Ahmet Cevdet Pasha and Change: a Three-Tiered Approach

AHMET CEVDET PASHA AND CHANGE: A THREE-TIERED APPROACH by İSMAİL NOYAN Submitted to the Institute of Social Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Sabancı University July 2018 © İsmail Noyan 2018 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT AHMET CEVDET PASHA AND CHANGE: A THREE-TIERED APPROACH İSMAİL NOYAN M.A. Thesis, July 2018 Thesis Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Yusuf Hakan Erdem Keywords: Ahmet Cevdet Pasha, change, conservative In this thesis, I attempted to address three interconnected issues. First, I questioned the validity of using imagined dichotomies as analytical tools to understand the Late Ottoman Empire, with specific emphasis on one of the leading figures of the period, Ahmet Cevdet Pasha. Second, I examined Cevdet Pasha’s attitude toward change. Third, I engaged with controversies on the definition of conservatism and conservatives. Accordingly, I have done the empirical study on Cevdet Pasha within the context of the Ottoman Empire and the theoretical discussion on conservative attitude toward change simultaneously. That is, I suggested a more nuanced understanding of the Late Ottoman Empire and its figures rather than simplifying the complexities of the period by examining them with dichotomous frameworks of ‘reactionary/conservative,’ progressive; secular, religious; and Western-oriented, Eastern-oriented. Also, I proposed a three-tiered framework (nature of change, nature of challenge and nature of current constraints) to have a better understanding of the attitude of conservatives toward change, and to elucidate some seemingly contradictory attitudes of conservatives in the person of Ahmet Cevdet Pasha. I argued that ‘conservative’ Ahmet Cevdet’s attitude toward change can be better understood within a three-tiered framework according to which, Ahmet Cevdet does not repudiate change, but attempts to differentiate acceptable and unacceptable change; adjusts his stance and gives concessions by considering the intellectual and ideational environment; and further to that even accepts radical change and revolutions due to requirements of time and his concerns about the current natures of institutions, and how they come into existence. iv ÖZET AHMET CEVDET PAŞA VE DEĞİŞİM: ÜÇ KATMANLI BİR YAKLAŞIM İSMAİL NOYAN Yüksek Lisans Tezi, Temmuz 2018 Tez Danışmanı: Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Yusuf Hakan Erdem Anahtar Kelimeler: Ahmet Cevdet Paşa, değişim, muhafazakar Bu tezde birbiriyle bağlantılı üç konuyu ele almaya çalıştım. Evvela, Geç Osmanlı Dönemi’ni ve özellikle bu dönemin baş aktörlerinden olan Ahmet Cevdet Paşa’yı anlamak için ortaya atılan hayali dikotomilerin/ikiliklerin analitik araçlar olarak kullanılmasını eleştirdim. İkinci olarak, Cevdet Paşa’nın değişime bakışını inceledim. Üçüncü olarak ise muhafazakarlığın ve muhafazakarların tanımı üzerinden yapılan tartışmalara dahil oldum. Bu doğrultuda, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu bağlamında Cevdet Paşa’yı konu alan bu ampirik çalışmayı ve muhafazakarlığın değişime bakışını konu edinen teorik tartışmayı eşzamanlı olarak yürüttüm. Bir başka ifadeyle, Geç Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun ve o dönemin şahsiyetlerinin ‘tutucu/muhafazakar,’ ilerlemeci; laik, dindar; Batı taraftarı, Doğu taraftarı gibi ikilikler üzerinden incelenerek basite indirgenmesindense, dönemi daha incelikli bir yaklaşımla incelemeyi öneriyorum. Ayrıca, muhafazakarların değişime bakışını daha iyi anlayabilmek ve Ahmet Cevdet Paşa’nın şahsında muhafazakarların dışarıdan bakıldığında çelişkili görünen tutumlarını izah edebilmek için üç katmanlı bir yaklaşım (değişimin yapısı, dönemin entelektüel ve düşünsel yapısı, ve o anki kısıtlamaların yapısı) oluşturdum. ‘Muhafazakar’ Ahmet Cevdet Paşa’nın bu üç katmanlı yaklaşımla daha iyi anlaşılabileceğini iddia ediyorum; ki bu yaklaşıma göre, Ahmet Cevdet Paşa değişimi tamamen reddetmiyor, fakat kabul edilebilir ve kabul edilemez değişimleri birbirinden ayırmaya çalışıyor; entelektüel ve düşünsel atmosferi dikkate alarak tutumunu değiştiriyor, tutumundan ödün veriyor; ve daha da ötesi zamanın koşulları ve kurumların o anki yapıları ve o güne nasıl geldikleriyle ilgili endişelerinden dolayı, radikal değişiklikleri ve devrimleri dahi kabul ediyor. