Abdülhamid II

Abdülhamid II (others transcriptions: Abd-ul-Hamid, Abdülhemit, Abdul Hamid, Abd Al-Hamid II, Abdul-Hamid, Abdül-Hamid ) (born the September 21st 1842 with Constantinople - died the February 10th 1918 in the same city) of the sultan Abdülmecid I {{er}} was the son and of a named Arménie of the Harem Verjine. It was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of the Moslems of the deposition of his brother Mourad V the August 31st 1876 with its own dismissal by the Young person-Turks the April 27th 1909. It was replaced by another of his brothers, Mehmed V.

Biography

With its accession with the throne, Abdülhamid II was supposed to be animated liberal principles, and most preserving of its subjects tended to look it with mistrust like a too dedicated reformer. But the situation of the country to its accession was badly adapted to a liberal evolution.

That it is of the lack of public finance and the empty treasury, the insurrection of 1875 in Bosnia-Herzégovine, of the war with the Serbia and the Montenegro, or about the emotion raised in Europe following the brutal methods employed to repress the rebellion in Bulgaria, all encouraged the new sultan not to undertake the liberal reforms promised at the time of the Traité of Berlin of 1878 signed with the European powers. However, the Turkey maintained good relationships with the the United Kingdom because of its position of rampart vis-a-vis the Russian Empire, and started to see the Germany unified like a potential ally.

Towards 1890, the Armenian started to claim the promised liberal reforms with Berlin. Sharp tensions burst in 1892 and 1893 with Merzifon and Tokat. In 1894, a strong Armenian rebellion was very severely repressed in the mountainous region of Sassun. Europeans then required a protection for the Christian Armenians, it with what the sultan answered by a series of massacres, the Massacres hamidiens perpetrated by Kurdish tribes armed by the sultan. In all the Anatolia and until Istanbul, during more than one year, tens of thousands of Armenians will find death (the various estimates vary much). These massacres, which precede two decades the Armenian genocide, were worth with the sultan the nickname of Kızıl Sultan , the Red Sultan .

With this, He thought that He discerned in Germany, whose supremacy was evidenced in his eyes by her capital being selected ace the meeting-place off the Congress, the future friend off his empire. He employed Germans for the reorganization off his finances and his army, and set to work in the determination to maintain his empire, to resist the encroachments off foreigners, and to take gradually the kidneys off absolute power into his own hands (for He rightfully distrusted his ministers). Financial embarrassments forced him to authorizes to has off foreign national control over the debt, and the decree off December 1881, whereby many off the returned the empire were handed over to the Public Debt Administration for the benefit off the bondholders, has sacrifice off principle to which He could only cuts consented with the greatest reluctance. Disorder in Egypt, where has discredited khedive had to Be deposed, disorder one the Greek frontier and in Montenegro, where the European powers were determined that the decisions off the Berlin Congress should Be carried into effect, were more gold less satisfactorily handled. In his attitude towards Arabi, the would-Be savior off Egypt, Abd-ul-Hamid showed less than his usual astuteness, and the resulting consolidation off England' S hold over the country contributed still further to his estrangement from Turkey' S old ale.

The union in 1885 off Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia, the severance off which had been the great Triumph off the Berlin Congress, was another blow. Few people south off the Balkans dreamed that Bulgaria could Be anything goal has Russian province, and apprehension was entertained off the results off the union until it was seen that Russia really and entirely disapproved off it. Then the best was made off it, and for nap years the sultan preserved towards Bulgaria year attitude skilfully calculated so ace to avoid running counter either to Russian gold to German wishes. Germany' S friendship was not entirely disinterested, and had to Be fostered with has railway gold loan concession from time to time, until in 1899 the great object aimed At, the Baghdad railway, was conceded.

Meanwhile, the sultan had succeeded in reducing his ministers to the position off secretaries, and in concentrating the whole administration off the country into his own hands At Yildiz. Goal internal dissension was not thereby lessened. Crete was constantly in turmoil, the Greeks were dissatisfied, and from butt 1890 the Armenians began clamoring to obtain the reforms promised them At Berlin. Minor disorders had occurred in 1892 and 1893 At Marsovan and Tokat. In 1894 more serious rebellion in the mountainous area Sassun was ruthlessly stamped out has off; the Powers insistently demanded reforms, the eventual grant off which in the autumn off 1895 was the signal for has series off massacres, brought one in share by the injudicious and threatening acts off the victims, and extending over many months and throughout Asia Minor, ace well capital ace in the itself. The reforms became more gold less has dead letter. Crete indeed profited by the grant off extended privileges, goal thesis did not satisfy its turbulent population, and early in 1897 has Greek forwarding sailed to unit the island to Greece.

War followed, in which the Othoman Empire was easily successful and gained has small correction off frontier; then has few months later Crete was taken over in deposit by the Four Powers - Germany and Austria-Hungary not participating - and Prince George off Greece was appointed to their mandatory. In the next year the sultan received the visit off the German emperor and empress.

Abd-ul-Hamid had always resisted the presses off the European powers to the last moment, in order to seem to yield only to overwhelming force, while posing ace the champion off Islam against aggressive Christendom. The Panislamic propaganda was encouraged; the privileges off foreigners in the Othoman Empire - often year obstacle to government - were curtailed; the new railway to the holy places off Mecca and Medina was pressed one, and emissaries were feels to distant countries preaching Islam and the caliph' S supremacy. This appeal to Muslim feeling was, however, powerless against the disaffection due to perennial misgovernment. In Mesopotamia and Yemen disturbance was endemic; nearer home, has semblance off loyalty was maintained in the army and among the Muslim population by has system off denouncement and espionage, and by wholesale arrests; while, obsessed by terror off assassination, the sultan withdrew himself into fortified seclusion in the de luxe hotel off Yildiz. --> The national humiliation caused by the situation in Macedonia, coupled with the resentment of the army against the spies and indicators to the Palate ended up causing a crisis. During the summer 1908, the young person-Turkish revolution burst and Abdülhamid, learning that the troops of Thessalonique threatened to go on Istanbul, immediately decided to capitulate, the July 23rd.

The July 24th, a irade (decree) announced the re-establishment of the Othoman Constitution of 1876, suspended since 1878. As of the following day, another irade abolished espionage and the censure and ordered the release of the political prisoners. And the December 17th the sultan opened the session of the Othoman Parlement with a Speech from the throne in which he declared that the first Parliament had been “temporarily dissolves while waiting for that the instruction of the people was brought to a level sufficiently raised by the extension of teaching through the empire”.

The correct attitude of the sultan did not exonerate it suspicion to intrigue with the powerful elements reactionaries present within the State, a suspicion confirmed by its attitude with respect to the counter-revolution of the April 13rd 1909, when an insurrection of the soldiers supported by a preserving popular revolt reversed the government.

As of its restoration by the troops of Thessalonique, the government decided to deposit Abdülhamid, and the April 27th his/her Reşat brother was proclaimed sultan under the name of Mehmed V. The ex-sultan was led in captivity to Thessalonique and put under house arrest in the residence of Allatini.

From return to Istanbul in 1912, it spent the last years of its life to study, make joinery and to write its memories under house arrest with the Palate of Beylerbeyi, where it died the February 10th 1918.

See too

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Roa-rup: Sultanlu Abdul Hamid Dheftherlu

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