Sultan Abdülhamid II was on the throne during the most difficult period of the Ottoman Empire and managed to keep the state alive during his reign with the policies he implemented. The sultan, who reigned for 33 years, is being commemorated on the 104th anniversary of his death.
Abdülhamid was born to Sultan Abdülmecid and Tirimüjgan Kadınefendi on Sept. 21, 1842, in Istanbul. He lost his mother from tuberculosis when he was only 10 years old and his father Sultan Abdülmecid died in 1861 at the age of 38.
Abdülhamid II ascended to the throne as the 34th Ottoman sultan on Aug. 31, 1876, after statesmen and administrators who wanted to establish a constitutional government dethroned Sultan Abdülaziz and Sultan Murad V. Shortly after he took office, "Kanun-i Esasi," the first Constitution of the Ottoman Empire, was proclaimed on Dec. 23, 1876. When the sultan took the throne, he faced many problems both inside and outside the empire.
When the London Protocol, which included the proposals of the Russians, was discussed in Parliament at the request of Sultan Abdülhamid II and rejected on March 31, 1877, Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire on April 24, 1877, starting the Russo-Turkish War.
The successes of Ghazi Osman Pasha in Pleven and Ghazi Ahmed Muhtar Pasha in the east could not stop the general course of the war, and the Turkish armies began to withdraw from the fronts. After the retreat, tens of thousands of Muslim Turks had to migrate to Istanbul and Anatolia.
Sultan Abdülhamid II, who had a disagreement with Parliament, suspended it indefinitely on Feb. 13, 1878, using the authority granted to him by the Constitution, but did not make any statement saying that he had given up constitutionalism and the Constitution.
At the end of the war, the Treaty of San Stefano, which included a number of harsh conditions, was signed with Russia on March 3, 1878. Then, with the Treaty of Berlin, signed on July 13, 1878, some lands were lost and war compensation was accepted against Russia.
Sultan Abdülhamid managed a strong secret service established after the Çırağan Raid, when a group tried to have Murad V enthroned. The difficulties he faced in foreign policy, and especially the fact that foreign states had a hand in domestic events, prompted the sultan to implement a strict regime.
Believing that the state needed time to recover, Sultan Abdülhamid II chose to avoid wars that would create a heavy burden. Giving priority to clearing foreign debts that he had inherited from the sultans before him in the economic field, he signed an agreement with the representatives of the European creditors on Dec. 20, 1881. With this agreement, called the " Decree of Muharram," creditor countries were granted the privilege of establishing the Düyun-ı Umumiye (Ottoman Public Debt Administration) in order to collect certain state revenues.
Abdülhamid II, who tried to strengthen his ties with the Islamic world, extended the Haydarpaşa-Izmit Railway Line to Ankara in 1888 with the support he received from Germany. He also agreed with the Germans for the construction of the line that would connect Ankara to Baghdad in 1902, and he had the Hejaz Railway, which connected Damascus to Mecca, built.
Sultan Abdülhamid II was the Ottoman sultan who used the title of caliphate the most. By sending religious scholars to distant countries such as South Africa and Japan, he worked to spread Islam there and fought against colonialist states. One of the important issues that Sultan Abdülhamid II insisted on and partially succeeded in was the Palestine issue. The Zionists, who wanted to establish a Jewish state in Palestine, applied to Abdülhamid II and declared that they would clear the state's foreign debts. The sultan did not accept their offer and also took some precautions to prevent the Jews from settling in Palestine.
After some events happened in the Balkans, Turkish officers forced Sultan Abdülhamid II to declare Kanun-i Esasi. The sultan declared that he had put the constitution into force again on July 23, 1908. Then a very rapid dissolution process began.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire occupied Bosnia-Herzegovina on Oct. 5, 1908, to prevent a member from being sent to the Ottoman Parliament. On the same day, Bulgaria declared its independence. A day later, Crete announced its union with Greece.
On April 13, 1909, an uprising broke out in Istanbul. The events in Istanbul continued for 11 bloody days. After the Action Army from Thessaloniki entered Istanbul on the night of April 23-24, 1909, the uprising was suppressed.
Abdülhamid II did not accept the offers to counter the Action Army with the First Army, which was loyal to him, and said that, as the caliph of the Muslims, he could not make Muslims fight against Muslims.
On April 27, 1909, the General Assembly of the Ottoman Empire, headed by Said Pasha, decided to end the caliphate and reign of Abdülhamid II. The parliamentary delegation consisting of Turks, Armenians, Jews and Albanians went to Yıldız Palace and notified Sultan Abdülhamid that he was dethroned.
On the night he was dethroned, the sultan was then taken to Thessaloniki by train from Sirkeci with 38 officials and members of his family.
After being placed in the Villa Allatini in Thessaloniki, he was brought back to Istanbul after enemy forces approached Thessaloniki. He was settled in the Beylerbeyi Palace, where he spent the last years of his life.
A ceremony for the funeral of Abdülhamid II, who died on Sunday, Feb. 10, 1918, was held in Divanyolu, and the sultan was buried in the tomb of Mahmud III.
During the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, important steps were taken in the fields of education, public works and agriculture. Studies for the real diversification of sports branches, their establishment as a culture of social entertainment and scientific learning took place during his reign as well. Today’s three biggest Turkish football clubs, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş, were founded during his reign.
Abdülhamid II had a collection of very valuable albums prepared containing important photographs of various cities of the empire, especially Istanbul. Chambers of commerce, agriculture and industry were also opened during his reign.
Abdülhamid II, who was also interested in western music, opera and theater, was meticulous about the expenditures in the palace. Cutting down on expenses, he lived a simple life.