Causes of the Decline of the Devshirme System in the Ottoman Empire - Term Paper Example

Causes of the Decline of the Devshirme System in the Ottoman Empire The Devshirme system was established by theSultan in the Ottoman Empire as a reward system to the Sultan as well as a source of strong and able military personnel to protect the empire while still invading others. The system involved handing the able and healthy men to the Sultan inform of taxes, incase of the foreign traders, who were later expected to serve the Sultan in various capacities. The enslavement program according to Duiker and Spielvogel (337) mainly involved the non Muslim youths, since according to the Islamic culture, it was against the culture to enslave an Islamic youth. The non-Muslim population in the empire and outside the empire therefore bore the blunt of the Ottoman rule, since they were targeted by the Sultan as well as other traders who used to offer them as slaves instead of paying taxes to the Sultan, or either as a gift to the Sultan. The youth offered for enslavement could either become military personnel in the kingdom, while others could be educated and trained to joining the janissaries in the Harem. This was the Sultan’s home or center of governing where all the activities of the Sultan occupied. The Devshirme system however collapsed later, due to many external influences, such as the modernization from the external world that crept into the Ottoman Empire before its collapse, and due to the inclusion of many foreigners in the Palace and in the empire as a whole. One factor that led to the collapse of the Devshirme system could be the conversion of many of the non-Muslims in the kingdom, into Islamic religion. Duiker and Spielvogel (337) explained that as a result of hostilities that was directed to the non Muslim inhabitants of the empire, many parents saw it necessary to convert to Islamic religion to save their families from being abducted by the powerful men who could afterwards offer them as gifts to the Sultan. Many of such youths had died in the wars, since they were trained and used for military purposes by the Sultan. It was therefore very disheartening and painful for parents to learn of their children’s death in the military activities. To avoid this, a good number of non Muslims as Duiker and Spielvogel (339) explained converted into Islamic religion. Since it was cultural not abduct the Islam professing inhabitants in the Devshirme practices, it therefore translated into declining of the possible abductees in the kingdom. The practice therefore faded gradually as the people converted into Islam, until it ended by the collapse of the Ottoman rule. In the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Empire experienced a sustained effort of reform that saw the long adored and honored institutions of the classical Ottoman state replaced by new reforms. The new reforms were motivated and inspired by an increasing knowledge of the European systems of governance, society and government. These reforms were modified in order to satisfy Ottoman needs and conditions. The reforms that emanated from the western countries brought much awareness and sensitization on the rights of individuals as well as bringing better incentives that could be offered to the Sultan. As Duiker and Spielvogel (339) explained the influence from the European countries was very enormous in that, the inhabitants of the kingdom embraced most changes drastically. The drastic change even agitated the Sultan and as Duiker and Spielvogel (339) explained, the Sultan could some time walk down the streets to spy on those taking coffee and tobacco which had been banned by the Sultan. The drastic changes of culture and tradition could therefore been seen by the enormous and positive response in which the people embraced foreign traditions and cultures, which influenced their ways of living. This gradually weakened and helped in the collapse of the Devshirme system, where non Muslims could be captured and enslaved for taxes and as gifts to the Sultan. Curry (603) explained that, one of the factors that led to the collapse of the Ottoman regime as a whole was the introduction of taxes to the farm laborers in different provinces. The use of other means of exchange contrary to the previous case, where material things including humans could be considered as gifts was therefore a big step towards the modernization of the Ottoman regime. The taxes levied to farmers enabled the provincial political actors to accumulate power and influence over their people thereby making the center, or the harem vague, which included diminishing the powers that the Sultan enjoyed (Curray 603). The splitting of the empire into several provinces therefore meant that, the powerful empire had weakened into individual jurisdictions. These smaller jurisdictions had different ideologies and forms of governing, which were somehow different from the Sultan way of governance. It therefore resulted into the collapse of the enslavement programs. However, before the decline of the empire, the provincial heads could still send youths to the Sultan for militarization. However, the enslavement of non Muslims had gradually weekend up, and collapsed after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. While in the process of initiating the reforms, the scope of the government was extended far beyond the limits put in place by the traditional ottoman methods into every aspect of life. The effects of the reforms were diverse; they overwhelmed the autonomous religious, economic and social groups that had survived for so long as the substrata of the ottoman society. A new, modern, westernized ruling bureaucracy replaced the old ruling class, extended its power throughout the empire and thus created a highly complex political system of ruling. The new political system ensured a rule of autocracy unmatched in traditional times (Miller, Vandome and McBrewster 60). The new elite rulers in the empire some of whom had been trained and educated by the sultan in the Devshirme program had a different way of thinking, and operating in the empire. The modernization from the western countries which had really crawled into the empire, therefore led to the modernization of the empire which called for the abolishment of traditional practices such as the Devshirme system, as it could not merge