The Industrial Revolution and the Ottoman State: Its’ Reflection on the Economic Policies of the Tanzimat Period

Yıl 2022, , 8 - 16, 14.12.2022

Perihan Hazel Kaya

https://doi.org/10.55549/epess.1222720

Öz

With the industrial revolution of the 18th century, a new world order was formed such as
mechanization, large-volume production, raw material and market needs, division of labor and specialization.
The Ottoman state has been in an economic structure based on agriculture, trade and small-scale workshops
since the classical period. At this point, industrial production is carried out through state-controlled guilds. The
Ottoman state has developed new regulatory policies since the Tanzimat period in order to adapt to this structure
with the industrial revolution. It has introduced innovations and reforms in its efforts to support competition and
domestic industry, such as the establishment of factory and industrial facilities, incorporation studies, the
establishment of industrial schools, and the construction of railway networks. As a matter of fact, administrative
weaknesses, deterioration of the timar system, inadequacy of the treasury, traditional economic mentality,
capitulations granted to foreign countries, land losses and wars increased foreign dependency and caused
damage to the domestic industry. In addition, the fact that the industry did not operate in an industrial order
benefiting from capitalist accumulation and did not allow capital accumulation, and the accompanying
competent personnel and scientific deficiencies caused the industrial revolution to have negative consequences
in the Ottoman state.In this study, it is aimed to examine the effect of the industrial revolution of the Ottoman
state on the economic policies of the Tanzimat period, the results it revealed and the applications made.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Industrial revolution, Ottoman empire, Tanzimat period, Industrial policy