Era of Tanzimat (Reorganization) The Tanzimat (The Reorganization) was a period of reform in the Ottoman Empire that lasted from 1839 to The Westernization of the Ottoman/Turkish society effectively began with the Tanzimat reforms, which also had the aim of encouraging the political ideology of Ottomanism among the secessionist subject nationalities and, by doing so, of stopping the rise of nationalist movements within the Ottoman Empire, but these attempts failed in integrating non-Muslims and non- Turks succcessfully into the new Ottoman society.
Tanzimat emerged through the reforms of sultans like Mahmud II and his son Abdulmedjid as well as reformer bureaucrats educated in Europe, such as Mustafa Reshid Pasha, Ali Pasha, Keçeçizade Fuad Pasha, Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, and Midhat Pasha. All these reformers recognized that the outdated political and military institutions of the Empire would no longer satisfy the needs of the state. Most of the reforms were attempts to adopt successful European practices into the country and the state. The reforms aimed at establishing universal conscription, educational reform, and the elimination of corruption.
This ambitious project of “Reorganization” was launched to combat the slow decline of the Empire that had seen its territories swiftly lost with a growing weakness compared to the European “Great Powers”. Institutional reforms began under Sultan Mahmud II. On November 3rd, 1839, Sultan Abdulmedjid issued an declaration named the Hatt-ı Şerif of Gülhane (the imperial garden where it was first proclaimed) and is also called the “Tanzimat Fermanı”.
In that document, the Sultan stated that he wished "to bring the benefits of a good administration to the provinces of the Ottoman Empire through new institutions", and that these institutions would principally refer chronologically to the following topics: the guarantees which were to ensure the Ottoman subjects perfect security for their lives, their honour, and their property. introduction of the first Ottoman paper banknotes (1840) the reorganization of the army and a regular method of recruiting, levying the army, and fixing the duration of military service ( ) the adoption of an Ottoman national anthem and Ottoman national flag (1844).
the reorganization of the Civil and Criminal Code according to the French model. the reorganization of the finance system according to the French model. the institution of a council of public instruction (1846). the establishment of the Meclis-i Maarif-i Umumiye (1845) which was the prototype of the First Ottoman Parliament - Meclis-i Mebusan (1876).
the establishment of the first modern universities and academies (1848). the abolition of the tax “cizye” which imposed higher tariffs on non-Muslims, with a regular method of establishing and collecting taxes (1856). non-Muslims were allowed to become soldiers (1856). various provisions for the better administration of the public service and for the advancement of commerce.
The edict was followed up with the Hatt-ı Hümayun of 1856 (Islahat Fermanı) which promised full legal equality for all Ottoman citizens of all religions, and with the Nationality Law of 1869 that created a common Ottoman citizenship irrespective of religious or ethnic divisions. The reforms peaked in 1876 with the implementation of an Ottoman constitution (Kanun-i Esasi) checking the autocratic powers of the Sultan. The proclamation of the constitution was the start of the First Constitutional Era ( ). The new Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1876 signed the first constitution, he later annulled it.
Attention Tanzimat reforms had far reaching effects. Progressionist leaders of the Ottoman Empire and later of the Republic of Turkey including Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and many other Young Turks, many Muslim statesmen, were educated in the schools established during the Tanzimat period. State institutions were reorganized, laws were updated according to the standards of the Occidental world, modern education, clothing, architecture, arts and western lifestyle (alla franca) were encouraged.