Part 3: the Modernising Wazirs

Wazir (or vizeer) is, of course, an Arabic term for a government minister. In Islamic countries Wazirs may also be, of course, muftis. Three government functionaries stand out from the late Ottoman era: Muhammad 'Ali, Rifa'a at-Tahtawi and Khayr ad-Din at-Tunisi.

The Albanian Ottoman ruler of Egypt, Muhammad ‘Ali, was interested in at least technological modernisation and one of his advisors was an Imam named Rifa’a at-Tahtawi (1801 – 1873) whom he sent to Paris as a young man to minister to the Egyptian students (sent there in order to inform the Ottoman regime of Western improvements in technology). Tahtawi began a translation project so that Western ideas could be understood in Arabic. He believed Western ideas could be assimilated into Islamic cultures. Tahtawi also interested himself in the reform of education while Muhammad ‘Ali interested himself mainly in modernisation of his armed forces and government. With mainly French ideas in mind but couched in Islamic terms, Tahtawi advised the Egyptian government on education.

Another government reformer of note was Khayr ad-Din at-Tunisi (1822 – 1889). His interest was the institution of constitutional rules of government which he brought about first in Tunisia and then in the centre of Ottoman power, Istanbul. His ideas came from the West. Like Tahtawi he attempted to assimilate Western ideas into Islam. His language was slightly more secular than Tahtawi’s, probably reflecting a different level of Islamic training and interest. He appears to have been influenced by the classical historian, Ibn Khaldoun, whose ideas he cast in modern secular terms. He did use one Islamic term, maslaha (welfare), which formed the basis of his arguments for constitutionality. Thus he introduced the Western idea of the accountability of government to its people into Islamic governmental practice as a modern Islamic update.