Simone Lawson
The first constitutional Ottoman sultan was Abdul Hamid II, who was also the last absolute ruler of the empire. The first ruler of the Ottoman Empire was Osman I, who ruled from around 1299 until his death in 1323 or 1324. During his reign, the Ottoman Empire was a small principality in the region of Bithynia on the frontier of the Byzantine Empire.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Abdul Hamid II |
| Title | Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Caliph |
| Constitutionalism | Established during his reign, becoming the first constitutional monarch |
| Rule | 1876-1878, 1908-1922 |
| Achievements | Recognized as caliph by many Muslim heads of state, including those as far away as Sumatra |
| First Ottoman Constitution | 1876 |
| First Constitutional Era | 23 November 1876-13 February 1878 |
| Second Constitutional Era | 3 July 1908-1922 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first ruler of the Ottoman Empire was Osman I, who died in 1323 or 1324
- The first constitutional era began in 1876, but was suspended in 1878
- Abdul Hamid II was the first constitutional monarch
- The role of the sultan decreased during the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire
- The sultan was the absolute ruler, head of state, and head of government
The first ruler of the Ottoman Empire was Osman I, who died in 1323 or 1324
The first ruler of the Ottoman Empire was Osman I, who died in either 1323 or 1324. Osman I was the founder and first sultan of the Ottoman dynasty, which ruled the transcontinental empire from its inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. The empire's early years are steeped in legend, and it is difficult to discern fact from fiction. However, it is known that Osman I was a leader of Turkmen nomads and that he gave his name to the Ottoman principality.
The principality grew rapidly during its first few centuries, eventually becoming a massive world power. The empire was administered from the city of Söğüt before 1280 and then from Bursa in 1323 or 1324. Its capital was moved to Adrianople (now known as Edirne) in 1363 following its conquest by Murad I. During Osman I's reign, the Ottoman state was a small principality in the region of Bithynia on the frontier of the Byzantine Empire. Osman I was said to be gallant, fair-minded, tall, handsome, and a skilled horseman and swordsman. The Sword of Osman was named in his honour, and it was used to ceremonially gird every new sultan as part of their enthronement.
The first few centuries of the Ottoman Empire were marked by open succession, with violent and intra-familial conflict. Upon the death of the reigning sultan, his sons would fight among themselves for the throne until only one remained alive to inherit it. The first son to reach the capital and seize control of the court usually became the new ruler. This practice was described by historian Donald Quataert as the "survival of the fittest, not eldest, son."
The role of the Ottoman sultans in the government of the empire began to decrease in the last decades of the sixteenth century, a period known as the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire. Constitutionalism was established during the reign of Abdul Hamid II, who became the empire's last absolute ruler and its first constitutional monarch. Abdul Hamid II abolished the parliament and the constitution in 1878 to return to personal rule, but he was forced to reinstate constitutionalism in 1908 and was deposed.
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The first constitutional era began in 1876, but was suspended in 1878
The first constitutional Ottoman sultan was Abdul Hamid II, who ruled from 1876 until 1878 when he abolished the parliament and the constitution to return to personal rule. The first constitutional era lasted only two years, from 1876 to 1878, and was a significant turning point in the history of the Ottoman Empire.
Abdul Hamid II's reign marked a shift towards constitutional monarchy in the Ottoman Empire, which had been ruled by sultans for centuries. The Ottoman dynasty, also known as the House of Osman, traced its origins to the late 13th century when Osman I, the eponymous founder, established a small principality in the region of Bithynia on the frontier of the Byzantine Empire. Over the following centuries, the Ottoman Empire expanded and consolidated its power, with successive sultans vying for control and shaping the empire's history.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the role of the Ottoman sultans in the government of the empire began to decrease, and the empire underwent a period of transformation. Despite this, the sultan remained the absolute regent, head of state, and head of government, with theoretical responsibility only to God and God's law. The sultan's power was also checked by the influence of other officials, such as the Grand Vizier, and the opinions of important members of the dynasty, the bureaucratic and military establishments, and religious leaders.
In the context of increasing European imperialism and encroachment, Abdul Hamid II became sultan and attempted to stave off foreign intervention with the first Ottoman constitution in 1876. However, he soon decided that the West was not the answer and ruled as a strict autocrat for the following four decades. The first constitutional era was short-lived, and in 1878, Abdul Hamid II suspended it and returned to personal rule.
Despite this setback, the push for constitutionalism in the Ottoman Empire did not end. Abdul Hamid II was forced to reinstate constitutionalism in 1908 during the Young Turk uprising, marking the beginning of the Second Constitutional Era.
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Abdul Hamid II was the first constitutional monarch
The first constitutional Ottoman sultan was Abdul Hamid II, who ruled from 1876 to 1908. During his reign, the empire underwent a shift from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy. Abdul Hamid II was a reluctant reformer who initially tried to preserve his power by abolishing the parliament and ruling as an autocrat. However, he was forced to reinstate constitutionalism in 1908 and was deposed.