with the new order of life in the modernized empire. Stokes (526) explained that an important factor that led to the collapse of the Devshirme system was the serious campaigns and efforts by the Turkish elites who fought for the inclusion of their sons into the loyal courts. Previously, the courts could be administered by foreigners who were part of the enslavement program that turned many foreigners into elites, through the education and training systems offered by the Sultan with an aim of making them members of the Janissary (Stokes 526). This tradition was seriously criticized by the elite class of Turkey as the dominance of foreigners in the courts and other important departments became evident. The elites pushed for the abolishment of the enslavement program and the system was left open for any volunteer who wanted to join the courts. The elite class therefore managed to campaign for their sons’ inclusion in the courts, and this brought to an end the practice of Devshirme system Change in the leadership style in the Ottoman Empire was a complex process; each solution created new complications. Duiker and Spielvogel (339) explained that succession battles in the loyal house had a strong effect on the total collapse of the system. Whereas the first Sultan was in power for 27 years, the successive Sultans lasted for much lesser time which was an indication of serious turmoil in the ruling house. Duiker and Spielvogel (340) further argued that, the power that was earlier exercised by the Sultans later slipped away to the house of grand vezir and to the helm. As earlier explained, many of the earlier enslaved youths had been recruited to join the harem in the palace of the Sultan. They were later forced to profess the Islamic faith to be in tandem with Sultan doctrines and the harem occupants. As power drifted away to a group of elites, it translated to the decision making being made by several people through consultations, intrigues and conflicts among the members of the harem. It would therefore be assumed that some of the members of harem who were themselves products of the Devshirme system, opposed to the system as an abuse of the rights of humanity, with more influence from the modernizations aspects form Europe. The Turkey’s elite as described above could have been supported by the harem members who were against the system to abolish enslavement and made the whole process a voluntary exercise. The greed of the imperial powers of Europe for profits at the expense of the relatively underdeveloped empire and its poor people perpetuated and deepened the miseries of the poor empire while at the same time impacting positively on the abolishment of the system. As a consequence, a series of economic problems inherited from the past led to dire consequence to the people on the empire. The empire could not have enough capital to run its functions, and hence major decisions had to be made to provide the empire with the necessary supporting factors to continue operating. This to a large extent explained the embracing of taxation policies from the workers in the farms to support in the running of the empire. The changes in the economic polices as Stokes (526) explained included introduction of money notes, establishment of universities as well as civil and criminal codes. These changes had many effects in the revolutionary of the entire empire, since real trade practices became entrenched in the empire. It therefore followed that the, people changed their living standards as well as the culture due to learning institutions, thereby becoming more enlightened to live such negative and unsocial behaviors such as the enslavement of the youth. Enlightenment and education could therefore be considered as important factors that led to the collapse of the system. The demands for social and political reforms, being the consequences of the Tanzimat, conflicted with the desire of its leaders to modernize as rapidly and efficiently as possible, without the delays and compromises not in line with any democratic system. In addition, nationalistic elements among the subject minorities, nourished and was sustained by Russia and to a lesser extent, other European powers demanded autonomy or independence from the empire. The Europeans ensured that they articulated their interests with terrorism within the ottoman dominions and with the anti-Muslim propaganda in Europe and America (Barnes and Noble, p 35). The interference of other external forces such as Russia in advocating independence for some stations that were considered as the transit areas for trade items to the empire as Stokes (526) explained, could also have affected the Devshirme system making it to collapse. An example of this is Mount Lebanon which as Stokes explained was used as a buffer zone to prevent invasion of the empire by the western powers. Therefore, since the zones were very defenseless compared to the western powers, their conquering meant that the Ottoman cultures and traditions had been broken, since the western powers could access the empire and its inhabitants. The intrusion therefore was crucial in ensuring the collapse of the Devshirme system. The intermarriage between the Ottoman’s family with non Turks as explained by Stokes (526), was very instrumental in the collapse of the Devshirme system. The Sultan’s hierarchy of ruling therefore transformed as the intermarriages persisted. The Sultan’s mother was the head of the harem which was the main organ that advised the Sultan. Below the mother of the Sultan in the hierarchy was the mother of he first born Son, while the other concubines were directly below the two in that order (Stokes, 526). The hierarchy that made the Sultan’s advisory counsel having been constituted by several concubines, who were not Turks, brought about a regional harmony where the Ottoman territory could respect the neighboring areas, where the numerous wives and concubines hailed from. This could have prevented the Devshirme system from proceeding since the non-Muslims to be abducted, mostly consisted of the kinsmen of the concubines and wives. The intermarriage by extending the Ottoman’s family beyond the boundaries therefore contributed to the gradual abolishment of the Devshirme system. The inclusion in the military of the devshirme class could have been a huge mistake that the Ottoman system ignored. The enslaved