The Most Democratic Im perial Prince

in Ottoman H istory

PRIS GB SABAHADDIN

GR 2A.T THEÎK^R QS NATIONAL AND INTOTATIONAL

APPAIRS

¡ s 1 6 4 The Most Democrat lo Im perial Prince

in Ottoman H istory

PRINCE SABAHADDÎN, GREAT THÎNHBR ON NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAÎRS

One of ray American friends,who had the pleasure of being acquainted with Prince Sabahaddin remarked," The most remarkable aspect of his character is his unfailing devotion to the cause of the common nan and h is h e ro ic stru g gle f o r the emancipation o f Ottoman su b jects from the despotism of the Royal family to which he belongs by birth'. In fact, in almost every country the rebellion against royal despotism has been started and supported by the persecuted class rather than by the son of the royal family. Therefore,Prince Sabahaddin is unique in Oriental history, probably in the history of mankind. Although he was a great advocate of democracy and an eminent leader in of the revolutionary movement called Young Turks in Europe during Sultan Abdul-Hamld*s reign,his outstanding personality cannot be explained solely as a great reformer or a friend of the persecuted and oppressed people of his country. Prince Sabahaddin had an unusual ability in science which secured him a wide knowledge in this field, He also had the remarkable talent which onabled him to integrate all data into a concise and intelligible synthesis. He was fascinated by the beauty of the sciences of inert matter but never was enslaved by them. In the same way he investigated the social and spiritual rela­ tionships of man with a scientific mind. He was fully convinced that there are natural laws which govern our social and spiritual bei$g. Therefore,his opposition to the despotic rule of Sultan Abdul-Hamid was far from being a merely sentimental hatred. To estimate the real value of Prince Sabahaddin * s contribution to the history of ,we must glance back to tho day in 1877 when an Imperial Princess,Seniha Sultan,gave birth to a baby boy. His father,an eminent thinker,grand vozir,Mahmoud Pasha, rmv© the baby the unusual name " Sabahaddinr which means "Dawn of Religion". The little Prince’ s grandfather,Sultan Abdul-Medjid, was one of the most beloved rulers of the Empire. When he ascended tbs throne in 1859,he realised the great need of reform in his country. Therefore he promulgated the "Hatti Htmayun GUlhane" granting all his subjects full religious and civil equality and providing security of life and property to all,with just and equal taxation. He reorganized t^o array,establidied a new ministry of education,and founded a modern university with medical, agricultural and engineering schools. Slave trading was repressed and the economic condition of the Empire greatly improved. Some of the fanatical-minded people were not pleased with these reforms and fought them furiously. Attempts were made on the Sultan’s life,but Abdul-Medjid forgave a l l members o f tills con sp ira cy . Prince Sabahsd&ln, bom and brouf^it up in a beautiful royal palace on the ohoroo of the Bosphorus,inherited his grandf other* s noble character and a sons© of responsibility for reorganizing his country by donooratlo methods. Meanafoilo ho was under the influence of Ills father,thon the Minister of Justice, wko had spent most of h is youth in P a ris, In tho Ottoman m$>te8y, and who had a f u l l mastery of French no well as Arabic and Persian literature* His devoted mthor,tho Imperial princess Scnlha Sultan, Instead of rearing her sons in tho leisurely Oriental fashion, supported with all her night her husbands exceptionally progressive educational program for ids© young Princes, Tho palace in which they lived, a masterpiece of architecture, was turned into a private university* Tutors from different parts of Franco,as well as eminent Turkish,Persian and Arabic fcoachcra,woro responsible for their education* While their music and art teachers wore discovering exceptional talent in the younger Prince Xntfullah, the science touchers wore astonished at Prince Sabahaddin * s ready grasp of physics, chemistry, astrorwoy,biology nnd physiology. Prince SabtdmMIn, while ho was yet in Ills teens, collaborated with his father,who was defending his countrymen*o ri$it against tho despotic ndor,Sultan Abdul-Hsmld II,tho son of the very progressive nindod and kind ho rtod Sultan AMul-MedJId. At tho beginning of his reign Sultan Abdnl-Harald and his brother-in-law wore sincere friends. But as tine went on the bapiro became ncirclod by espionage and bribery. Mahmoud Pasha,who m s too honest and too democratic to tolerate tills situation* decided to leave his country,and his home. Taking with him M s two sons,he went to Prls where ho bocano the loader of the Young Turks movement in Europe in December 1899.

