World History

“Indeed there is nothing more precious in this world than life and honor, What man, however much his character may be against violence, can prevent himself from having recourse to it, and thereby injure the government and the country, if his life and honor are endangered? If, on the contrary, he enjoys perfect security, it is clear that he will not depart from the ways of loyalty and all his actions will contribute to the welfare of the government and of the people.

If there is an absence of security for property, everyone remains indifferent to his state and his community; no one interests himself in the prosperity of the country, absorbed as he is in his own troubles and worries. If, on the contrary, the individual feels complete security about his possessions, then he will become preoccupied with his own affairs, which he will seek to expand, and his devotion and love for his state and his community will steadily grow and will undoubtedly spur him into becoming a useful member of society.”

The quotation I choose is from “Hatti-I Sharif of Gulhane(1839)” and it can be find at page 168.

These two paragraphs come from “The hatt-i Sharif of Gulhane (1839)”, one of the two cornerstones of the Tanzimat Dynasty, laid down the agenda for Ottoman administrative reform and laid down the rights of Ottoman citizens. The decree was made against the background of the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire in order to make the country prosperous again. These two paragraphs explain one of the three principles of legislation: “The guarantees promising to our subjects perfect security for life, honor, and property. “Life and honor are the most precious things in the world. Only when life and honor are protected can people be loyal to the government and act in favor of the government and society. Property is an essential thing in people's life. Without money, people can't survive. Thus, property is very important to people. Only when personal property is protected can people focus on other matters with peace of mind and contribute to society and the country. There is no doubt that this principle is very necessary. According to the actual situation, the laws of modern countries also embody this principle.

To achieve effective administration of the Ottoman Government and Provinces. Thus the principles of the requisite legislation are three:

1. The guarantees promising to our subjects perfect security for life, honor, and property.

2. A regular system of assessing taxes.

3. An equally regular system for the conscription of requisite troops and the duration of their service.

Now, my question is, are there any other principles that can be added to these three principles?