youths could be trained by the Sultan and educated to be included in the military ranks as explained by the Balkans in transition (67). The trained military personnel as well as others who were included in the harem kept a low profile in the Ottoman class but were a threat in the offing. The payment they received from the military activities paid by treasury, uplifted them an offered a good financial muscle to the group while still operating in the Ottoman Empire. The breakthrough of the devshirme class was after the conquering of the Arab and Anatolian provinces, a triumphant undertaking that did not go well with many Turkish aristocracies who became aware of their ignorance at this point as Balkans in transition (67), explained. From this point the influence, of the devshirme class was evident and as the aristocrats feared, it was time that their financial and military muscles submerged the ottoman class. The power both financially and military, exercised by the devshirme class was therefore the huge mistake that the ottoman class chose to ignore. The devshirme class therefore became powerful and was then feared by the ottoman class. This fear and accumulated power could have worked to a large extent, in claiming back their dignity and space in the empire. The enslavement practices could not be feasible with such a powerful group. Their inclusion in the military and in the harem was therefore their muscle that they flexed to halt the devshirme system. It is also worth noting that even though the great powers held back from breaking up and dividing the empire by their concern to preserve the European balance of power, they intervened in internal ottoman affairs. This automatically led to the decline of the empire since the Europeans were aiming at securing political and economic advantages to suit their interests. Though the ottoman rulers adjusted to meet these and other challenges, they often lacked the knowledge, experience and strength needed to solve problems within the relatively short time. The lower class, who were the majority also contributed to the fall of the devshirme Empire. The lower class was constantly being civilized while gaining more and more control over the empire. The lower class controlled most of the trading routes that ran throughout the empire and therefore determined the economic stability of the empire. Gradually, the trade routes lost their importance to Europe. Europeans were the heavy influencers of trade in the Ottoman Empire; the empire therefore suffered great losses economically. As Stokes (528) explains, the citizens were tired by the wrangles in the ruling elite and the corruption cases reported in the Sultan’s household and lineage. The wrangles and serious divisions, from the Sultan’s family crawled down to the masses, and the citizens libeled against their empire. Rebellion against the ruling class was influenced by the disharmony and serious battles for ruling the empire from the numerous members of the Ottoman’s family. The rebellions therefore brought unity between the non Muslims and the Muslims who rose against the Ottoman’s rule. The unity between the two groups could therefore be responsible for the decline in the devshirme system which was more targeted at one of the two groups. The Tanzimatt reforms were very crucial in ensuring the abolition of the devshirme system. The reforms in addition to having critically addressed the financial reforms had a significant bearing on the social reforms in the empire. Stokes (526) explained that, the reforms included the abolition of the poll tax levy that was earlier imposed on the non Muslims, who did not wish to join the military. The non Muslims were also allowed to join the military voluntarily, contrary to the enslavement program that was used before. In general, the reforms meant that a common united Ottoman’s state was established. The establishment of a common state where each citizen regardless of the faith and cultural background had common rights was the most important declaration that could be considered to have brought to a halt the devshirme system. After the declaration of the reforms, all the citizens in the empire were made equal with the same treatment and with a view of having a strong and united front in form of a nation. It was therefore very critical in abolishing the enslavement of the non Muslims to serve in the various ranks as explained above. The devshirme system was a critical system that the ottoman rule used to serve and defend their empire. The system which involved the enslaving of the non-Muslims to be used in the military while others were educated to join the harem was both a misfortune and lack to the devshirme class. While it was enslavement, through the time, the latter class managed to accumulate both the power through their military majority as well as their economic power paid by the ottoman treasury to submerge the ottoman class and bring to an end the abuse of the non Muslim class. Factors such as modernization and interference from the western countries were also very instrumental in the collapse of the system. The Sultan hierarchy of administration that included his wives and concubines both foreign and local were also very instrumental in ensuring the end of the enslavement period. The collapse of the devshirme system was therefore motivated by both internal and external forces which worked to empower the disadvantaged groups as well as changing the cultural, economical and traditional arena of operations in the empire. Works Cited Barnes and Noble. The Decline and Fall of the Ottoman Empire. Barnes and Noble Publications, 1994. Pp 32-37. Curry, J. John. Empire of Difference: The Ottomans in Comparative Perspective. Journal of World History, 20.4 (2009). Duiker, J. William and Spielvogel, J. Jackson. The essential World History. Thompson Learning Inc. 2008. Frederic P. Miller, Agnes F. Vandome and John McBrewster. Fall of the Ottoman empire.VDM Publishing House Ltd, 2010. Pp 59-64. Stanford J. Shaw and Ezel K. Shaw. History of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. London, Cambridge University Press, 1977, vol 2. Pp 5-10. Stokes, Jamie. Encyclopedia of the peoples of Africa and the Middle East, Vol. 1. NY: Infobase Publishing Inc. 2009. University of California Press. (1988)The Balkans in Transition. California: University of California Press Read More