as soon as Mahmoud Pasha and tho royal Princes loft the country, a ll their personal roporfcy in Turkey was confiscated in order to coot >©11 then to give up their struggle and to beg pardon from tho Sultan. But neither Malmood Pasha nor his sons gave up their coaaoleoo struggle, Thoy sent several mossagos to the tyrannical Sultan im ploring ka liln t o grant lib e r t y and eq u a lity to a l l Ottoman subjects. They published newspapers and distaklbutod then throu^iout tho huge itaplro to encourage people to form n opposition to the despotic sultan. Their daring flight to Europe aroused a sincere interest inside as well as outside the Ottoman imp Ire. At that time the Young Turks in -nropo wore composed mostly of middle class pooplo and young university students, specially studonto from tho m edical c o lle g e . Because they wore members o f tho Irrperial fam ily, tho indignation of Mahmoud Pasha and his sons toward tho Sultan arouood a oSnooro respect and admiration for tho oauso of tho Young Turk* mvmont. The persecuted people of the Entire wore inspired with a new faith in their salvation* The European nations felt oenfidonoe in tho great struggle of the Turkish patriots. ;verybody m s nthusiaotic except tho Sultan and his tyrannical co-worker B. - 3 -

Mahmoud Pasha "became the symbol of national salvation in Europe. He received thousands of letters from his countrymen who tried to express their gratitude to him for defending their rights. Throughout this time Prince Sabahaddin was actively interested in his father*s heroic struggles,but h© was not satisfied with the program of the Young Turks revolutionary movement, the sole aim of whieh was to dethrone the despotic ruler and secure a constitution. He asked himself. "Who gave the Sultan the right to rule absolutely over 35,000,000 population? Why couldn’t such a ruler come into power in Switzerland, England,Scandinavia and, especially,the United States of America?” Then he porcieved that the real cause of the tragedy in the Ottoman aspire was no# the presence o f a d esp otic ru le r,b u t the 30cial system in the Empire which created despotic rulers. Prince Sabahaddin studied many sociological publications seeking a satisfactory solution to the problem. One day,after many feverish discussions with the Young Turk3,he was walking along a Paris avenue when a title in the window of a bookshop caught his eye, A quo! tlont la suneriorito des An.ilo—Saxons ?. He bought the book,hurried to TUs hotel end“”reac[ it from cover to cover. Then he went back to the bookshop to buy everything he could find by the same author, Edmond Demolin,and othors of the same school of thought. Edmond Demolln * s A-t-on intoret a s ’ omnarordn pouvolr? and Loon Poinsard's La croduotionTTo Iravail ot lo nrobleme soeial dans tons le_3 pa^ps debiit “ miO slocle attracted the young Prince’s attention i l^ienscTy. Til© authors of these books,their collaborators ondcl the Ecole des Roches,one of the first progressive schools in Par is, where La Science Sociale has been taught, soon became very good friends o' Prince Sabahaddin. Ho was made exceedingly happy by the discovery of scientific methods which could be used in investigating social problem s. The founder of this new school of thought,Frederic le Play, was a French mining engineer,who on seeing the evils of the French social system during the Revolution decided to be a social engineer instead of a mining me. He travelled from 2B30 to 1848 14 the Balkan countries,in Horway and in the Ural mountains. He collected more three hundred family cases,because he was convinced that like atoms in inert matter and colls in biological specimens,the similest unit of the social world is the family. The energetic mining engineer classified his data,found valuable scientific knowledge, and published his famous books, Les ouvrlers ouropoons,Les ouvrleros des deux nondcs and La roforrp sociale on France. After his death hTs“notSodc, called La“l>cionco Sociale,were taken and advanced and put into a more methodical form by his followers, the most famous of which were iakxrx Henry do Tourville, Edmond Demolln3 and Paul des Camps. This science is an exact science like any other on© and it explains the natural laws which govern the social relationships of imnkind, and makes it possible to diagnose the causes which have resulted in the ruin of nation after nation. 4

So strong was the Fi’Ino© * s belief in the scientific method of social research that ho financed studios In Germany end inglaad for the purpose of comparing social conditions in the two countries* For a time he also financod the publication in Turkish as well as in French of La Science Social©, the organ of his ideas »and at his own expense sent students abroad to study social methods. He then analysed tho internal problems of the Ottoman ¿spire with the experience he had secured through La Science Social©*

