The Ottoman Tanzimats and the Constitution

This study is rooted in the various contexts in which the Ottomans adopted the Tanzimat, a series of reforms in the 19th century, which later gave rise to a constitution. The philosophy behind the Ottoman Tanzimat[1] in the 19th century was based on the notion of modernization, understood by Ottoman local elites throughout the Empire as the adoption of European political modernity within Ottoman institutions and bureaucracy. The military establishment was the Tanzimat's first priority. At the time, traditional Ottoman armies-the Janissaries and the Sipahi-had fallen from their glory and their weakness contrasted highly with European armies, which, since the 18thcentury, began displaying a high level of organization, training, and skill.