Transforming an Empire

The Ottoman Empire’s Immigration and Settlement Policies in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

Bibliographic Data

ID10279701
AuthorsBaşak Kale (0000-0003-1760-3716, Schlumberger (Ireland), corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume50
Issue2
Pages252-271
Publication date2014-03-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMiddle Eastern Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0026-3206 • E-ISSN: 1743-7881
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00263206.2013.870894
OpenAlexW2002382028
LanguageEN
Citations received18

The Ottoman Empire's immigration and settlement policies were redefined in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a result of the population movements caused by the rise of nationalism, wars and territorial losses. With changing demographics and the acceptance of a new citizenship concept by the Tanzimat Edict in 1839, the millet system which had previously secured the multi-ethnic and multi-religious nature of the empire for centuries was challenged. The central argument of the paper is that the Ottoman state responded to these challenges by supporting a liberal migration and settlement policy in an institutionalized and highly complex structure through the pioneering Ottoman Migration Commission. Although certain restrictions later took place due to internal and external factors such as a changing economic, social and political climate, the institutionalized settlement and migration policy proves that a multi-dimensional system was developed in response to the challenges of a dissolving and yet transforming Empire

Ancient history · Archaeology · Economic history · Economics · Empire · Immigration · Middle East · Middle Eastern studies · Ottoman empire · Political science · Politics · Settlement (finance · History · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts · Turkey's Politics and Society

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