The ruling class of the Ottoman Empire were thought feckless and expensive and were hampering the rejuvenation of Empire. Through a string of coups, a group of young Turks stripped the Sultans of much power and then tried to regain what was lost through more war. By 1916, it was clear that effort had failed and so we see this issue on the war effort prominently showing the powerless Sultan Mohammed V as if it was him to blame. Nice bit of blame shifting. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Along with the portrait of Sultan Mohammed V we see a map of the Dardanelles. In 1916 these indeed were being vigorously defended after the landing at Gallipoli by the ANZAC manned British force. The Young Turks lead by Enver Pasha were to be the ones to restore the far flung empire. Gallipoli is less than 200 miles from Istanbul.
Todays stamp is issue A46, a one Piastre stamp issued by the Ottoman Empire in 1916. It was a 15 stamp issue in various denominations showing mostly romantic views of the soon lost Empire. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 50 cents used. Being issued so close to the end of the Ottoman Empire there is a post war version with the Sultan crossed out. Lucky for now Turkey, the defense at Gallipoli held and they did not have to also cross out the map of the Dardanelles. That version is worth $1 used.
The Ottoman Empire was quite far flung in the Middle East, Egypt and North Africa. If we reflect on the governence of those areas in the last 100 years with dictators and ethnic cleansing we understand how hard it must have been to govern the areas effectively. The Sultans traded a good deal of self rule of the provinces in exchange for a tax due the central government. Most of that revenue was used to import modern arms that Turkey was not capable of making for itself and thus be able to defend itself. None of this was perfect and there was a group of young officers called the “Young Turks” lead by Enver Pasha that knew better and Couped in 1913 in the Raid on the Sublime Porte. This stripped Sultan Mohammed V of much of his power though he was still Sultan and indeed Calliph, which was the leader of the Faith. Enver Pasha forced an alliance with Germany and Ottoman involvement in World War I. It should be noticed that the Young Turks were just that and this was no longer to be a multi religion and multi ethnic empire.
Having no choice and confined to Yidiz Palace in Istanbul, Mohammed V played along and signed off on war on the side of Germany that he personally was very skeptical of. He even went so far that in his role of Caliph he issued the last official Muslim Jihad ordering all Muslims to fight for the German Alliance. This did not have much weight and indeed Arabs fought on the British side in the Fertile Crescent. It was perhaps for the best the Sultan Mohamed V died four months before the end of the war and therefore did not have to witness the Empire’s end and the Young Turks rush off into a much pursued exile.
I mentioned that the modern Turks much resented the old fashioned Empire. This can be seen in what happened to Yidiz Palace after there was no more Sultan or Caliph to be locked up in it. It was converted into a high class casino. Constantinople was no longer the seat of Government or the Faith but now Istanbul was playing host to many exiled white Russians. The palace was eventually made into a museum. In 2013, the Palace even got a stamp. In 2019 things came full circle and Turkish President Erdogan moved in. Don’t let them lock you in, Mr. President.
Well my drink is empty and this seems the right stamp to pour another to toast blame shifting. So much easier. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.