Turkey and the Congress of Paris

At the Congress of Paris in 1856, Turkey was admitted into the concert of European Powers. This meant that the Ottoman Empire was recognized as part of the European political system. In order to show that it was worthy of this new status, Turkey promised to carry out several law reforms.

These reforms were inspired mainly by France, from which Turkey borrowed a criminal code and a commercial code. This was an important step, because it marked the beginning of a slow transition from purely religious law toward a mixed system of religious and secular law.

Creation of Civil Tribunals

One of the most significant changes was the establishment of civil tribunals, called Mahkeme-Nizamiye, or law courts. These courts were introduced for the first time in the Ottoman Empire after the Congress of Paris.

In 1867, during the governorship of Midhat Pasha, these tribunals were also created in the Vilayet of the Danube, which included the Bulgarian lands. The new courts included both courts of first instance and courts of appeal, each made up of three or four judges Istanbul Daily Tour.

However, their jurisdiction was not clearly defined. Moreover, their usefulness was limited because the traditional cadis—religious judges who applied Islamic law—kept their authority. Since the population was strongly attached to the Koran and trusted the cadis, most people continued to bring their cases before them. As a result, the new law courts were largely ignored by both the public and the government.

Lack of Separation of Powers

The principle of separation of powers—which is central to modern political systems—was unknown in the Ottoman Empire. Administrative authorities acted not only as administrators but also as judges. Police officials served the role of assize courts, meaning they could judge cases and carry out punishments immediately, without any real trial or legal procedure.

This system often led to arbitrary decisions and weakened the possibility of fair justice.

Social and Economic Conditions

Public life in the Bulgarian provinces under Ottoman rule was almost non-existent. The daily customs of the population were simple and traditional. There were no developed means of communication, and industry was almost unknown. Commerce was very small in scale, and agriculture was the main occupation of the Christian peasants, known as the rayas.

Given the low level of education and the limited moral and intellectual development of the time, the absence of a more advanced political organisation seemed to match the general state of society. In other words, the lack of strong institutions reflected the overall underdeveloped conditions of the population.

The reforms after the Congress of Paris showed Turkey’s attempt to modernize and align with Europe, but in practice, traditional institutions remained dominant. The cadis, the absence of separation of powers, and the poor social and economic conditions all limited the impact of these reforms in Bulgaria and the wider Ottoman Empire.