Timeline Monday 18 February 1856

Events on Monday 18 February 1856 1

• 1856 Islahat Edict -- equality for non-Muslims The Reform Edict (Islahat Hatt-ı Hümayunu, 18 February 1856), issued under British and French pressure during the Crimean War, extends and deepens the Gülhane promises: it explicitly guarantees equality before the law for all subjects regardless of religion, abolishes the jizya (poll tax on non-Muslims), opens public offices to non-Muslims, and promises reform of the court system, prisons and taxation. The edict is partly the price of Allied support in the Crimean War. It provokes a violent reaction from Muslim Ottomans who see it as an attack on Islamic privilege -- and from Christian communities who use their new legal status to press for further autonomy.