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The late eighteenth and early nineteenth century is sometimes referred to as the “Age of the Ayan”. This was a time were provincial power-holders within the Ottoman Empire played a substantial role in the politics and economics of the state. The empire’s ability to control vast amounts of territory depended to a large degree on the ability of the government to forge alliances with local power elites. Provincial leaders had deep cultural, economic, and social ties within their respective principalities in a way that the imperial center simply did not. While not all provinces had similar forms of leadership, or leaders with similar titles, they nonetheless were a well established power structure within the empire. By the mid-eighteenth century …show more content…
With such a large empire, Ottoman administrative duties were best delegated to Ayans. Ali Yaycioglu, author of “Provincial Power-Holders and the Empire in the Late Ottoman Empire”, details why this was the case. He writes, “increasingly during the eighteenth century, the central authority and governors required communities to pay taxes in lump sums. This was partly because detailed information on tax-paying households was becoming outdated, but, also, and perhaps more importantly, because neither the central government nor the imperial governors had adequate manpower and resources”(Yaycioglu, 445). Delegating duties to local ayans like the collection of taxes was by far a more efficient and effective method then if the central government tried to conduct the same procedures themselves. Additionally, many Ayans took on the responsibility of commissioning public works in hopes to foster local popularity. These included public buildings, work lodges, and religious centers. One such example was the construction of improved water supply systems in Ruse by Ismail ağa's (yaycioglu). Provincial leaders would also be of service to the Ottoman State by recruiting troops to join the Ottoman provincial army. Although essentially autonomous and their loyalty conditional, provincial leaders were critical to the everyday functioning of the state. Even after the Ayans …show more content…
The imperial center was just as reliant upon the horizontal power structure as local leaders were. But as power brokers, when Leaders negotiated it was sometimes necessary to push back against the Ottoman center and revolt. Revolts were a common part of the negotiating process. Challenging the power of the imperial center was a way in which leaders leveled the playing field again. The best known provincial leader to challenge central authority was Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha of Egypt. Originally from Albania, Muhammad ‘Ali was sent to Egypt as a member of a small but infamous Albanian contingent to fight the French in 1801. Enjoying a Meteoric rise in his military career, he quickly made a name for himself in Egypt. He soon quickly established authority and power in the region. Muhammad Ali eventually went to war with the Ottoman center and threatened to overthrow the Sultan. Generally, the Ottoman empire was able to quell open rebellion or reach an agreed upon settlement. But nevertheless Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha demonstrated that provincial powers were not subordinate to imperial
The late eighteenth and early nineteenth century is sometimes referred to as the “Age of the Ayan”. This was a time were provincial power-holders within the Ottoman Empire played a substantial role in the politics and economics of the state. The empire’s ability to control vast amounts of territory depended to a large degree on the ability of the government to forge alliances with local power elites. Provincial leaders had deep cultural, economic, and social ties within their respective principalities in a way that the imperial center simply did not. While not all provinces had similar forms of leadership, or leaders with similar titles, they nonetheless were a well established power structure within the empire. By the mid-eighteenth century …show more content…
With such a large empire, Ottoman administrative duties were best delegated to Ayans. Ali Yaycioglu, author of “Provincial Power-Holders and the Empire in the Late Ottoman Empire”, details why this was the case. He writes, “increasingly during the eighteenth century, the central authority and governors required communities to pay taxes in lump sums. This was partly because detailed information on tax-paying households was becoming outdated, but, also, and perhaps more importantly, because neither the central government nor the imperial governors had adequate manpower and resources”(Yaycioglu, 445). Delegating duties to local ayans like the collection of taxes was by far a more efficient and effective method then if the central government tried to conduct the same procedures themselves. Additionally, many Ayans took on the responsibility of commissioning public works in hopes to foster local popularity. These included public buildings, work lodges, and religious centers. One such example was the construction of improved water supply systems in Ruse by Ismail ağa's (yaycioglu). Provincial leaders would also be of service to the Ottoman State by recruiting troops to join the Ottoman provincial army. Although essentially autonomous and their loyalty conditional, provincial leaders were critical to the everyday functioning of the state. Even after the Ayans …show more content…
The imperial center was just as reliant upon the horizontal power structure as local leaders were. But as power brokers, when Leaders negotiated it was sometimes necessary to push back against the Ottoman center and revolt. Revolts were a common part of the negotiating process. Challenging the power of the imperial center was a way in which leaders leveled the playing field again. The best known provincial leader to challenge central authority was Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha of Egypt. Originally from Albania, Muhammad ‘Ali was sent to Egypt as a member of a small but infamous Albanian contingent to fight the French in 1801. Enjoying a Meteoric rise in his military career, he quickly made a name for himself in Egypt. He soon quickly established authority and power in the region. Muhammad Ali eventually went to war with the Ottoman center and threatened to overthrow the Sultan. Generally, the Ottoman empire was able to quell open rebellion or reach an agreed upon settlement. But nevertheless Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha demonstrated that provincial powers were not subordinate to imperial