TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · 35 / 38 · sultan
Abdulhamid II
His thirty-three-year reign saw both the greatest territorial loss and the most intensive investment in schools, railways and the telegraph. Proclaiming and then suspending the constitution, rule through a centralised intelligence network and the cost of the 1877–78 war make him the most controversial sultan in Ottoman history.
Open the reign of Abdulhamid II on the mapFamily
| Father | Abdulmejid I |
|---|---|
| Mother | Tirimüjgan Kadın (raised by his stepmother Rahime Perestu Sultan) |
| Consorts | Nazikeda Kadın, Bedrifelek Kadın, Bidar Kadın, Müşfika Kadın, Peyveste Kadın, Fatma Pesend Kadın (and many others) |
| Children | Mehmed Selim, Abdülkadir, Ahmed Nuri, Mehmed Burhaneddin, Abdürrahim, Mehmed Abid, Zekiye Sultan, Naime Sultan, Şadiye Sultan, Ayşe Sultan (and many others) |
Major achievements
- The first Ottoman constitution, the Kanun-ı Esasi (1876), and the first parliament — suspended two years later
- Construction of the Hejaz Railway
- Baghdad Railway concession and the Anatolian railway network
- Debt restructuring through the Public Debt Administration and budget discipline
- Large-scale opening of secondary, civil service, law, medical, commercial and fine arts schools
- Founding of the Agricultural Bank (Ziraat Bankası)
- Telegraph network extended across the empire
- Pan-Islamist policy
- Censorship, informers and an intelligence apparatus — the source of the charge of despotism
Treaties
- Treaty of Berlin (1878)
- Cyprus Convention (1878, Britain)
- Treaty of Constantinople (1879, Russia)
- Treaty of Constantinople with Greece (1897)
Grand viziers
| Name | From | To | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mithat Pasha (term 2) | December 19, 1876 | February 5, 1877 | |
| İbrahim Edhem Pasha | February 5, 1877 | January 11, 1878 | |
| Ahmed Hamdi Pasha | January 11, 1878 | February 4, 1878 | |
| Ahmed Vefik Pasha | February 4, 1878 | April 18, 1878 | |
| Mehmed Sadık Pasha | April 18, 1878 | May 28, 1878 | |
| Mütercim Mehmed Rüşdi Pasha (term 5) | May 28, 1878 | June 4, 1878 | |
| Mehmed Esad Safvet Pasha | June 4, 1878 | December 4, 1878 | |
| Tunuslu Hayreddin Pasha | December 4, 1878 | July 28, 1879 | |
| Ahmed Arifi Pasha | July 28, 1879 | October 18, 1879 | |
| Mehmed Said Pasha | October 18, 1879 | June 9, 1880 | |
| Cenanizade Mehmed Kadri Pasha | June 9, 1880 | September 12, 1880 | |
| Mehmed Said Pasha (term 2) | September 12, 1880 | May 2, 1882 | |
| Abdurrahman Nureddin Pasha | May 2, 1882 | July 12, 1882 | |
| Mehmed Said Pasha (term 3) | July 12, 1882 | November 30, 1882 | |
| Ahmed Vefik Pasha (term 2) | December 1, 1882 | December 3, 1882 | |
| Mehmed Said Pasha (term 4) | December 3, 1882 | September 25, 1885 | |
| Kâmil Pasha | September 25, 1885 | September 4, 1891 | |
| Ahmed Cevad Pasha | September 4, 1891 | June 9, 1895 | |
| Mehmed Said Pasha (term 5) | June 9, 1895 | October 2, 1895 | |
| Kâmil Pasha (term 2) | October 2, 1895 | November 7, 1895 | |
| Halil Rifat Pasha | November 7, 1895 | November 9, 1901 | |
| Mehmed Said Pasha (term 6) | November 9, 1901 | January 15, 1903 | |
| Avlonyalı Mehmed Ferid Pasha | January 15, 1903 | July 22, 1908 | |
| Mehmed Said Pasha (term 7) | July 22, 1908 | August 6, 1908 | |
| Kâmil Pasha (term 3) | August 6, 1908 | February 14, 1909 | |
| Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha | February 14, 1909 | April 13, 1909 |
Battles and treaties
| Year | Event | Result / parties |
|---|---|---|
| 1877 | Siege: Siege of Plevna | Russian coalition victory · Ottoman victory – 1st Rus. assault · Ottoman victory – 2nd Rus. assault · Russian coalition victory – Turkish sortie · Russian coa… |
| 1878 | Treaty: Treaty of Berlin | Ottoman Empire, United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, French Republic, German Empire, Kingdom of Italy, Russian Empire |
| 1878 | Treaty: Cyprus Convention | |
| 1879 | Treaty: Treaty of Constantinople | |
| 1882 | Event: British occupation of Egypt | British victory · British occupation of Egypt |
| 1897 | Treaty: Treaty of Constantinople with Greece |
Full infoboxes are in the site’s “Battles and Treaties” tab; source: English Wikipedia.
Death
He was deposed in 1909, exiled to Thessaloniki and later kept under house arrest in Beylerbeyi Palace; he died of pleurisy in 1918.
Territorial change
The lands that changed hands in this period, and the battles or treaties that brought the changes, can be seen on the map: map of the reign of Abdulhamid II.