This book was written by late Roderic H. Davison who was then a Professor at George Washington University. Mr. Davison was a renowned scholar in Ottoman history and holds the position as the President of both Middle East Studies Association and the Turkish Studies Association at the university.

In this book, the author tried to study the reform of the Ottoman Empire or known as the Tanzimat in Turkish which literally means reorganization that started in 1839 and ended with the establishment of the First Constitutional in 1876. The Tanzimat reform refers to the various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire by adopting Western ideas and practices into the administration, social, political, economic and others of the Ottoman Empire.

The writer try to discuss the reform attempts that was carried out during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II and Sultan Abdul Mejid and the Western educated grand vezir like Ali Pasha, Fuad Pasha, Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, and Midhat Pasha. He also discussed the influence of this Tanzimat to the establishment of modern Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Attaturk. This book was well-documented and the author has used numerous and extensive written historical sources ranging from primary sources that were written in Turkish and French, and other secondary sources. The author has put a large effort to collect the relevant materials and assessed it accordingly. This make this books a precious material for historians and students of Ottoman history.

The Tanzimat movement was a controversial issue to be discussed in one way or another. However, the author succeeded to documented the events chronologically and in some ways, guide the readers to understand the political condition of this period to make an assessment of how this movement happen and what led this important event in Ottoman history.
This book helps the readers to understand this major historical event on Ottoman history. Especially to English-speaking readers who do not have any access to Turkish and other foreign language historical materials.

In Chapter I, Introduction: Decline and Reform to 1856, the author elucidated the background of the Ottoman Empire that leds to the Tanzimat reform. The author deals with the decision by Sultan Abdul Mejid to announce the Hatt-i Humayun, an imperial edict on the organizational reform of the Ottoman Empire.

According to the author, this attempt was a timely decision as a solution for the internal problems within the Ottoman administration and to curb the pressure from the Europeans power. The Tanzimat or reorganization including the adoption and adaptation of some Western ideas and institutions in several fields, included administration, military, economic, social, and political. According to the author, the decay of the old administrative of the Ottoman Empire was inadequate to face the internal pressures and had been the one of the primary reasons for Ottoman weakness. During the past decades, the Ottoman Empire was very patient in controlling and maintaining its stability. However the Tanzimat attempt was quite a rapid one. The uncritical and over-zealous adoption of Western ideas laid the basis of the ultimate secularization of governmental administration and social upheaval. Tanzimat reform by Sultan Abdul Mejid was a stepping stone of secularism-cult that was crystallized during the time of Mustafa Kemal Attaturk.

The author perceived this reform as step to revitalize the empire and preserve it in a world ordered by European power and civilization. This reform according to the author was not only about the justice and equality to the minorities and non-Muslims, but also reform in military, economic, social, intellectual, legal, and political. The author believed that this reform was not intended to “throw dust in the eyes of Europe”, but revitalize the Empire back.

It is worthy to mention the influence of the idea of Enlightenment and French Revolution led to the establishment of the Tanzimat reform. These reforms had been introduced not only to save the Empire but to satisfy and placate the Great Powers, who used the ill-treatment of non-Muslim minorities as a pre-text to further their own aims.

In Chapter II, the author deals with the measures of the Tanzimat reforms. It included the abolition of tax farming, the abolition of bribery, strict observance of annual budgets, the establishment of banks, the employment of European capital and skills for economic improvement, the codification of penal code, commercial law, reform of the prison system, and the establishment of mixed courts for Muslim and non-Muslims.The author also explains the challenges faced by the Tanzimat movement from the ulema, and the Janissaries.

In Chapter VI, the author discussed the formation of the young Turks. He elucidated the influence of Mazzini’s Young Italy on the Young Turks. These Young Turks were also influenced by the Jacobins of the French Revolution. Regarding the relationship between the Mazzini’s Young Italy and the Young Turks, there is another source that can support the author’s argument. Nesta Webster, in his work, Secret Societies and Subversive Movement (1928, p.284) writes that: “The Young Turk movement began in Masonic Lodges of Thessaloniki under the direct supervision of the Grand Lodge of Italy, which later shared in the success of Mustapha Kemal.”

In concluding remark of this chapter, the author stressed that there is a danger of over estimating the impact of the Young Turk on the course of events in the Ottoman Empire.

In the last chapter, the author deals with the Constitution of 1876. The aims of the constitution were the welfare of all Ottoman peoples, who should enjoy the blessings of liberty, justice, and equality, and safeguarding the government from absolutist monarchy, and put the government under the power of the State. The author argued that the entire constitution was Western in inspiration. One way or another, this is true. It is in essence was based on the concept of the Enlightenment and French Revolution. The author stated that the Tanzimat reform was a stepping stone for Mustafa Kemal Attaturk attempt to turn Ottoman Empire to a modern Turkey. The Tanzimat then was a means of individual liberties. On the importance of people, public opinion, and other elements that related to Western political system as opposed to monarchical sovereignty.

Through this book, it seems that the author viewed the Tanzimat movement as a step for the betterment of the Empire. However, in one hand, this movement opened the Empire to foreign infiltration. In the proceeding period, we can see that the Empire was still in the state of deterioration. When Sultan Abdul Hamid became the Caliph, the Empire was already on the edge of collapse. The Empire’s economy was increasingly being controlled by the great powers, especially France and England, under the terms of the capitulations which led to economic control and manipulation from these two great powers during that time.

It seems that the fate of the Ottoman Empire was same like France after the collapse of the Old Regime and throne of power was controlled by the Committee of Public Safety under the Jacobins. And if we see that before the deposition of Sultan Abdul Hamid, the Empire was controlled by the Committee of Union and Progress, an indigenous wing of the Young Turks movement. It seems that Ottoman Empire fall in the same fate of French Republic.

In the long run, the Tanzimat reforms path the way for the massive import of Western ideas and practices by Mustafa Kemal Attaturk. Mustafa went further than anybody else in turning Turkey into a total secular country. He abolished the Caliphate, and built a modern Turkey. He closed down the Shari’a court and the madrasah, and other drastic steps to turn Turkey into a purely secular state.

Turkey then is just another ‘victim’ of the implementation of Hegelian theory in practice of creating false conflict to create a new synthesis. The synthesis was the abolishment of the Caliphate. In one way or another, creating conflict is not only a tactic in winning in battles and wars, but also in controlling other people. Reform, or islah or Tanzimat in Turkish language is not wrong in essence, but it relies upon on who is responsible in this action and on what motive and purpose.