Tho vast country, spread out on three continents, had a hirjhly contrailaod government witliout local, state, tom or city organ!ration. All the provinces of the ire, from the border of the Austro-Hmgarian states to the Feral n Gulf,from tho Caucasus EWimtaina to the Mediterranean shore in Algeria, an . a^ire with every variety of climate and rich natural resetireon,wore ruled by decree of tho Sultan who had roprooontativen,Valia, in each province. Ho representative had the power to adapt the laws to the needs of his province,but was oarpollod to rxiforce tlaxi rigidly. To keep the largo r?jlro subservient, it was nocoooarsr to keep a large a tending army. Compulsory military sorvioe m s imposed upon Turkish young son of twenty years of ego for an Indefinite time,but nom-moaleri men were exoiapt from OQEpslson ervloe, Tho army kept hi ita oorvice a ll Torklati young mm who should have taken the responsibility of developing progressive fam ing. As a result the women and cliildren with the assistance of tho old men who Imd returned from their long military service tilled tlioir land in a primitive way to food their * families and eupnort the government budget* In apito of its rich natural resources the country m s becoming *.ioro ond more impoverished* Tho Valiowho wore sont by the central govermitmt had neither the knowledge nor the or-georlonco to h^rovo tho local conditions sttft wore incapable of securing prosperity In tho provinces.

Prince Sabahaddin porclovod these oAclal tragedies clearly nd proolsoly and has Justly deserved tho ri#ifc to be called one of tho greatest Turkish thinkers in political and social affairs. After he imd diagnosed the ca ses of the social and oocnoni c ills of the cinpire.ho drew up a s o c ia l reform progrtsm c a lle d M esloki i§ tlra o i, which moans” oclal doctrines”. He proposed that a ll the provinces should have a local government with a local legislature,and should be absolutely fro* to organise their owroaeduoatlcml, agricultural and economic institutions as they do in tho United States of Ajaerloa, and that tho capital of tin -¿spire, then called Constantinoplo), Should have a national government with a congress and senate. The was to remain on tho tSiron© \7ithout interfering with the life of the provinces.

Since Initiative and personal freedom are impossible where there is strict centralization,the people of the mpiro were unable to prosper in spit© of Sultan Abdul~ModJid * s promulgation of civ il ©cpjtedllfcy and reform for the 53,000,000 Inhabitants of M s country. Centralisation and borouucracy oomlement each other. They aro like a aarooaa which creeps inch by inch into a living organism and strangleo it to death. The growth of central government in tho social organism is llko that. The science of wtedocino is advanced to the point at which we accept cancer as a disease. Unfortunately the science which describes the laws that govern man’s social relationships is in its Infancy,and it is not widely recognized by the people, Theref ore, nation after ant Ion is being ruined, because" of the belief that a powerful central government ±x with an absolute ruler,whether he be from a dynasty or from a class of the people,is not a diserse but a cure for social ills. Centralization and peaceful progressive civilization are not compatible. This is the law of social being. Prince Sabahaddin was moro capable of perceiving this truth than most of the historians,social philosophers and diplomats of his time. Were this not the case it would have been impossible for dictators to be acclaimed as the saviors and liberators of their countries. History has proved how wrong their nations and these historians were. Prince Sabahaddin’ s scientific approach to social problems aroused a sincere interest in Prance, On December 15,1905, the magazine, "la Revue" published an article describing the Prince’ s remarkable philosophy, P.Peach wrote "Les jemes Tures" in 1908,arid J,Denais, an eminent writor,published "La Turquie nouvelle" in 1909 in which he described tha personality and the work of the Prince.

While Prince Sabahaddin was trying to formulate a reform program,his father was publishing newspapers in Brussalls,Bom and Paris,endeavoring to reunite the Young Turks. Unfortunately Mahmoud Pasha’s health gave way under the strain and the great patriot died when he was forty-eight years old in exile on January 17,1903, Upon the death of his father,Prince Sabahaddin shouldered the responsibility of the leadership of the Young Turks movement.

During 1906 the B r itis h fo r e ig n m in is te r,S ir Edward Gray, delivered a speech in the House of Commons condemning Pan-Islamism as a great p e r i l f o r c iv iliz a t io n ,a n d the Ottoman Etapire fo r encouraging it. Prince Sabahaddin sent a very convincing answer to His Excellency, Sir Edward Gray, "The Pan-Islamic movement, "h© said, "is a reaction of the Orient to the Eastern policies of the European powors,which have been far from friendly for many years,and from time to time have been even very hostile. If such states ns Prance and Great Britain,which have a large moslem population,would like to prevent the peril of Pan-Islamisn,they should cultivate a real friendship,inspire peace and security throughout the moslem world." The Young Prince’s answer was published in many European newspapers, and especially in the Times of August 12,1906. Many leading editorial writers approved of his interpretation of this problem.