The Ottoman Empire was a transcontinental empire that ruled over large tracts of land in Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. It was in existence from the end of the 13th century to 1924, with its heartland in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). During its peak, the empire spanned an area from Hungary in the north to Yemen in the south and from Algeria in the west to Iraq in the east.
The Ottoman sultans were all members of the Ottoman dynasty, also known as the House of Osman. The first ruler and namesake of the empire was Osman I, who founded the empire in the late 13th century. The early years of the empire were marked by violence and intra-familial conflict, with the various sons of the deceased sultan fighting until only one remained to inherit the throne. This practice was known as ""survival of the fittest, not eldest, son."
Abdul Hamid II's reign marked a significant shift in the Ottoman Empire's form of government. While the sultan traditionally held absolute power as the ruler, head of state, and head of government, Abdul Hamid II's power was curbed by the establishment of constitutionalism. This meant that political decisions had to take into account the opinions and attitudes of important members of the dynasty, the bureaucratic and military establishments, as well as religious leaders.
As the first constitutional monarch, Abdul Hamid II's role became more ceremonial, with practical power resting in the hands of the Committee of Union and Progress. Despite his initial resistance to constitutionalism, Abdul Hamid II's reign paved the way for a more structured and centralized law system in the Ottoman Empire.
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The role of the sultan decreased during the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire was ruled by sultans from its inception in 1299 until its dissolution in 1922. During the early years of the empire, the sultan was the supreme authority, wielding power in political, military, judicial, social, and religious capacities. The sultan was theoretically responsible only to God and was regarded as the "shadow of God on Earth".
However, beginning in the last decades of the 16th century, the role of the sultan in the government began to diminish during a period known as the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire (c. 1550-1700). This era was marked by significant political, social, and economic changes, which saw the empire transition from an expansionist state to a bureaucratic empire based on an ideology of justice and the protection of Sunni Islam. The Transformation of the Ottoman Empire was precipitated by a series of political and economic crises in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, caused by factors such as inflation, warfare, and political factionalism.
During this transformative period, the increasing role of imperial women in political life, particularly the sultan's mother (known as the valide sultan), came to the fore. This period is sometimes referred to as the Sultanate of Women, as these women effectively ruled the empire from behind the scenes. Additionally, the emergence of other power centres within the government, such as the Şeyhülislâm (chief of the Islamic religious hierarchy) and the Valide Sultan (Queen Mother), further diminished the sultan's authority. These figures could sanction the deposition and enthronement of sultans and held immense power, as they were crucial for any faction seeking to control policy.
The expansion of the bureaucracy and diversification of the government during this time also played a role in reducing the sultan's power. The Janissary Corps, originally an elite fighting force, evolved into a hybrid military and socio-political association, exerting influence over Ottoman governance. Moreover, the practice of tax farming and taxation reforms, such as the expansion of the wartime tax avarız, greatly increased the central government's revenue and strengthened its role in the empire's administration.
The first constitutional Ottoman sultan was Abdul Hamid II, who was forced to reinstate constitutionalism in 1908 after initially abolishing the parliament and constitution in 1878. Abdul Hamid II thus became the last absolute ruler and the first constitutional monarch of the Ottoman Empire.
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The sultan was the absolute ruler, head of state, and head of government
The first ruler of the Ottoman Empire was Osman I, who ruled from 1299 until his death in 1323 or 1324. During his reign, the empire was a small principality (or beylik) in the region of Bithynia on the frontier of the Byzantine Empire.
The empire's early years are steeped in legend, and it is difficult to discern fact from fiction. However, it is known that Osman I was a talented, fair-minded, and skilled swordsman who united the warlords of Anatolia to create a territory that could compete with the neighbouring Byzantine and Mongol empires.
Over the centuries, the Ottoman Empire grew to encompass vast swathes of land across three continents. During this time, the sultan was the absolute ruler, head of state, and head of government. In theory, the sultan was responsible only to God and God's law (or Islamic Sharia), of which he was the chief executor. The sultan's heavenly mandate was reflected in Islamic titles such as the "shadow of God on Earth" and "caliph of the face of the earth". All offices were filled by his authority, and every law was issued by him in the form of a decree called a firman. The sultan was also the supreme military commander and held the official title to all land.
In practice, the sultan's powers were limited. Political decisions had to take into account the opinions and attitudes of important members of the dynasty, the bureaucratic and military establishments, as well as religious leaders. Additionally, women of the imperial harem, especially the reigning sultan's mother (known as the valide sultan), played important behind-the-scenes political roles, effectively ruling the empire during a period known as the Sultanate of Women.
Beginning in the last decades of the 16th century, the role of the Ottoman sultans in the government of the empire began to decrease, in a period known as the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire. The first constitutional monarch was Abdul Hamid II, who ruled from 1876 until 1908 when he was deposed.
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Frequently asked questions
Abdul Hamid II was the first constitutional Ottoman Sultan.
No, he was reluctant to become the first constitutional Ottoman Sultan.
Abdul Hamid II became the first constitutional Ottoman Sultan in 1876.
Abdul Hamid II was forced to become the first constitutional Ottoman Sultan after the Young Turk uprising in 1908.
Osman I was the first ruler of the Ottoman Empire.
