166 T u n 
harangues. These enthusiasts even obtained some advan¬ 
tages over the troops that were sent against them. Egypt 
was a prey to fresh troubles: but the beys who shared 
among themselves the administration of that kingdom, were 
reduced to reason by the high-admiral, Hassan-Pacha, who 
returned to Constantinople with spoils won from the rebels. 
In 1787, the empress Catherine determined to visit Cher- 
son, with the intention, as it was positively asserted, of there 
assuming the crown of the Taurida. She sent a great num¬ 
ber of troops into the Crimea; the Turks took umbrage, and 
put themselves in a posture of defence. K 
No sooner did the Ottoman Porte think itself capable of 
retrieving its losses, than it formally claimed the restitution 
of the Crimea; and on the refusal of the empress to give it 
up, declared war against her. Hostilities first commenced 
on the Black Sea. The Russians marched troops towards 
Bessarabia and Moldavia; and the emperor of Austria, allied 
by a treaty with Russia, deemed it incumbent on him to 
fulfil his engagements. He nevertheless offered, jointly with 
France, his good offices to the Porte for the restoration of 
harmony between the two powers, but was unable to effect 
it, and both parties took the field. 
The Austrians reduced Dresnih in Croatia; the emperor 
in person laid siege to Schabacz, and made himself master of 
if, but was baffled in an attempt on Semendria. The Otto¬ 
mans gained some advantages in Transylvania, penetrated 
into Slavonia and the Baunat, and threatened Hungary. The 
emperor flew to the protection of that country, and expelled 
the enemy. The Russians, commanded by Romanzow, 
could not effect a junction with the Austrians till late in the 
season, before Khoczim, which surrendered after an obstinate 
defence. 
The campaign in the Black Sea was not less honourable to 
the Ottoman navy. Hassan-Pacha worsted the Russians in 
several encounters, but could not prevent the fall of Ocza- 
kow, a place of great importance and the key to the Crimea. 
Abdul Hamyd died in 1789, leaving the throne to his 
nephew. 
1789—1807. —Selym III. was twenty-six years old 
when he succeeded his uncle, Abdul Hamyd, in April, 1789. 
When he ascended the throne, the Turks hailed him as a 
deliverer. Governed for a long series of years by monarchs, 
who had been all their lives immured in a prison, till they 
were summoned to wield the sceptre, they flattered them¬ 
selves that the education of their new prince would have a 
favourable influence on his conduct; but Selym, though en¬ 
dowed with qualities that might have made his people happy, 
had not the firmness, the presence of mind, and the expe¬ 
rience, required by the critical situation of the empire. 
In the very first year of his reign, the united force of ge¬ 
neral Suwarrow and the prince of Coburg gained a signal 
victory over the Turks; the fortresses of Bender and Ismail 
were taken; all Moldavia fell into the hands of the Russians; 
and the Austrians made themselves masters of Belgrade. 
The treaty of Yassy put an end to the war; but the Russians 
retained the country situated between the Bog and the 
Dniester, and obtained for Moldavia and Wallachia privi¬ 
leges hostile to the interests of the Porte. 
Paswan-Oglou, by the repeated advantages which he 
gained over the Ottoman troops, demonstrated the extreme 
weakness of this once formidable empire. 
On the first of July, 1798, a French army landed in 
Egypt. For the narrative of that expedition, See Egypt. 
Meanwhile the Russians, whose ambition was but in¬ 
creased by success, invaded Georgia. The Servians, headed 
by Czerni-George, an Austrian serjeant, obtained important 
advantages; and the Wahabys, a new sect, sprung up in 
Arabia, possessed themselves of the two sacred cities of 
Mecca and Medina. Moldavia and Wallachia were wrested 
from Turkey, and Romelia was harrassed by the incursions 
of banditti. 