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the guidance, encouragement and support of several individuals, some of whom deserve to be mentioned personally. First, I owe a debt of sincere gratitude to my thesis advisor Hakan Erdem, not because of the imposition of academic convention that advisees have to thank their advisors, but because he has been a tactful, helpful, and tolerant advisor who never failed to step in when necessary during this academic journey. I would also like to thank Akşin Somel, who was not only a member of my thesis jury, but also an approachable professor. Throughout the two years I spent in Sabancı University, he did not refrain from supporting me. Ahmet Evin was so kind and helpful in reading my outline when I came up with the three-dimensional framework to examine conservative attitude toward change (which unfortunately I could not persuade my jury to include in the title, nor were they happy with the term ‘dimension’, so it was changed into a three-tiered approach), and shared encouraging comments about the project. He was there for me despite his hectic schedule throughout the second year of my master program. Thus I would like to thank him for being an invaluable source of support, guidance and encouragement. Although he does not fully agree with me I cannot deny the importance of Martin Beckstein’s constructive criticisms which I received during the very early stages of the conceptualization of ‘three dimensions.’ My career trajectory might have been completely different; if I had not met with accomplished academics throughout my education at Bilkent, LSE and Sabancı. I cannot thank Berrak Burçak enough, who is a great example of how to be an awe- inspiring academic with her altruism and modesty in her relationships with the students on the one hand, and her meticulousness and perfectionism in academic studies on the other hand. I owe gratitude to Alev Çınar who made remarkable contributions to my academic skills and her suggestions about my academic career are always helpful. I would like to express my sincere thanks to my advisor at LSE, John Chalcraft for being such a great source of inspiration. He never fails to surprise me with his insights, his smart questions and witty responses both during the Middle East course and our dissertation progress meetings. Last but not least, I am grateful to Halil Berktay who enabled me to better understand how interconnected History, Sociology, Political vi Science, Economy, Art History, Literature and so on are and who fascinated me with his holistic approach and extensive knowledge of World History. If I had not encountered these exceptional academics and others that I fail to mention here, my experience of academia would have been greatly diminished. I cannot thank enough several other individuals who contributed to the project in various ways. My Ottoman Turkish Professor Sevim Yılmaz enabled me to read Ottoman Turkish, and my close friend İsa Uğurlu was so kind in helping me out when I failed to understand certain parts. Eylem, Jonathan and Melissa spared time to proofread parts of my thesis. Sabancı librarians enabled me to access resources that were not available in the university library through the inter-library loan system. Also, administrative officer Sumru has always been a solution-oriented person who was indispensable to my study and thesis process. Mentioning a few friends is another convention of writing an acknowledgement, but I sincerely want to refer my cohort in Sabancı, each member of which is unique, important and successful in their own ways. Hüsamettin’s ability to remember even the trivial details of several issues of world history; Talha’s intellectual curiosity, Gülseher’s modesty and academic excellence, Noyan’s politeness and extensive knowledge of world history, and Yeşim’s sense of humor made them special for me. In addition to them, with his self-awareness and eagerness for self-improvement, not to mention the amount of time he spared to read, discuss and praise me to the skies; my friend Tunahan deserves special thanks. Without these people and several others, living in a campus away from downtown would not have been bearable. Finally I extend greatest gratitude to my family. Although they are unable to explain what I have been doing since I left home 8 years ago to our extended family, their friends and neighbors, they have been very successful at finding their own ways to be proud of me. I hope the printed and binded version of this thesis will enable them to hold their heads up for a while. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 Background ........................................................................................................................................ 1 The Significance of the Study ........................................................................................................ 3 Methodology, Scope, and Limitations .......................................................................................... 3 The Thesis .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Outline of the Study ........................................................................................................................

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