On January 2,1907, the Prince published a memorandum about the Hear East situation,stating very clearly that the Near East would inevitably give birth to a World War and addaed that the European governments as well as the United States have real Interest In the Near East, Only a peaceful,progressive people under the rule of a powerful could prevent a catastrophe in this area and keep the world safe from a major war. Unfortunately Prince Sababaddin1 s prophecy came true.

The competition among the European powers in the Near Hast as well as in the Balkan area gave birth to the Balkan. War, and then to the first World War,

At the beginning of Sultan Abdul-Hamid ’ s reign ha had agreed to a constitutional government. However it was not long until the Sultan began his despotic rule. In 1908,the prevailing discontent which also developed in the array, caused by decades of corruption and mlsgovernment,compelled tho Sultan to issue a decree for tho convocation of a new Parliament, and on July 25# 1908, c o n s titu tio n a l government was re sto re d in the Ottoman Empire. The rev olu tion a ry movement was accepted w ith great s a tis fa c tio n by the majority of the Young Turks as well as all tho people of the Empire. Only the Prince and his very close followers were not satisfied with the proclamation of constitutional government. The great thinker realised very well tho fundamental causes of the trou b le in the Ottoman Empire were not so s u p e r fic ia l.

Prince Sabahaddin#having lived away from his homeland for more than nine years,returned to Istanbul in 1908,accompanied by tho remains of the great patriot ,Mahmoud Pasha who had died in B ru sso lls. The re ce p tio n was an h is t o r ic event. More than 500,000 people participated. Great steamships,decorated with the national flag went to the Dardanelles to welcome the young Prince and the remains of the illustrious Mahmoud Pasha.

Prince Sabohaddin1s exceptional ability to interpret social problems and his Social Reform Doctrine, aroused respect among a small group of university professors and students. They called themselves "Nosli Codld” , nThe New Generation". The members of Ha all Sodid started to translate from La Science Socialo which was recommended by the Prlnco. They advocated now school programs to educate tho people of tho provinces for self-government. They tried earnestly to adopt the reform program to the Empire. But the political polity that held the destiny of the country in its hands was not ready to accept the Prince's reform plan. Since he advocated decontrailsation of government, they thought that It would be a threat to the unity of the Empire. They said that his plan would dissolve tho huge Empire by giving each province the right to govern Itself. However,Prince Sabhaddln * 3 ref ora program based on Investigation and observation of tho social construction of the Ottoroan-Empire Is a unique scientific thesis in Its field. Although this program was not followed for the reorganization of the country,this fact does not detract from Its exceptional historic value.

The Prince was a sincere advocate of peace in the Balkans, but,unfortunately,the Empire was carried into a bloody war Inspite of his struggles to prvent this catastrophe,As a consequence, in 1915, she lost practically all of her European provinces as well as the - 7 -

islands in the Aegean Son* As If this tragedy were not cnou$i for the Ottocsaa subjocts,they wore noodlosaly entangled in the first »arid i/sr* Prince Sabahaddin was then in Paris,but Mo tsnfailing d evotion to his country compelled lito to do ttot he could to ae.vo It from disaster. He eont nosnagoo to the iaperor, CJult n houhsmnod V, ancl to the loader of the political party, strongly advising then to avoid entering the war, stating that ouch an action would only result in the dlo.' Olutian of the Ottcoja iipiro* At the enno tine he made contacts with the French Government and asked then to holp h ln to rrevant the entrance of tho Ottoman ipiro into the war as an ally o f Germany, However,M s e f f o r t s fa ile d , and Jfurkoy became a p a rticip a n t in the tragedy of tho first world #ar, >von after tMo the Prince did not give up his efforts . Ho them triad to influence tlio Ottornn Government to accept a separate treaty of peace. But tho political party ignored M s arguments,and tho Otto; tan -4^piro shared tho fate of Gar any.

