A Prosopography Study About German Experts Who Participated in the Reform and Modernization Processes of the Ottoman Empire Between 1789-1918
Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies
Final Report Abstract
In this project, the contributions of German experts who played an active role in the military and administrative modernisation processes of the Ottoman Empire between 1789-1918 are analysed from a historical-sociological perspective. The main aim is to demonstrate that Ottoman-German relations were not limited to diplomatic or military dimensions but formed a multi-layered interaction ground in the context of institutional reforms and structural transformations through individual expertise. The study has a three-stage methodological f ramework. In the first stage, biographical data on German experts employed in various fields in the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1918 were collected. In this context, archival documents, ego documents, biographies, newspaper reports, travelogues, memoirs and secondary sources have been comprehensively searched, taking into account the periods, branches and institutional contexts of the experts, regardless of military and civilian distinctions. In the second stage, a comprehensive prosopographic database of 3,125 German experts was prepared based on the biographical data collected. This dataset analysed as biographical database was structured in a "dictionary" format and categorised according to dozens of variables such as the areas in which the experts served, the cities and institutions they worked in, their length of service, their military-civilian status, their academic and prof essional titles, their educational background, their reasons f or coming to the Ottoman Empire and their career paths af ter their assignments. In this database developed through Microsoft Excel, 74,279 data entries were made under 65 different headings, thus creating a holistic analysis ground that allows both qualitative and quantitative analyses. This dictionary also provides comprehensive information on the continuity, diversity and institutional preferences of foreign expert recruitment policies during the ref orm periods of the Ottoman Empire. In the third stage, maps, graphs and tables were prepared to enable a clearer visualisation of quantitative distributions and institutional patterns based on the information in the database. These visual materials were thematically analysed within the f ramework of specific questions to reveal the geographical dimensions, temporal intensity and task diversity of these interactions. Thus, it was possible to analyse not only individual careers, but also the nature of the social and institutional structures of the period, their capacity for reform and mobility. The mapping studies, which enabled the spatial evaluation of the data, were integrated into ArcGIS, a Geographical Information System (GIS) software. This visual material is not only a historical document but also offers the opportunity to analyse the spatial and temporal depth of Ottoman-German relations within an academic f ramework. This project will offer a unique perspective on the recent Ottoman reform and modernisation process by going beyond the traditional methods of historical narration and transmission and using contemporary approaches and technological possibilities. The outputs of this project have the potential to become a reference point for academic and cultural research at both local and global levels, with a particular focus on recent Ottoman history and Turkish-German relations.
