Martyrdom and veteransim in the Ottoman Empire (1826-1918)

In this study, firstly, the historical change and transformation of the concepts of martyrdom and veteranism in the Ottoman Empire are discussed, then the efforts of the Ottoman Empire to become a social state are emphasized by using archival documents within the framework of these two concepts, and finally, the use of these concepts, which are of great importance for Muslims, for propaganda purposes in the last periods of the state is focused. The fact that there are not many studies in terms of concept history in our country has caused us to face certain difficulties while conducting this study. The study aims to show that words can undergo a change in meaning as a result of historical events over time, or that new meanings can be added to their existing meanings, with a special focus on the concepts of martyrdom and veteranism. Especially the active use of concepts that have an intense impact on society has changed over time. The concepts of martyrdom and veteranism are among the words that can mobilize the masses that have an impact on some societies at the same time. Especially with the nationalism movement that emerged after the French Revolution, states that have now become nation-states aim to influence their citizens, whom they compulsorily conscript, with these concepts while acting with a nationalist understanding. Thus, concepts associated with religious meanings have now become nationalist. It is seen that these concepts, which are related to war, have been actively used in almost every era. No such study has been conducted before on these two concepts that have a profound impact on society. The aim of this study is to try to fill this gap in the literature.