1848 İHTİLALİ’NDEN SONRA EFLAK’IN YENİDEN YAPILANMASINA DAİR BİR DEĞERLENDİRME: STİRBEİ’İN MÜESSES NİZÂM ARAYIŞLARI (1849-1851)

The Romanian society underwent a multi-layered and comprehensive administrative and socioeconomic transformation in the triangle of war-revolution-reform in the nineteenth century. Various developments triggering transformation in Moldavia and Wallachia depended on the power balance between European states, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire, the last of which legally reigned the region. Moldavia and Wallachia had been the center of political-military competition between the Ottoman Empire and Russia since the beginning of the eighteenth century. Russia first gained broad rights on Moldavia and Wallachia through diplomacy and increased its pressure on the Ottoman State. The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774), the Treaty of Aynalıkavak (1779), the Bill of 1783, and the Edict of 1802 served as a legal basis for Russia to achieve that goal. In the coming years, the competition over Moldavia and Wallachia depended not only on unilateral treaties or concessions but also on treaties and annexations imposed after wars and riots. The Revolution of 1848 was an important rupture in political, military, and socio-economic order in Moldavia and Wallachia. This study focused on the solution proposals and activities presented to the Ottoman Empire by Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei, the voivode of Wallachia between 1849 and 1851, in order to alleviate the damage of the Revolution of 1848. His words provide details about the chronic problems in Wallachia. The correspondence between the Voivodeship of Wallachia and the Sublime Porte presents a detailed picture of how the Ottoman Empire, which had a flexible and participatory management approach, administratively responded to the Revolution of 1848 that shook the region.

The Revolution of 1848 caused political and social ruptures that had a significant impact on Moldavia and Wallachia. The developments across Europe after the revolution that broke out in France in February 1848 manifested themselves in Moldavia and Wallachia, which is known as the geography of revolution. Mihail Sturdza, the prince of Moldavia, took drastic measures to defuse the rebellion before it began. However, Gheorghe Bibescu, a hospodarate of Wallachia, was not as lucky as Sturdza. The elites, such as Nicolae Balcescu, Ion Bratianu, and Constantin Rosetti, who studied in France for years and turned from passionate thinkers into activists, soon ignited the riot. Growing in number, the intellectuals transformed their rebellion into a multilateral national movement in 1848 to secure social and political rights. One of the main objectives of the movement was to replace Regulamentul Organic, which was an obsolete a quasi-constitutional law abused by Russia to increase its influence in Wallachia, with a national law. The ominous developments in the region concerned both the Ottoman Empire, which had the legal right to rule, and Russia, which was a guarantor granted by previous treaties. The Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire ended the conflict in Moldavia and Wallachia and signed the Treaty of Balta Liman to put the region in order. Both states had military presence in the territory between 1849 and 1851. While it meant restructuring for Wallachia, it meant competition for the two states. Pursuant to the Treaty of Balta Liman, Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei was appointed to the Wallachia Voivodeship by the joint decision of the two states. Ahmed Vefik Bey was appointed on behalf of the Ottoman State and General Duhamel on behalf of Russia as commissioners. Until the end of 1851, the new Vojvoda had to rule the foreign troops and the capital under the supervision of one Turkish and one Russian extraordinary commissioners. This meant restricted autonomy for Moldavia and Wallachia. Stirbei focused on pacifying the revolutionary spirit in Wallachia and carrying out administrative, military, financial and social reforms, and bringing order back there.

Stirbei tried to make his rule long-lasting in Wallachia and curb the sphere of influence of Bibescu, whom he saw as a major opponent. He dismissed the opposition cadres and set up a team of obedient people with whom he could work in harmony. To overcome the financial hurdles, he proposed solutions, such as postponing loans and debts, raising the ashhar tax, and setting up a bank. However, the most remarkable measure was confiscating some of the income of dedicated churches that were gradually becoming a nuisance. It was a display of power as well as a financial measure, which was not approved by the Porte, but was secretly enforced by Stirbei. He reorganized the militia and set up border guards, which provided Wallachia independent and regular military units. He expropriated some of the land of large landowners and removed a large part of forced labor imposed on peasants to ensure social order and control. Most reforms were in line with the Proclamation of Islaz, which embodied the spirit of the Revolution of 1848. This suggests that the spirit of the “kırksekizlikler” (forty-eights) influenced the post-revolutionary reorganization of Wallachia and even achieved success to some extent.

Stirbei introduced a number of regulations that apparently did not contradict the terms of the Treaty of Balta Liman and were therefore all legitimate but actually prepared Wallachia for independence. He officially informed the Ottoman State at every step and requested permission from it, but nevertheless acted according to his plans. All of Stirbei's measures and steps focused not only on centralization but also on paving the way for Wallachia's independence, which eventually came to fruition. The Ottoman Empire turned down his undue financial suggestions, but endorse his suggestions which were for the good of the public. Thus, he implemented relatively moderate policies to maintain his power and to keep Wallachia in orbit of the Ottoman State instead of Russia.

ÖZET 1848 İhtilali, Eflak ve Boğdan’ı geniş ölçüde etkileyen siyasî ve sosyal kırılmalara neden olmuştur. Bölgedeki kaygı verici gelişmeler, tabii olarak hukuken hükümranlık hakkı bulunan Osmanlı Devleti’ni ve eski antlaşmalar kapsamında garantörlük hakkı bulunan Rusya’yı doğrudan ilgilendirmekteydi. İhtilale müdahale eden Rusya ve Osmanlı Devleti ihtilali sonlandırmış ve imzaladığı Balta Limanı Mukavelesi ile iki devletin kontrolü altında Memleketeyn’i yeniden dizayn etmeyi amaçlamışlardı. Ancak her iki devletin askerinin Eflak topraklarında bulunduğu 1849-1851 yılları Osmanlı ve Rusya Devleti için yeni bir rekabet, Eflak için ise yeniden yapılanma sürecini getirmiştir. Balta Limanı Mukavelesi şartları muvacehesinde Osmanlı-Rus ortak kararıyla Eflak Voyvodalığı’na Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei atanmıştır. Bu çalışma kapsamında Eflak’ın yeniden reorganizasyonunda bağlayıcı hükmü bulunan Balta Limanı Mukavelesi’nin tahlili yapılarak, Stirbei’in Eflak’ta hala var olan ihtilal ruhunu teskin etmek, idarî, askerî, malî ve toplumsal anlamda beyliğe çeki düzen vermek, siyasî ve toplumsal fay hatlarındaki kırılmaların yaralarını sarmak üzere önerilerinin içeriği ve Osmanlı Devleti nezdinde nasıl bir karşılık bulduğu değerlendirilmeye çalışılacaktır.