ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with the declaration of the Tanzimat and the first attempts at reform. It shows how a small number of notables mediated relations between the imperial center and local actors in Ankara. The key argument in the chapter is that the local structure was dominated by a dynastic family in the province and smaller notable families in some districts. This local structure did not give any incentive for the formation of local coalitions. In the absence of local cooperation, many Tanzimat policies and development projects flagged in Ankara, and the state resorted to coercive policies such as the settlement of tribes to implement the Tanzimat reforms. The chapter also analyzes the Tanzimat policies applied in the province and the responses of local actors in different realms of administration, such as administrative reorganization and the formation of local councils and public works.
