Open Access
Scarcity and misery at the time of 'abundance beyond imagination' : climate change, famines and empire-building in Ottoman Anatolia (c. 1800-1850)
Loading...
Files
Celik_2017.pdf (2.99 MB)
Embargoed until 2021
License
Cadmus Permanent Link
Full-text via DOI
ISBN
ISSN
Issue Date
Type of Publication
Keyword(s)
Other Topic(s)
EUI Research Cluster(s)
Initial version
Published version
Succeeding version
Preceding version
Published version part
Earlier different version
Initial format
Author(s)
Citation
Florence : European University Institute, 2017
EUI; HEC; PhD Thesis
Cite
ÇELIK, Semih, Scarcity and misery at the time of ’abundance beyond imagination’ : climate change, famines and empire-building in Ottoman Anatolia (c. 1800-1850), Florence : European University Institute, 2017, EUI, HEC, PhD Thesis - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/47944
Abstract
This study examines the effects of climate change on the early-nineteenth century socio-political transformation of the Ottoman Empire by analyzing the institutionalization of an imperial political-ecology, and the transformation of socio-ecologies of the imperial subjects as a reaction to both the climate change and the development of the imperial political ecology. It is argued that the first official weather forecasts, the first Ottoman natural history museum (1836-1848) and model farms of the 1840s were institutional outputs of a significant change in the perception of nature of Ottoman administrators. On the other hand, that perception, which tended to understand nature more and more as a commodity and a scientific object was reacted and challenged by Ottoman subjects in a variety of ways ranging from resistance, to adaptation, and invention of new tactics to cope with its effects. Abstaining from felling trees for the Tersane-i Amire, incendiarism, altering established labor-relations and migration against the will of the state were among the most common practices. It is argued that the resulting dialectic between an ideology based on expert knowledge and identity, and one based on local knowledge became a decisive factor in the empire-building practices and the direction of reforms during the second half of the century. The same dialectic made visible the reasons of the 'failure' of Ottoman state in natural disaster relief after the 1830s, especially during the famine of 1845-50. Dependence of Ottoman administration on centrally appointed expert-bureaucrats and their ideology in comparison to pre-1840 famines, limited the ability of the state to take immediate action and its capacity to negotiate with local elites, merchants, producers and consumers. Famine-time charity and philanthropy have become practices through which a new imperial identity was negotiated between the central authorities, local elites and common subjects of the empire.
Table of Contents
Additional Information
Defence date: 12 September 2017
Examining Board: Prof. Luca Molà European University Institute (Supervisor); Prof. Suraiya N. Faroqhi Istanbul Bilgi University (External Supervisor); Prof. Stéphane Van Damme European University Institute; Prof. Alan Mikhail Yale University
Examining Board: Prof. Luca Molà European University Institute (Supervisor); Prof. Suraiya N. Faroqhi Istanbul Bilgi University (External Supervisor); Prof. Stéphane Van Damme European University Institute; Prof. Alan Mikhail Yale University