Mediation as a Diplomatic Tool in Ottoman Capitulations

Abstract

Despite the substantial body of literature on capitulations in the Ottoman Empire, hardly any of it explores the role of mediation in the process of concessions becoming a heavy burden for the Ottoman Empire. However, there is an undeniable connection between the advent of mediation in Ottoman diplomacy and the spread of capitulations. As the Ottoman Empire weakened militarily, especially from the end of the 17th century, it was forced to seek peace through the mediation of European states (especially France and England). Subsequently, the Ottomans started to grant new concessions as a token of gratitude to these states for assisting them in signing a treaty with their opponents (especially Austria and Russia). As a result of this situation, mediation, which was a technique used sparingly under international law, was repurposed into a diplomatic tool used to increase European states’ capitulations. In this sense, this study aims to establish a link between the emergence of the notion of mediation in Ottoman diplomacy and the increase of capitulations granted to European states. This study sheds more light on how the Ottoman Empire became trapped in a vicious spiral of growing capitulations in exchange for mediations.

Keywords

• ottoman empire
• european states
• house of islam
• house of war
• diplo¬macy
• mediation
• capitulations