The Edicts of 1802
Edicts emitted by the Ottoman administration, historically known as "hatiserif", bore the Sultan's seal and were sent to various dignitaries of the Empire, including Romanian princes, for the purpose of regulating legislative works in the provinces. The Sultan's edict of 1802 gave the Romanian Principalities a breath of fresh air, following a period of catastrophic economic, political and legal situation.
At the time, throughout Europe, international relations seemed to be finally turning towards amiability, at least temporarily. France signed a peace treaty with Russia in 1801, and with England, at Amiens, one year later. The French-Ottoman peace of 1802 returned Egypt to Ottoman rule. Previously, the wars between Russia, Austria and the Ottoman Empire of the 18th century had brought substantial economic and social damage to the Romanian Principalities. With no institutions that operated efficiently, since they were all subject to the Ottoman Empire's corrupt and abusive fiscal policies, Wallachia and Moldavia were on the verge of collapse. The decaying Ottoman Empire itself spread a general state of despair over all of its provinces.
The numerous and severe defeats suffered by the empire throughout the second half of the 18th century had brought on a general state of anarchy in various provinces, which were now beginning to detach from the central administration. Nothing short of a full-scale crisis had descended upon on the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Selim the Third tried to satisfy the empire's evident need for military and political reform. The so-called "New Order" was a series of measures meant to use European military technology and science as a role model for the empire's development. It came as a surprise to many when the Ottomans set up embassies in Berlin, Vienna and Paris, thereby tearing down once unbreakable cultural walls. The empire's administration and finances were experiencing significant progress, and it was for the first time that foreign languages began to be taught to Ottoman students. All these measures were steps towards a new, modern Ottoman Empire, which was, however, criticized by conservatives. In May of 1807, the Sultan who brought new light to the empire, was executed, and the empire then fell back into a state of internal disarray.
Insubordination by many local administrators was one of the many signs that the empire was heading towards anarchy, and it was also a cause for suffering for the Romanian Principalities. The numerous plunders organized by Osman Pazvantoglu, Pasha of Vidin, were a constant source of terror for the Romanian people. Not even the pasha's loyal men were able to hold him in line, and turned into bands of robbers themselves. Rules drawn in previous peace treaties were constantly broken. Phanariot princes used their brief time in office to get rich by sacking the country. There were 97 different types of taxes, and collecting them often involved abuses. Between 1801 and 1802, the overall amount of taxes collected throughout Wallachia rose from 3.34 million piastres to 7.86 million. Furthermore, Romanian Principalities were forced to provide occasional supplies to Turkish provinces. This sad state of affairs gave birth to reactions from the Romanian elite. We hear again from Marian Stroia.
"Reduced to despair by their country's deplorable condition, boyars and clerics set differences aside and teamed up in requesting the support and protection of powerful neighbors, more towards Russia than anyone else. There is evidence of only one request towards the central Ottoman administration, demanding that they regain control of rogue local pashas, the one dated May 23rd, 1802. Four requests of assistance were sent to Austria, two to France and three to Russia. On May 25th of 1802, the boyars and clerics of Wallachia pleaded for assistance with Alexander I, Czar of Russia, asking that he save the Christian people from Ottoman oppression."
These actions eventually resulted in a diplomatic offense begun by Russia, seeking to expand its sphere of influence. Three main objectives were set: driving mutinous Ottoman troops out of Wallachia and Moldavia, Russia's right to proclaim one of their own as prince of either of the two provinces, and forcing the Ottoman Empire to create two new edicts of regulation. Consisting of legal and economic provisions, the two edicts of September 1802 gave Moldavia and Wallachia more leverage in their relations with the Ottoman administration, thereby reducing the latter's numerous abuses. This was a historical moment for which many Romanians, and paid for dearly.
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