The Provincial Administrative Councils of the Tanzimat Period (1840-1871)

This research examines the centralization efforts of the Ottoman Empire in the tanzimat or reorganization period and presents the challenges in the implementation of the centralization policy. The article argues that because the Ottoman Empire lacked sufficient numbers of trained administrators in its quest to centralize the local administrations it was forced to rely on the local power houses and regional landlords, which in turn prevented the central authority from reaching its goals.