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Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, vol.53, no.6, pp.1302-1348, 2025 (AHCI, Scopus)
After the Crimean War, the amelioration of the condition of the Christians in the Ottoman Empire was one of the issues that was at the center of the Great Powers’ attention. However, reforming the Ottoman Empire went beyond the improvement of the situation of the Christians, especially for the Palmerstonian British elite. In the years immediately following the Crimean War, such assertive figures as Lord Henry Palmerston (1855–1858, 1859–1865), and the British Ambassadors in Istanbul, Stratford de Redcliffe (1842–1858), and Henry Bulwer (1858–1865), insistently demanded reforms in various areas from the Ottoman statesmen. This article aims to examine a neglected aspect of Ottoman-British relations in the late 1850s and early 1860s: Henry Bulwer’s reform proposals on a range of issues beyond the living conditions of Ottoman Christians. The article analyses these proposals with respect to their effects on Ottoman internal policies and implications for Ottoman-British diplomatic relations. It may also provide insights into the complexities and tensions in Ottoman-Britain relations during this period. In this sense, the article will also reveal the differences in mentality between the Ottoman and British elites regarding reform.