Drafting during an imperial crisis
The constitution emerged amid the Balkan crisis and political upheaval in 1876. Abdulaziz was deposed, Murad V briefly occupied the throne, and Abdulhamid II succeeded him. Midhat Pasha, Namık Kemal and others promoted constitutional government, with officials, military officers and religious scholars participating in drafting.
Promulgation on 23 December coincided with the Constantinople Conference on Balkan affairs. General reform was intended partly to answer foreign pressure, alongside domestic demands for representation and restraints on arbitrary administration. Committee, cabinet and palace revisions shaped the final text.
Rights and the two chambers
Article 8 designated imperial subjects as Ottomans irrespective of religion; Article 17 proclaimed equality before the law. Other provisions addressed liberty, property, the home, petitions and prohibition of torture. Press freedom operated within legal limits. Islam remained the state religion alongside protections for recognized religious communities.
The legislature combined an appointed Senate and an elected Chamber of Deputies. Article 65 specified one deputy per 50,000 male inhabitants, rather than universal suffrage. Legislation required both chambers and imperial sanction. The sultan retained powers over ministers, parliamentary sessions and dissolution, war and peace.
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Reserved powers and later revision
Article 113 permitted a state of siege and gave the sultan power to expel people on security grounds. Article 115 nevertheless prohibited suspension of constitutional provisions; Article 116 required two-thirds approval in each chamber and imperial sanction for amendment.
Parliament met in 1877 but ceased operating in February 1878, while the constitution continued to be printed in official yearbooks. Parliamentary politics resumed in 1908. Major amendments in 1909 strengthened ministerial responsibility to the lower chamber, restricted sultanic powers and removed expulsion authority. The original text, subsequent practice and amended constitution therefore require distinct treatment.