This book focuses on the most promising and progressive period of the Ottoman 19th century, namely the Tanzimat era, by putting the Archives of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (APC) of the 19th century and the Ottoman provinces at its center. While the multiethnic and multicultural character of the Ottoman Empire is often underscored in the historical record, sources from many of these groups-Arabs, Armenians, Alewites, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Circassians, Ezidis, Jews, Kurds, Nestorians, Rums, Turks and Zazas of the Empire-are rarely used, if not outright omitted. In this study, Suciyan uncovers and analyzes rich archival material to show that these groups were neither autonomous nor separate, but rather an integral part of all aspects of Ottoman life, and accounts of their lives are vital to an accurate historical representation of the Tanzimat era. The documents Suciyan utilizes include personal and collective petitions, interrogation records, medical reports, orders of the Patriarchate, and regional reports of the local administrations and clerics. Through her extensive research into the APC, Suciyan sheds much-needed light on the lives of peasants and the destitute, endangered and empowered women, and disabled and imprisoned people. She gives voice to those who were vulnerable, disadvantaged, and otherwise repressed, enabling their stories to be added to a more rightful history. In reassessing the Tanzimat period in this way, "Either Save Us from This Misery or Order Our Death" makes a substantial contribution to the field of Ottoman diplomatics, making a persuasive case for a more inclusive Ottoman history.
Talin Suciyan is associate professor at Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, specializing in the history of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. She is the author of The Armenians in the Modern Turkey: Post-Genocide Society, Politics and History.
Draws upon a rich trove of archival sources to reconsider the reform era of Ottoman history.
A declared bottom-up historiography centered on the Armenians of the provinces, this lucid study explores untouched archives and offers a corrective to the history of the late Ottoman Empire.-- "Hans Lukas Kieser, author of Talaat Pasha: Father of Modern Turkey, Architect of Genocide" A deeply innovative contribution to the study of the Ottomans and a challenge to the way historical research is conducted on all multiethnic empires. Essential.-- "Choice" Outcasting Armenians: Tanzimat of the Provinces is a fascinating and important work that makes a valuable contribution to both Ottoman historiography and Armenian Studies. It offers a fresh analysis of the Ottoman provinces, the 'reform' era, and the multiethnic populations of the Empire.-- "Nazan Maksudyan, author of Ottoman Children and Youth during World War I"
