Dominate the Country

"...Cultural knowledge and lifestyles from Europe and China entered the Ottoman Empire through many and complex channels. In addition to official promotion, there was also folk evolution, but they all affected different levels of Ottoman society in different ways. To So far, the most obvious effect of the reform and the most gratifying part is that The army, officers and technicians from Europe and China were working hard to introduce various military technologies and weapons to the new Ottoman army and the young Ottomans in the schools. These new Ottoman officers and young students also formed. An emerging political group in Ottoman society…”

Pang Zhenkun's memorials always arrived every ten days, and they were handed directly to Chen Ming's hands. Although it was very expensive, it also gave Chen Ming a more accurate grasp of the development of the Ottoman situation. Although Chen Ming is not completely ignorant of Osman's evidence, he undoubtedly has a new understanding and deeper understanding of Osman now.

There are countless contradictions in the Ottoman army, politics, beliefs, and economy. In Chen Ming's view, this is like China in the late Qing Dynasty. The conservative forces in the military and politics are like the die-hards in the late Qing Dynasty, and the emerging reform groups are like the Westernizers in the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Some of them also hold high positions in the Ottoman country, and they also control considerable armed forces, but these Facing the entire old and decadent Ottoman society, it seemed so weak.

And the Ottoman religious order is not inferior at all to the decadent Confucianism of the late Qing Dynasty.

At the same time, the fierce ethnic conflicts within the Ottoman Empire were even worse than the Manchu-Han conflict in the late Qing Dynasty. The Ottoman royal family was even inferior to the Manchu royal family. The latter managed to raise a large number of loyal horses from foreign races, but the support of the Ottoman Empire came almost entirely from the Ottoman nation.

As for the ‘emerging political group’ mentioned by Pang Zhenkun, it should be the reformers/constitutionalists in the late Qing Dynasty.

Chen Ming continued to look at Pang Zhenkun's memorial. This time, Pang Zhenkun was talking more about his feelings after arriving in Osman.

"In the Ottoman Empire, there are no restrictions on their activities." The 'they' mentioned here are the 'workers' who came to the Ottoman Empire from China to provide assistance. "There are no special regulations for their contact with the Ottomans. Although they only provide technical and intellectual guidance, under their guidance, many Ottomans are inevitably influenced by our thinking and behavioral patterns..."

These reform patterns were traditional Ottoman responses to the needs of the times. Pang Zhenkun, who came to the Ottomans in person, personally felt the complexity of Ottoman society and the strength of the stubborn forces. He once again felt that Selim III was a smart man. Mustafa Pasha mentioned the position of Grand Vizier and won the hearts of the reformists in one fell swoop. Even after Alandar Mustafa Pasha was forced to leave the Danube River, Selim III firmly grasped the military power of the new army in Istanbul, which can be said to have fundamentally stabilized his position.

Otherwise, given the strength of the opposition within the Ottoman Empire, it would be difficult for Pang Zhenkun to believe that Selim III could remain firmly on the throne of Sultan. You must know that this guy has inherited the throne of Sultan for so many years, and there are still countless conservative figures in Istanbul and the Sultan's palace. Especially what he did to the cult, although it affected the cult's influence, he still showed great respect for it in these matters. The most obvious example is the Wahhabi sect on the Tianfang Peninsula. The Saudi family touched the tiger's butt everywhere. In order not to completely fall out with the power of the sect, Selim III could only use the hands of Chen Han to completely annihilate it. .

Pang Zhenkun was not optimistic about the future of the Ottomans, but he believed that Selim III's reforms could prolong the life of the Ottoman dynasty for decades. This is like Zhang Juzheng's reforms, and Pang Zhenkun thinks it is very suitable for him to compare like this.

The seemingly powerful Ottoman Empire has been struggling in a period of decline for more than a hundred years, but this great empire has obviously not reached its end yet, just like the Ming Dynasty when Zhang Juzheng was in power. The corruption of politics and the danger of dynasty collapse have been seen, but only seen.

During this period, the Ottoman Empire did not have a truly modern school. Although the Tianfang world had universities very early, and the Tianfang civilization in the Middle Ages was more "technological and scientific" than Europe, the Tianfang people are to blame. Blame the Mongols. It was the Mongols' invasion that reduced Baghdad to ruins and wiped out the brilliant achievements of Tianfang's scientific and technological civilization. Only the "Tianfang Sutra" remains.

Now, with the support of Chen Han, they have opened schools at all levels, from primary school to university, and the entire new education system has been completely adapted to China. This does not mean that Ottoman was truly secular or truly ‘enlightened’. Modern thought has not taken root here, but Pang Zhenkun believes that it must have left behind seeds - reformists, who will wait for the next period to bloom real flowers.

Chen Ming thought so too. Isn't this what China was like in the late Qing Dynasty? First there was the seed - Westernizationism, then it blossomed - Reformism, and finally the result - revolution!

"... Selim III has many opponents. Although I have known this before, I have seen the report of the Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Istanbul a long time ago, but if I don't come to Ottoman in person and experience it for myself, then You have no idea how many opponents he has.”

