ABSTRACT
The reign of Sultan Selim III (1789-1807) marks the beginning of a period of major changes in the Ottoman empire. These changes primarily affected government but they extended also to social institutions. The concepts behind the changes were not wholly new, nor were the new policies pursued continuously from the time of Selim III, but their direction becomes clear from his reign onwards and historians have come to regard his attempted innovations as marking a watershed in Ottoman development. Before examining the changes, however, it is necessary to establish a perspective from which to view the work of Selim III and his advisers.