To these disasters abroad was superadded the general 
discontent of the ulemas, the janisarries, and the people at 
home. Selym, deeply afflicted by the calamities of the 
KEY. 
empire, hoped to apply a remedy, by introducing into the 
civil and military departments a new system, borrowed in 
part from that of the European states. This new system, to 
which was given the appellation of nizam-djedycl (which 
signifies new order, new regulations), consisted in the 
adoption of the modern military tactics, in a reform of the 
tymars, and in the creation of fresh imposts, which were 
intended to ensure the payment of the troops trained in the 
European manner. The janissaries, exasperated at the insti¬ 
tution of a new class of troops, swore to annihilate them or 
to hurl from the throne the sovereign by whom they were 
raised. For a long time they confined themselves to words, 
consultations and conflagrations: but at length they broke 
out into actual revolt. 
War having been declared against Russia, towards the 
conclusion of 1806, the grand-vizir took the field, and com¬ 
mitted the guard of the important castles ot the Black Sea 
to a garrison of janisarries, among whom was the famous 
Cabatehy, the ringleader of the revolution of 1807. Mah¬ 
mud, the re'is-effendy, was charged with the inspection of that 
garrison and the supply of its wants. Selym, weary of the 
dissensions which thwarted his plans, resolved to incorpo¬ 
rate the janissaries into the new regiments. When Mahmud 
communicated to the new garrison the imperial command, 
enjoining the assumption of the uniform of the new troops, 
a sudden agitation took place among the janisarries. The 
re'is-effendy sought to escape their fury by flight, but was 
soon overtaken and put to death. The janisarries now 
determined upon insurrection, and marched to the capital 
with the intention of dethroning Selym. On reaching Con¬ 
stantinople, on the 27th of May, 1807, they repaired to 
the Atmeidan; after deliberating what to do, they hoisted 
their kettles, the usual signal of mutiny, and advanced 
toward the seraglio, the gates of which they found shut. 
They demanded the head of the bostandjy-bachy. With a 
compliance unworthy of a sovereign, Selym caused the 
unfortunate officer to be decapitated. Emboldened by 
success, they gave full scope to their rage. The ministers 
were all murdered. Selym descended from the throne, 
repaired to the apartment of the princes of the imperial 
blood, invited his cousin Mustapha to take the sceptre, and 
implored him to spare his life. 
1807— Mustapha IV.—Seated on the throne by the 
janissaries, he abolished the new taxes, promised to restore 
the former customs, and swore to extend the empire to its 
ancient limits. 
As soon as the revolution which had taken place in the 
capital was known on the banks of the Danube, a strong fer¬ 
mentation was excited in the army. The janissaries, con¬ 
sidering their chief officers and the grand-vizir as partisans of 
Selym, of the prince who attempted to counterbalance their 
power, that he might afterwards destroy it, endeavoured to 
sow discord among the troops. The Russian general, ap¬ 
prized of these intrigues, availed himself of them to act on 
the offensive, and lorced the Turks to fall back into the 
interior of Bulgaria. 
Notwithstanding this reverse, the disgrace of which ought 
to have fired all the troops in the empire with one sentiment 
—that of retrieving it; the janissaries prosecuted their 
machinations against the partisans of Selym. They finally 
succeeded. The grand-vizir wasapprehendedand soon after¬ 
wards beheaded. Mustapha Bairaclar, or the standard-bearer, 
then agha of Rudschuk, assumed the command of the army. 
Meanwhile the Turkish fleet was completely beaten between 
Lemnos and Monte Santo. 
Mustapha Bairacter, who was now about to act a con¬ 
spicuous part, had raised himself by his valour. Born of 
poor parents, he had in early youth been engaged in agri¬ 
culture and aftenvards dealt in horses. In the war which 
preceded this revolution he had distinguished himself by 
extraordinary bravery and natural talents. The surname of 
Ba'iractar, or Bairacdar—standard-bearer, was given to him 
because he had taken a pair of colours from the enemy and re¬ 
tained it in spite of numerous wounds and the superiority ofhis 
antagonists. 
