An Introduction to Constitutional Government: A Full Text Analysis of the 1856 Reform Edict

Legal issues constitute the most significant area in the Ottoman State's process of modernization. Constitutional developments, on the other hand, are the most important aspects of legal modernization. Among legal reforms made in the Ottoman State the Tanzimat Edict is the most significant one concerning constitutional developments. The legal arrangements made through the Tanzimat Edict have constituted a crucial basis for the Turkish constitutional tradition. Another turning point for constitutional developments is the Reform Edict. The Reform Edict corroborates the Tanzimat Edict and plays an equally significant role in establishing a basis for Turkish constitutional developments. This can be observed easily by looking through the items of the Kanun-i Esasi (1876 Constitution), which allowed for the re-declaration of Constitutional Monarchy and the restoration of Constitutional government. The Reform Edict has also served to make the process of legalization more effective and has led the way to legal modernization in Ottoman Law. The Kanun-i Esasi (1876 Constitution) is one of the best examples for this modernization movement.