THE ESTABLISHMENT AND ORGANIZATION PROCESS OF THE ORHANIYE (BOTEVGRAD) DISTRICT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TANZIMAT REFORMS

Abstract

This study aims to examine the implementation of Ottoman provincial reforms during the Tanzimat period through the case of the Orhaniye (Botevgrad) District. The 1864 Vilayet Law, which constituted a crucial stage in the centralization process of the nineteenth-century Ottoman Empire, played a decisive role in the reorganization of provincial administration. In this context, the Danube Province emerged as the first and most comprehensive region where these administrative reforms were put into practice, while the Orhaniye District stands out as a remarkable example due to its planned establishment process, urban development policies, and local participation. The study analyzes the foundation and organization of the Orhaniye District from administrative, financial, spatial, and social perspectives. The research is based primarily on first-hand sources, including Ottoman archival documents, provincial yearbooks, and contemporary periodicals. The findings reveal that the Orhaniye District possessed the characteristics of a “model district” in the Tanzimat provinces, particularly in terms of its engineering-based urban planning, the balance between central authority and local representation, the active involvement of local society in development processes, and practices concerning the settlement of migrants. In this respect, the study contributes a detailed local case to the literature on Tanzimat provincial administration and provides an analytical framework for future comparative studies on similar districts.