Sakarya University Insitute of Social Sciences Abstract of Master’s Thesis
Title of the Thesis: The Reformation workouts at the Otoman Empire Army in the 18.th and 19.th
centuries and the role of the foreign
experts in these workouts
Author: Ali Rıza ŞİMŞEK
Supervisor: Yrd.Doç.Dr.Osman ÖZKUL
Date: 16.07.06
Nu.of pages:
VI (pre text) + 244 (main body)
Department: Sociology
This research which examines the reforms came out in Ottoman Empire in 18 th and 19 th century,
objects, to reveal an important stage of a society’s modernization adventure. Historical accounts and
notions which has existed from the beginning period to the today’s Turkey are evaluated by figures and
associations in order to make clear the reasons of wrongs, lackings and chronic
problems by reaching a
historical conscious. Historical advancing line is followed at the method of the research and since it will
not be possible to deal with the subject thoroghly without making clear the traditional structure of
Ottoman, the period before the 18 th century is also mentioned.
Ottoman Empire that shaked the whole Europe by conserving it’s traditional structure, did not feel any
need of changing. But, meanwhile, the west has deleloped at the fields of economy,
politics, culture and
technology and began to win military victories versus to Ottoman in the first years of 18 th century, so
Ottoman began to feel the need to inquir it’s situation. The first result Ottoman Empire that had a
military structure had found out was that it’s traditional structure had began to deteriorate. But with the
Tulip Era, West’s superior had been began to be admitted and first conscious steps were done through
the adoptation and imitation of some of the elements chosen from the European society.İnnovations of
the 18 th century which took the shape according to personalities and growing up styles of the era’s
rulers and grand viziers, mainly appeared at the military field and occured under the French exert.
At this period that foreign military
experts were first employed, innovation efforts were mainly occured
at technical fields and generally stayed as the surfacial imitations. Foreign experts who were disposed to
the Ottoman’s service had been beneficial for some of the innovations but they mainly worked for the
political benefits of the French. Nizam-ı Cedit reforms that were relatively more planned modernization
actions were failed because of the era’s falses and the interior and exterior exerts.
19 th century had been an era that crucial changes occured in order to modernize Ottoman Empire.
European countries had direct relevance to the reforms and Germany took the place of France in order to
offect the politics and army. Youngerters that were sent to Europe were the
leaders of the reforms and
leaded to constitute the Western associations in Ottoman. During this term German officers who were
disposed to the service of Ottoman Empire leaded Ottoman Empire to be the Major consume of German
Weapen industry and they increased the German effect above the army.
During the modernization adventure term of Ottoman Empire, European countries supported Ottoman to
gear their civilization services in order to get Ottoman lands, on the other side carried on the
cultural and
political propagandas for rendering it dependent on Europe in economic ways.
Keywords: Ottoman Empire, Modernization, Army, Reform, Foreign Expert.
vi
GİRİŞ
Türk kavimlerinin tarih sahnesine çıktıkları günden beri oluşturdukları orduları,
devirlerinin özellik ve koşullarına göre dünyanın en güçlü ve savaşkan ordularından biri
olmuştur. Eski devirlerde diğer milletlerin orduları genelde ücretli askerlerden
oluşurken, Türk ordularında hiçbir fert para karşılığı savaşmamıştır. Adeta toplumu
oluşturan bütün bireyler ordunun bir ferdi gibi çarpışmaktadır. Bu nedenle dönemi
inceleyen sosyal bilimciler, Türk kavimlerini ordu millet anlayışı ile nitelendirmektedir.
Bu anlayış 1299 yılında kurulan Osmanlı Devletinin geleneksel yapısında
da büyük
oranda görülmektedir. Askeri esaslar üzerine kurularak fetihler sayesinde genişleyen
Osmanlı Devletinin ilk zamanlarında, ordu demek devlet demektir. Osmanlı Padişahları
bütün seferlere ordusunun başında, şehzadeleriyle birlikte katılmaktadır. Bir yazar
“Ordu devlettir, hükümet onun vazifelerinden biridir. Bir işgal kuvveti komutanı, işgal
altındaki araziyi nasıl orduyla yönetirse, padişahta ülkeyi orduyla yönetir.” diyerek,
ordunun devlet ve hükümet mekanizmasındaki önemli rolünü belirtmek istemiştir.
Ancak Osmanlı Devleti, kendisinden önce kurulan Türk devletlerinden farklı olarak ilk
kez merkeziyetçi, otoriter ve istikrarlı bir devlet rejimi ile bu siyasal yapıya
dayanan
mülki bölünmeye paralel olarak uygulanan timar, zeamet ve has sistemini kurmuştur.
Bu sayede yalnızca tüketici olarak kalmayan bir askeri yapı ile yabancı uzmanlar
tarafından bile dâhiyane olarak nitelendirilen Yeniçeri Örgütü oluşturulmuştur.
Oluşturulan bu askeri sistem, 17. yüzyıla kadar Osmanlı devletine büyük fayda
sağlamış, ancak bu yüzyıldan itibaren çeşitli nedenlerle düzeni bozularak adeta devletin
başına bir bela haline gelmiştir. 18. yüzyıldan itibaren girişilen yenilik hareketlerinin de
öncelikli amacı düzeni bozulan askeri sistemin ıslahı ve
çağa uygun hale getirilmesi
olmuştur.
Çalışmanın Amacı
Çalışmamızın amacı, 18 ve 19. yüzyıllarda Osmanlı ordusunda ortaya çıkan yenilik
hareketlerinin incelenerek, bu teşebbüslerde yabancı uzmanların rollerinin ortaya
çıkarılmasıdır. Türk modernleşme tarihinin çok önemli bir dönemini kapsayan bu
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