“The movement against Selim III had been brewing for a long time in Istanbul and throughout the Ottoman Empire. The Janissaries and others threatened by Selim III’s reforms had been restive since the early days of his reign. The elders were also firmly opposed to Selim III, most of whom viewed each of Selim III’s innovations as an infringement of Muslim law and tradition. Many other Ottomans, including some reformers, now began to realize the destructive power that the new secular perspectives could have on Ottoman ‘traditional culture’. Therefore, they demanded that the Ottomans be reinstated after a certain degree of reform. Osman went back to the past. "

"Selim III confiscated many feudal lords' fiefdoms and vigorously reformed the old army, which increased the resentment of some people. Moreover, the reform was implemented without any rational fiscal policy. The reduction of currency value and huge government spending led to new inflation, which made many people in Osman begin to resent Selim III and his various reform measures, believing that all the difficulties they are facing now are caused by these reforms. "

Chen Ming felt a little emotional when he read this. He was glad that he traveled to the Qianlong period, instead of the late Ming Dynasty when the whole society was rotten and the late Qing Dynasty when external pressure was as heavy as a mountain.

Pang Zhenkun said that there was no rational fiscal policy and financial means to reduce the ratio, which led to the inflation in the end. Chen Ming felt a headache when he thought about it. In terms of finance, he never got started, and even now he only vaguely understood it. Besides, Selim III's policy also divided the reformists into several hostile factions. They not only fought against the conservatives, but also fought against each other. Although this made Selim III firmly grasp the power, it also weakened the political power of his supporters, the reformists. He has not suffered any crisis yet, but Selim III is ten years younger than Chen Ming. He is not yet fifty years old and has at least ten years of rule. In the future, the situation that the Ottomans will face is inevitably war. War will lead to crises, and what the Sultan needs most in times of crisis is the support of this kind of political power.

But Chen Ming cannot say that Selim III's choice is wrong. If he were Selim III, he would probably make the same choice. This reminds Chen Ming of the late Qing Dynasty in the original time and space. At that time, the reform forces, whether they were the Westernization School, the Reform School, or even the last Revolutionary School, were all torn apart.

There are still a few elders of the religious groups in the Ottoman territory who do not blindly oppose reform. They are like the enlightened gentry in the late Qing Dynasty. They know that the situation has changed and reform is no longer possible, but they oppose thorough and volatile reforms. In fact, they hope to make the Ottomans completely powerful in their own way and system, just like the "Western Learning in China" in the original time and space! They also knew that the Ottoman Empire had become corrupt, and they were eager to restore the infinite glory of the Ottoman Empire during its heyday.

Along with Pang Zhenkun's memorial, a lot of other intelligence was handed to Chen Ming. The Military Intelligence Bureau has been working hard in the Tianfang world for decades. The deep cooperation between Chen Han and the Ottoman Empire and the Suez Canal project have allowed the Military Intelligence Bureau to penetrate deeper into the Ottoman society.

Among the intelligence sent this time, there are a lot of feedback from the Military Intelligence Bureau on the economic development of the Ottoman Empire. In the previous era - before Chen Han and the Ottoman Empire combined, the Ottoman Empire was almost completely isolated economically. They were forced to succumb to the expansion of European commercial forces. European merchants used the "concession" agreement to squeeze the Ottoman merchants and extract the raw materials of this empire at a relatively cheap price - this is an indispensable thing for business. However, the Ottoman guilds also exerted their "power" at this time. They made their regulations more restrictive and used their natural connection with the government to preserve some of their interests to a certain extent, while also preventing the influx of new labor and technology, which would have allowed them to develop the ability to resist and compete with European business.

On the one hand, these guilds protected the interests of the Ottoman Empire, and on the other hand, they also hindered the development of the Ottoman Empire. However, after the confluence of Istanbul and China at the national level, the power of the Ottoman guilds became as thin as thin paper.

The commercial trade and technological input between China and the Ottoman Empire have accumulated a certain amount of modern industry in the Ottoman Empire. Although the development of modern industry in the Ottoman Empire is still difficult, they are always developing.

All this reminds Chen Ming of the Qing Dynasty in the original time and space. How similar, no wonder the Ottoman Empire was called the sick man of West Asia in the original time and space. That disease was really serious. As for the current Ottoman Empire, with the help of China, perhaps it is like the big green fruit before the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. The tiger skin of the Westernization Movement for decades still has a little deterrent power, allowing them to have a period of rejuvenation like the "Tongzhi Restoration".

Of course, in terms of military power, the Ottoman Empire at this time still has certain advantages. But this advantage cannot last too long. It is now 1810. In another 20 or 30 years, the industrial revolutions of European countries will be completed. At that time, the Ottoman Empire's national strength will inevitably lag far behind the European powers. The Ottoman Empire at that time would really be like the Qing Dynasty before the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. The only difference was that the Qing Dynasty was a paper tiger at that time, while the Ottoman Empire was a sick and dying tiger.