The Eighteenth Century: the Westernizers 411
after an elementary religious education, be trained by Prussian officers in the
European rules of war (Ka424–425). A very similar proposal for the creation of
a new army, trained in the European way, was made by Mustafa Reşid Efendi
(kethüda of the grand vizier), “the most important of the reformers by far ... the
Sultan’s closest confidant and the power behind the throne in his reform ef-
forts”, as named by Shaw (Kb104–106, Kc344), as well as by Çavuşbaşı Mehmed
Raşid Efendi (previously reisülküttab; Ka420–422). A slightly different pro-
posal, suggesting a smooth passage from the existing decentralized system of
temporary recruitment, was made by Mehmed Şerif Efendi (then defterdar):60
he begins by repeating the now age-old suggestion that positions such as those
of grand vizier and governor should be permanent, or at least long-term, and
then stipulates that in such a way every vizier and pasha could have a retinue
of soldiers that they would keep trained and ready for war. These troops would
form the “winter army” and be continuously trained during the winter months,
when war is suspended (Ka422–424). As for the expenses of the new army, the
suggestion of Birri Efendi and of Mehmed Şerif Efendi (Ç226–227) that they
be met by the surplus of the vakıf income (a proposal also made by Ömer Faik
Efendi, as seen in chapter 8) should be noted. Other proposals (such as Hakkı
Efendi’s), more conservative, suggested that the new troops should be partly
financed by the revenue of vacant timars, partly by the villages, partly by the
governorship revenues, and partly by the state.
More careful advisers emphasized that the introduction of such a new army
should be done gradually and carefully. Mustafa İffet Bey, for instance, sug-
gested, like Mehmed Şerif Efendi, the European-style training of soldiers in
the seats of provincial governors and their gradual introduction to Istanbul
(Kb109–110). Similar mixed armies, to be prepared in the seats of provincial
governors, were proposed by Hakkı Efendi (two armies, one for the winter
composed of Balkan recruits and janissaries, and one for the summer com-
posed of Anatolian soldiers; Kb110–111, Kc342, Kc350) and Hacı İbrahim Efendi
(Kb106–107). Rasih Efendi (ex-rikâb kethüdası) and other officials also felt
that a mixed system should be preferred, one continuing Baron de Tott’s ef-
forts and selecting part of the janissary army to train. Even Tatarcık Abdullah
Efendi (a high ulema, twice kazasker, and a close supporter and collaborator of
Selim), after a remark on the lack of discipline among the janissaries and
their essential uselessness in battle, suggested that their chiefs should be
summoned and urged to restore discipline and to study the European arts of
war through translations of manuals by “friendly countries”; a special corps
could be formed from among their ranks that would be trained with the help
60 His memorandum was published in full in Şerif Efendi – Çağman 1999.