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dramatic change with the balance of power with Europe

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up until the middle of the 18th century, the Ottomans could feel to be on an equal footing with Europe

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and before this period even superior to Europe

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in the last quarter of the 18th century, a dramatic change began to took place

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the gab in science, technology, military and economic power was shifting in favor of the Europeans

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important advances in medicine lead to population growth in Europe

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more ship building and economic expansion

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powerful navies and armies

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Russian Ottoman War 1768-1174

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critical turning point

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Russians won war and took over the area of the Crimea

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brought the Russians to the banks of the Black Sea

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it was no longer an enclosed Ottoman lake

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brought the Russians closer to the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits that lead to the Mediterranean

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this not only meant the loss of control of the Black Sea but the first loss of control of Muslim subjects

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a great historical reversal

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it was of importance in terms of legitimacy for the Ottoman Empire to be the ruler of Muslims and not to have Muslims taken over by Christian powers

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the Ottoman Empire saw itself as the protector of Muslims and Islam

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the 19th century was the century of European empires

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Europe seemed to be ruling the world

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this led many people in the Ottoman Empire to realize that something had gone wrong in the cosmic order of things

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the belief in the historic supremacy of Islam over Christianity

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it was in need of an update

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Selim III (reigned 1789-1807)

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began first serious efforts at modernizing the Ottoman armies

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before the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt

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the fact that reforms began in the military is significant

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meant that the the military was the vanguard of Western modernizing reform

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because they were modernized, they often became the leaders of revolutionary change in later decades

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led to revolutionary change in other spheres

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required the learning of foreign languages: French, English, German

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led to the influx of foreign ideas

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created a cultural shock

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realized that Islam was not superior in the world

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new ideas

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equality for before the law

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individual rights

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gave rise to new forms of identity and organization of the political community

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1798: Napoleon's invasion of Egypt

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most dramatic invasion into the Ottoman Empire

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the French stayed for three years until they were forced out by the British and the Ottomans

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the first intrusion into the very heartland of the Ottoman Empire

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not only an intrusion by an exposure to the greatness of European power at that time

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not just military power

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but scientific missions

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brought to the Middle East scientific advancement and progress

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1800-1850

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population of Europe increased by 50%

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Britain's population grew from 16 million to 27 million

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London became the largest city on earth, with a population of 2.5 million people

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between 1815-185-, Britain's increases of exports to the Eastern Mediterranean increased by 800%

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Europe's need for raw materials meant olive oil from Tunisia, silk from Lebanon, and cotton from Egypt

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the Russians and the French interfered regularly in the affairs of the Christians of the Ottoman Empire

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the Russians supporting the Orthodox Christians, the Serbs and the Greeks

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the French protecting the Catholics

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at a later stage Britain tried to play this minority game by supporting the Jews and the Zionist idea in Palestine

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in the Ottoman empire, it was the Christians who were the first to be affected by Western ideas

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they had a greater openness to the Christian West