Research Article

The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Volume: 10 Number: 2 September 30, 2025
TR EN

The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Abstract

Ottomans placed significant importance on establishing state authority. This study examines the methods employed to establish and maintain state authority in the provinces through various events of the 19th century and the early 20th century. The main objective of the study is to demonstrate that the Ottoman Empire aimed to establish state authority based on reconciliation rather than conflict. To achieve this goal, several exemplary cases from Ahıska, Ayntâb (Tutak), and the Balkans within the specified time frame have been selected. While selecting the sample group, special attention was given to choosing documents from the Ottoman Archives that explicitly contain the term "taahhütname." The study draws from the commitments made in written agreements concerning events occurring in regions with diverse geographical, historical, and cultural dynamics. Declarations of commitment, which are a means of establishing the authority of the state, are very important in terms of providing empirical evidence for this study. While these texts show similarities in certain aspects, they also differ in others. The collection of data obtained from the Ottoman Archives has been evaluated in terms of form, content, similarities, and differences. Additionally, information regarding the social, administrative, and political structures of the regions where the sample events took place has been provided.

Keywords

References

  1. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı Osmanlı Arşivi (BOA)
  2. Babıali Evrak Odası (BEO.), 2048/153596.
  3. Hatt-ı Hümâyûn (HAT), 1107/44639, 1343/52492.
  4. İrade Dâhiliye (İ. DH.), 561/39118.
  5. Meclis-İ Vâlâ (MVL), 1052/86.
  6. Teşrifat-ı Rumeli Evrakı, (TFR. I. KV.), 44/4354.
  7. Yıldız Mütenevvi Maruzat (Y. MTV.), 176/27.
  8. Ahmed Cevdet Paşa, Tezâkir: 19. Yüzyılda Osmanlı Devlet Yönetimi, V. 2-3, İstanbul 2021.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Late Modern Ottoman History

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 30, 2025

Submission Date

March 26, 2025

Acceptance Date

July 2, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 10 Number: 2

APA
Pulat, H. (2025). The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi, 10(2), 2250-2273. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1665703
AMA
1.Pulat H. The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries. VAKANUVIS. 2025;10(2):2250-2273. doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1665703
Chicago
Pulat, Hayrettin. 2025. “The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 10 (2): 2250-73. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1665703.
EndNote
Pulat H (September 1, 2025) The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 10 2 2250–2273.
IEEE
[1]H. Pulat, “The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries”, VAKANUVIS, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 2250–2273, Sept. 2025, doi: 10.24186/vakanuvis.1665703.
ISNAD
Pulat, Hayrettin. “The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 10/2 (September 1, 2025): 2250-2273. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1665703.
JAMA
1.Pulat H. The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries. VAKANUVIS. 2025;10:2250–2273.
MLA
Pulat, Hayrettin. “The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 10, no. 2, Sept. 2025, pp. 2250-73, doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1665703.
Vancouver
1.Hayrettin Pulat. The Power of Compromise in the Ottoman Provinces: Establishing State Authority through Commitment Letters in the 19th and 20th Centuries. VAKANUVIS. 2025 Sep. 1;10(2):2250-73. doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1665703


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