınar M. Akif; Yaylacı İsmail

Author:Dallmayr, Fred; Kayapınar, M. Akif; Yaylacı, İsmail
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 2012-05-03T04:00:00+00:00

Re-Invention of the Ottoman Empire (1815–1876)

Thanks to the multiple identities of the Ottoman imperial elites and the hybrid nature of its imperial legitimacy, the Ottoman Empire continued to part of the transformation of the European international system during and after the Napoleonic Wars. The complex patterns and relations between Revolutionary France, the Ottoman Empire, its province of Egypt and the Tipu Sultanate illustrate the fact that, in the late eighteenth century, the borders of civilized and uncivilized, or Christian versus Muslim, or Republic versus Empire were not clear and settled, and this late-eighteenth-century trajectory carried in itself other future possibilities than what emerged a century later. The Ottoman imperial elites could feel no tension in their vision as both European empire and a Muslim one, because hardened borders between Christian West and Muslim Near East did not exist during the turbulent times of Napoleonic wars.

After the French Revolution, the Ottomans recognized the new French government and did not join the anti-French camp. Revolutionary French elite and intellectuals were also friendly to the Ottoman Empire due to realpolitik concerns against the British Empire, and memories of earlier French diplomatic vision of alliance with the Ottoman Empire against the Austrian rivals. This Ottoman-French diplomatic cooperation ended with the French invasion of Ottoman province of Egypt in 1798. Even though it naturally angered the Ottoman imperial elite, this French invasion of a Muslim majority territory was not made in the name of Christianity against Islam. On the contrary, revolutionary France could present itself as the enemy of Catholic Church and a friend of Muslims, though actual Muslims in Egypt or Istanbul would have a very different opinion of these credentials.[23] In this context, the Ottoman Empire formed a coalition with the Russian and British Empires against the French Republic between 1799 and 1802. It was a mistake for the French Republic to assume, before its invasion of Egypt, that the Ottoman and Russian empires would never make an alliance, but this was proven wrong when the Ottoman and Russian navies campaigned together in the Mediterranean against the navies of the French Republic. As part of the Second Coalition Wars, the Ottoman and Russian navies defeated the French forces and took over the Ionian Islands, and created a Republic in those former Venetian territories (the constitution of this republic was drafted in Istanbul).[24] It is in this context, the Sultan of the Indian Kingdom of Mysore asked the Ottoman Sultan’s help against the British Empire, with which Mysore was engaged in a battle, and supported by the French republic. The Ottoman Sultan’s response to Tipu Sultan made clear that the French Empire should be considered the enemy of Muslims, because of its violation of international law and respect for other countries. After urging for peace with the British forces in India, Ottoman Caliph-Sultan offered his mediation between Mysore and the British military forces in India. The

Ottoman-Mysore correspondence illustrates that the Ottoman elites could comfortably appeal to both Islamic legitimacy as well as the new European international norms.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.