On November 3, 1839, the Gülhane Hatshepishreef was proclaimed in Constantinople - the sultan's firman, which began the Tanzimat period in the Ottoman Empire. The document was issued by Sultan Abdulmecid I, and read in Gülhane by Mustafa Reşid Pasha, one of the main drivers of the reformist policy.
The ceremony took place in Gülhane, today's Istanbul, before representatives of the Ottoman government, the clergy, the diplomatic corps, the Christian communities and the city's guilds. The Sultan watched the event from the Gülhane Pavilion. After the reading of the firman, artillery salutes were given and sacrifices were made.
What the Sultan's Firman Promises
The document focuses on three issues - security of life, honor and property; regular determination and collection of taxes; as well as the introduction of rules for the recruitment of soldiers and the duration of military service.
The Gulhane Hatisherif also criticized the iltizam system. In it, the collection of taxes in a given area is provided for payment to private collectors, which often allows local governors to demand more than the specified amount. The firman stipulated that taxes should be determined according to the status and capabilities of the subjects.
The document also stipulated that accusations should be heard publicly, and that no one should be deprived of life without a court decision. It also prohibited the confiscation of the property of a convicted person at the expense of his innocent heirs.
Reform after a crisis
The proclamation came at a time when the empire was facing severe military and financial problems. On June 24, 1839, the Ottoman army suffered a defeat by the forces of the Egyptian governor Mehmed Ali Pasha at Nizip. A week later, Sultan Mahmud II died, and his son Abdulmecid I ascended the throne.
The new sultan inherited a state that needed a more centralized administration, more regular revenues, and a modernized army. The Gülhane Haticerif was an attempt to link these goals with legal guarantees for the population. It explicitly stated that the rights declared apply to all subjects regardless of their religion.
The ferman did not create a constitutional regime and did not immediately eliminate differences between religious communities. The broader proclamation of equality between Muslims and non-Muslims came with the Haticehumayun of 1856. Nevertheless, the act of 1839 remains a fundamental document of Ottoman modernization and gives the name to the Tanzimat - a period associated with changes in government, finance, the army and law.
Sources: istorianasveta.eu, islamansiklopedisi.org.tr