Nationalism as a movement of ideology during the Constitutional period

The Constitutional Era encompasses a period in which two constitutional regimes were declared in the Ottoman Empire between 1876 and 1908. During this period, different ideological movements influenced Ottoman society. One of these was nationalism. Nationalism, as an ideology centered on the idea of ​​national identity and independence, was also influential in the Ottoman Empire and took shape with the rise of many ethnic and national identity movements. Nationalism gained momentum under the influence of the challenging political, economic and social conditions in the Ottoman Empire. During the Constitutional Era, nationalism led to an increase in tensions between different ethnic and religious groups within the multi-ethnic society of the Ottoman Empire, which in turn led to the strengthening of national identities among these groups. Various ethnic groups living in the empire began to demand their own national rights, and this situation shook the internal political balances of the Ottoman Empire. Ethnic-based nationalist movements, especially Turkish, Arab and Kurdish nationalism, gained importance during this period, and nationalist movements became even stronger in different regions of the Ottoman Empire. Nationalism paved the way for the rise of national identity awareness and demands for independence among ethnic and religious groups in the Ottoman Empire during the Constitutional Era. This process laid the foundation for the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the following years and the emergence of nation-states that followed. Key Concepts: Nationalism, Movement of Thought, Ottoman Empire, Constitutional Era, National Identity