The 1876 Ottoman Constitution and Its European Echoes

In 1876, the Ottoman Empire adopted a constitution—the Kanun-i Esasî—and opened its first parliament. But this liberal experiment was short-lived. Sultan Abdülhamid II suspended it within two years, citing the Russo-Turkish War. Why did the Young Ottomans push for constitutionalism? How did European powers react? And what did this mean for the empire's multi-ethnic subjects? This episode unpacks the politics behind the constitution, the roles of Midhat Pasha and Namık Kemal, and the legacy of a failed promise that still resonates in debates about democracy and reform. #Kanun-iEsasî #OttomanConstitution #1876 #MidhatPasha #AbdülhamidII #YoungOttomans #NamıkKemal #Meclis-iMebusan #RussoTurkishWar #Constitutionalism #Tanzimat #OttomanReform #History #FexingoHistory #OttomanEmpire #Parliament #Democracy #Sultan Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo