Kuhusu Kituo cha Istanbul, nchi za Magharibi hazikuridhika tu kuwaharibu watoto wa Waislamu katika vyuo vikuu na shule na kupitia propaganda. Pia zilielekeza nguvu zao kwenye Dola yenyewe kwa lengo la kubadilisha mfumo wa utawala na sheria za Shariah, kwa kuziondoa na kuziweka sheria za Magharibi mahali pake. Zilifuata mbinu kadhaa ili kufikia lengo hili. Mwaka 1839, Abdul-Majid wa Kwanza alikalia cheo cha Khaleefah akiwa na umri wa miaka 16 tu, wakati Rashid Pasha alikuwa balozi wa Dola ya Ottoman mjini London. Alirudi haraka Istanbul na kuteuliwa kuwa waziri wa mambo ya nje. Alipokuwa ameanza tu kazi yake, alianza kampeni ya kupendelea mfumo wa utawala wa kikatiba wenye bunge.

As for the Istanbul Centre, the Western countries were not only satisfied with corrupting the Muslims’ children at universities and schools and through propaganda. They also focused on the State itself with the aim of changing the ruling system and the Shari’ah rules, by removing them and replacing them with Western laws. They pursued several styles to achieve this. In 1839, Abdul-Majid 1st acceded to the position of Khaleefah and he was only 16 years old, while Rashid Pasha was ambassador for the Ottoman State in London. He rushed back to Istanbul and was appointed foreign minister. He had no sooner taken up his post than he started campaigning for the parliamentarian constitutional ruling system.

Alitangaza pia kuwa alikuwa amedhamiria kuipandisha Dola ya Kiothmani hadi kiwango cha dola iliyoendelea, kupitia katiba itakayothibitisha haki za raia, na alitangaza pia kuondolewa kwa kasoro kuu zilizokuwa ndani ya Dola. Rashid Pasha alifanikiwa kwa urahisi kupata uungwaji mkono wa Sultani kijana kwa mpango wake, na hati ya katiba iliandaliwa kwa siri kabisa.

He also declared that he was determined to raise the Ottoman State to the level of a developed state through a constitution that would endorse the rights of the citizens, and he also declared the abolishment of the most prominent shortcomings within the State. Rashid Pasha managed easily to secure the backing of the young Sultan for his scheme, and the document of the constitution was prepared in total secrecy.

Tarehe 3 Novemba 1839, viongozi wote mashuhuri wa Bab-i Ali, wawakilishi wa wakazi wa Istanbul, wawakilishi wa mataifa yaliyo chini ya utawala wa Dola katika Ulaya, pamoja na wajumbe wa kundi la kidiplomasia, walialikwa kwenye jukwaa lililokuwa upande wa kusini wa jengo la serikali kando ya Bahari ya Marmara, ili kusikiliza usomaji wa Hati Tukufu inayojulikana kama Kalkhanah. Hati hiyo ya kikatiba ilisomwa kwao. Ilikuwa na kanuni nyingi za Kiulaya, huku ikijaribu kutoa angalau nafasi fulani kwa Uislamu. Hii ilikuwa jaribio la kwanza la kuanzisha sheria za kikatiba za Magharibi katika mfumo wa Dola. Hata hivyo, hati hii ilibaki kuwa wino juu ya karatasi tu, wala haikutekelezwa.

On 3rd November 1839, all the leading personalities of the Sublime Porte, representatives of the residents of Istanbul, representatives of the State’s subjects in Europe and members of the diplomatic corps were invited to the stand situated on the southern side of the government house along the Marmara Sea to listen to a recitation of the “Honourable Script” known as “Kalkhanah”. The constitutional document was read to them. It contained a host of European rules with an attempt at giving some consideration to Islam. This was the first attempt at introducing the Western constitutional laws into the State’s system. However, this document remained mere ink on paper and was not implemented.

Hata hivyo, mwaka 1855 mataifa ya Ulaya, hasa Uingereza, yalishinikiza Dola ya Ottoman ifanye mageuzi ya kikatiba. Chini ya shinikizo la mataifa haya, Sultani alitoa tarehe 1 Februari muswada wa mageuzi. Muswada huu ulijulikana kama Hati ya Humayun. Katika muswada huu, Sultani alithibitisha haki zote zilizotolewa kwa raia katika Hati Tukufu inayojulikana kama Kalkhanah.

However in 1855 the European states, particularly Britain, pressed the Ottoman State to carry out constitutional reforms. Under pressure from these states, the Sultan issued on 1st February a bill of reforms. This bill became known as the “Hemayun Script” . The Sultan endorsed in this bill all the rights granted to the subjects in the “Honourable Script” known as “Kalkhanah”.

Kulikuwa na haki kadhaa mahsusi zilizowekwa kwa ajili ya Wakristo, kama vile kukabidhi usimamizi wa mambo ya kiraia kwa Kamati Teule iliyoundwa na raia, maulamaa na wengine waliochaguliwa moja kwa moja na watu; kutomlazimisha Mwislamu anayekubali Ukristo arudi kwenye Uislamu, badala yake akiruhusiwa kuukataa Uislamu na kuukubali imani ya Kikristo. Utumishi wa kijeshi ulifanywa kuwa wa lazima kwa Wakristo kama ulivyo wa lazima kwa Waislamu, ilhali hapo awali ulikuwa wa lazima kwa Waislamu pekee; pia kuwaruhusu wageni kumiliki ardhi katika Dola ya Ottoman.

A host of specific rights were designed for the Christians, such as referring the administration of civic matters to a Select Committee made up of civilians, clerics and others directly elected by the people, the non-coercing of the Muslim who embraces Christianity into returning to Islam, rather allowing him to reject Islam and embrace the Christian faith. The military service was to be made compulsory upon the Christians as it is compulsory upon the Muslims, whereas before, it had been exclusively compulsory upon the Muslims, and also allowing foreigners the ownership of lands in the Ottoman State.

Mswada huu ulizua mmenyuko hasi miongoni mwa raia, kwani Waislamu waliuona kuwa unapingana na Sharia, huku Wakristo wakiwa na wasiwasi kuhusu utekelezaji wake. Hata hivyo, mataifa ya Ulaya yaliendelea nao kwa kisingizio cha mageuzi. Lakini kwa kuwa Dola ilikuwa ya Kiislamu, Makhalifa hawakuweza kuanza kutekeleza sheria hizi za kikatiba.

This bill prompted a negative reaction from the citizens, for the Muslims deemed it contradictory to Shari’ah, while the Christians were apprehensive about its implementation. Nevertheless, the European states pursued it under the pretext of reform. However, with the State being Islamic, the Khulafa’ could not embark upon implementing these constitutional laws.

Hali hii iliendelea hadi jina la Midhat Pasha lilipoanza kujulikana sana ndani ya duru za serikali. Alikuwa ameshiba fikra za Kimagharibi na alivutiwa na utamaduni wa Kimagharibi. Kwa hiyo, aliamua kuanzisha katiba kwa ajili ya nchi iliyolingana na fikra za Kimagharibi ili kuridhisha mataifa ya Magharibi na kuiruhusu Dola kwenda sambamba na mataifa ya Magharibi.

This was the case until the name of Midhat Pasha became prominent within the government circles. He was saturated with Western thoughts and seduced by Western culture. Hence, he decided to establish a constitution for the country that agreed with the Western thoughts in order to please the Western states and to allow the State to proceed on the same level as the Western states.

Midhat Pasha wakati huo alikuwa waziri wa sheria katika serikali ya Muhammad Rushdie Pasha, wakati wa ukhalifa wa Abdul-Aziz. Alijitahidi kumshawishi Abdul-Aziz aandae katiba kutokana na mifumo ya kidemokrasia ya Magharibi. Hivyo aliandikia barua na kumsihi arekebishe hali iliyopo ya Dola kwa kuiwekea katiba. Baadhi ya yale aliyoandika katika barua hiyo, baada ya kutoa maelezo kuhusu ufisadi wa Dola, ni yafuatayo:

Midhat Pasha was at the time minister of justice in Muhammad Rushdie Pasha’s government, during the Khilafah of Abdul-Aziz. He endeavoured to persuade Abdul-Aziz to draft a constitution from the Western democratic systems. So he wrote to him and urged him to redress the status quo of the State by establishing a constitution for it. Some of what he wrote in that letter, once he had given an account of the State’s corruption, was the following :

Mheshimiwa, Ukufahamu kwako ni kwamba tiba madhubuti ya ugonjwa huu itakuwa ni kung'oa vyanzo vyake, ambavyo tunavijua vizuri sana. Kama vyanzo hivyo vingeondolewa, ugonjwa ungeondoka. Kwa hiyo, kama ungetoa Hati mpya ya Hamayun itakayoweka utiifu wa sheria na mifumo, usawa mbele ya sheria kati ya tajiri na maskini, na kati ya wazee na vijana; kama ungerudisha taasisi za hisani kwa wamiliki wake halali na kutumia fedha kwa yale ambayo wafadhili walikusudia; kama ungerudisha mamlaka ya Majimbo kwa Bab-i-Ali (serikali), ili iweze kupitisha maamuzi yake kisha kuyawasilisha kwa Mheshimiwa wako; kama usingeshika peke yako haki za kifedha na za kimiliki za Majimbo, na kama Hazina isingetumia hata senti moja bila idhini ya Bab-i-Ali; kama majukumu ya watumishi wakuu na wadogo wa serikali yangeainishwa, na mawaziri wangewajibishwa kwa matokeo ya matendo yao, na kama hili lingetekelezwa pia kwa jamaa zako na watumishi wako binafsi; yote haya yakitekelezwa, matokeo yanayotakiwa yangepatikana kwa msaada wa Allah (swt), na Dola ingefikia njia ambayo Mheshimiwa wako anaitaka. Kabla ya kuwasilisha barua hiyo kwa Khalifa, Midhat Pasha aliiwasilisha kwa serikali nao wakaikubali. Pia walikubaliana kwamba rais awasilishe barua hiyo kwa Sultan Abdul-Aziz. Alikutana naye ipasavyo na kumkabidhi barua. Baada ya kuisoma barua hiyo, Abdul-Aziz alikasirika sana na akatoa amri ya kumfukuza mara moja Midhat Pasha katika serikali na kumtenga kwa kumteua kuwa Wali wa Salonika.

“...your excellency is well aware that the effective cure for this ailment will be to uproot its causes which we know too well. If the causes were removed, the ailment would be removed. Hence, if you were to issue a new “Hamayunian Script” in which you imposed the adherence to the laws and systems, the equality between rich and poor, and elderly and young in the eyes of the law; if you were to return the charitable institutions to their rightful owners and to spend the money on what the donors had pledged them for; if you were to hand the State’s authority back to the Sublime Porte (the government), so that it could adopt its resolutions and then submit them to your excellency; if you did not monopolise the State’s financial and proprietary rights and if the Treasury were not to spend a single piaster without the Sublime Porte’s consent; if the duties of the senior and junior civil servants were outlined and if the ministers were held liable for the consequences of their actions, and if this were to be implemented upon your relatives and private staff; if all of this were implemented, the desired result would be achieved with the help of Allah (swt) and the State would reach the path which your excellency desires.” Prior to submitting the letter to the Khaleefah, Midhat Pasha tabled it to the government and they approved of it. They also agreed that the president should submit the letter to Sultan Abdul-Aziz. He duly met him and handed him the letter. Upon reading the letter, Abdul-Aziz became furious and issued his instructions to immediately dismiss Midhat Pasha from government and alienate him by appointing him Wali over Salonika.

Kwa kuwa katiba hii ilichukuliwa kuwa mfumo wa kidemokrasia, ilijumuisha sheria za kufuru zilizopingana na Uislamu. Kwa hiyo, kwa vile kanuni zenyewe zilipingana na Uislamu, utekelezaji wake ungemaanisha kufutwa kwa mfumo wa Khilafah na kuanzishwa kwa dola inayofanana na nchi yoyote ya Ulaya, kama vile Ubelgiji, ambayo katiba yake ndiyo ilikuwa chanzo cha katiba hii. Ndiyo maana Bab-i Ali haikuitekeleza, na Abdul-Hamid, pamoja na maulamaa na viongozi mashuhuri wa Kiislamu, walipinga.

Since this constitution was considered a democratic system, it was composed of Kufr laws which contradicted Islam. Accordingly as the rules themselves contradicted Islam, had they been implemented, their implementation would have implied the abolishment of the Khilafah system and the establishment of a state similar to any other European state, such as Belgium for instance, whose constitution served as the source of this constitution. Thus the Sublime Porte did not implement it and Abdul- Hamid, as well as the scholars and prominent Muslim figures opposed it.

Kwa njia hii, Bab-i Ali ilianza kuepuka kutekeleza katiba na kukubali madai ya mamlaka kuu.

In this way the Sublime Porte started to avoid implementing the constitution and submitting to the demands of the major powers.

Abdul-Hamid alihisi hila na uadui wa Uingereza, na ilionekana kwamba pia aligundua majaribio yake ya kuwasiliana na maafisa wa serikali. Kwa sababu hiyo, alimwondoa Midhat Pasha katika wadhifa wake wa Sadrazam na kumfukuza kwa kosa la uhaini mkubwa, kwani Midhat Pasha alikuwa akiwasiliana na Waingereza na alikuwa nyuma ya sera ya kutegemea mataifa ya Magharibi. Mamlaka kuu, hasa Uingereza, zilikuwa zikifuatilia kwa karibu Dola ya Kiothmani, na zilifuatilia utekelezaji wa katiba iliyoandaliwa na Midhat Pasha. Kwa kweli, Uingereza ilijitahidi kuitisha mkutano wa kuchunguza suala la Balkan, Dola ya Kiothmani na mageuzi yake ya ndani.

Abdul-Hamid sensed Britain’s trickery and hostility and it seemed that he had also uncovered her attempts at contacting government officials. As a result of this he dismissed Midhat Pasha from his post as Grand Vizier and banished him for perpetrating the high treason, for Midhat Pasha was in contact with the British and he was behind the policy of relying on the Western states. The major powers, especially Britain were closely folowing the Ottoman State and they pursued the implementation of the constitution drafted by Midhat Pasha. Indeed, Britain endeavoured to hold a conference to investigate the issue of the Balkans, the Ottoman State and its domestic reforms.

Tarehe 13 Juni 1878 ulifanyika Mkutano wa Berlin, ukiwakutanisha mamlaka kuu: Uingereza, Ufaransa, Urusi na Ujerumani. Disraeli, Myahudi, alikuwa Waziri Mkuu wa Uingereza wakati huo, na ndiye aliyeiwakilisha Uingereza katika mkutano huo. Bismarck, kwa upande wake, aliiwakilisha Ujerumani na akaungana na Dola ya Othmani kwa kupinga Waingereza katika mkutano wote.