Alt&iourji tho biography of this groat thinker is closely related to tho Iilstory of Mo country,Ms political career and Ms position ao tho oolf-s&orificingl loader of a refer» raov-uent in Turkey are not enough to do justice to Ills outst nding ability, Tho Prince has a rare and radiant ea passion far th* people of the world,rogordlesa of ar©od*raee or naticoolit • Throughout Ms uholo life M s deep love for oil sorts of asti» Is has prevented him from eating tho flesh of any animal, An ardnant thinker, with romrkablo ability, ho cm perceive the fsnanso social probl

In Turkey tody en eminent group of intellotuals, followers of th© Prince, esteemed the value of his aohool of thou^it wMch am bled h in t o f o r e t e l l tho tr a g ic fa t e o f tho Ottoman i-teplr©, They arc convinced tiiat If tho Prince * o rofestu progxwn mid been aoooptod and a p p lied a t th o h'XjSrstfkig o f th o tw entieth century, tho history of the !;• «r &u»t and tho daikons v/ouftd htvo followod a different course, Th© Balkan liar would liiivo surely been prevented, and the first v/orld lap wo'Id have bom very different« lately Prince Sabahadf tin * s sc5.enti.fio approach t o the s o c ia l problems o f the w orld have aroused oosdsop on admiration and conviction among university profesnors that his notho&s are being tm d .it in eoonordcs an. sociology courses at the University of Istanbul*

In modem society can individual whose ooudjet is inspired wholly by nubllrio ideals and absolute honesty is very seldom mcoudtorod. Prince ‘abahad&SA is one of tho rare personalities who»« os»optional moral beauty has a striking and Inapplicable power, As an© of his grateful follow ers,! am deeply luproasod by jfche. M s strength of uersonality as well as Ms ;®traordinary santol ability. I am fully convinced tlx t he is one of the groat tMjjkaro an lntomatian.il affairs that humanity n oods.

This altruistic oeh lar,who has devote Ms life to acquiring «ho knowledge Indispensable to the welfare of mankind, lived as a non] — 8

in his royal surroundings,Inspired only by high purposes. When the Ottoman dynasty was com pelled to leave th e ir homeland fo r e v e r -in 1924, he took the road of exile again, this time with the imperial family whoso immunities he had never taken advantage of.

As a keen observer of international affairs,the Prince nevor lost his interest in following the course taken by the relations between countries. In Ills letters to his friends he deplored the state of the central Eurppean countries. He was convinced that the terrible crisis in Germany would inevitably result in a second world war. He was deeply sorry that the United States favored an isolationist policy. He said,”Tho Anglo-Saxon and American nations have the great responsibility o f lead ersh ip in w orld a f f a ir s . I f America keeps her hands o f f European, affairs and follows a high tariff policy,tho European nations w ill loss their most prosperous customers and w ill go bankrupt. And the impoverished, hopeless people w ill become a tool for any dictators that can manipulate them. They w ill create first a revolution and then a world war,which w ill be a roal catastrophe for mankind. n Indeed his prophecy came true. Dictators controlled the destiny of their nations. During 1933—.'4 while Hitler was rising to power,Prlnco Sabahaddln predicted the tragedy of the second World War and wrote to his friends,” Hitler confessed ail that he planned to do when lie came into power In his book Mein Kampf . He is a real threat to iuropean civilization. To prevent a world-wide catastrophe, Groat Britain nd France ought to give an Tiltumatum to Marshal Hindenburg and clearly state that if Germany allowed the National Socit list Party to come into power, and Hitle to have nn executive position,the armies of tho said governments would invade Germany to prevent another world war.... Unfortunately European diplomats and statesmen did not do as stated above and a criminal lunatic with all his race prejudices and his sadism,which wore confessed in his book,ms let loose in Europe to destroy all vestiges of civilization. Maybe it c; n bo said that It is against tho rule of diplomacy to interfere with other nations* in tern a l a f f a ir s . Tbrnmefore tho Groat European governments wo would have been unable to give such an ultimatum. When President Roosevelt proposed the londlease bill,h o 3aid.” Suppose that there Is a fire in your neighbor*3 home. The first thing to o is to give him you help,your hose and your water to put the fire out’,' In just the same way, suppose that you hoar a noise in your neighbors house. You know,or suspect,that a lunatic is torturing,beating, strangling your neighbor. You also believe that ho is capable of setting the house on flro any moment. Vhat is the most logical and human© attitude to take? To have fu ll rospoct for your neighbor’s privacy and va-.it till tho lunatic executes his sadistic plans,or to"take action immediately and interfere with the private life of your neighbor, but meanwhile, savo him as veil as tho community from an inevitable and terrible tragedy? - 9 -

Prince Sabahaddin Is a deep believer in the human spirit and in its power. Therefore he has always been an admirer of true democracy as it is the one form of government that respects humanity and holds it to be more precious than anything else. At a time when America is doing so much to help his be loved country, as well as many other oppressed nations,I find it a great pleasure to introduce Prince '>abahaddin to my American readers,for whose way of living he has so deep an admiration •

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