The Emergence of Public Opinion

The emergence of public opinion was perhaps the most important political transformation of the Ottoman Empire during the nineteenth century, with such sweeping ramifications as the creation of a parliament. This book takes an integrated and comprehensive approach to this phenomenon, which has been hitherto considered a uniquely Western experience.

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Nineteenth-century Ottoman politics was filled with casual references to public opinion. Having been popularised as a term in the 1860s, the following decades witnessed a deluge of issues being brought into 'the tribune of public opinion'. Murat R. Şiviloğlu explains how this concept emerged, and how such an abstract phenomenon embedded itself so deeply into the political discourse that even sultans had to consider its power. Through looking at the bureaucratic and educational institutions of the time, this book offers an analysis of the society and culture of the Ottomans, as well as providing an interesting application of theoretical ideas concerning common political identity and public opinion. The result is a more balanced and nuanced understanding of public opinion as a whole.