Pemerihalan naratif riwayat hidup Mustafa III (1775-1774) [An analytical narrative of the life history of Mustafa III (1757–1774)]

Abstract

Kajian ini membincangkan naratif sejarah kehidupan dan pemerintahan Mustafa III (1757-1774), pemerintah ke-26 Kerajaan Uthmaniyyah, yang menonjol dalam era peralihan antara kestabilan dan ancaman geopolitik dari kuasa asing serta pemberontakan dalaman. Kajian ini bertitik tolak daripada permasalahan kelemahan struktur pentadbiran dan cabaran luar seperti Perang Uthmaniyyah-Rusia (1768-1774) serta pemberontakan Ali Bey di Mesir yang mencerminkan ketegangan dalam sistem kekuasaan wilayah Arab Uthmaniyyah. Objektif utama kajian ini adalah untuk menganalisis aspek kehidupan peribadi Mustafa III, dasar pentadbiran, projek pembangunan dan pembaharuan ekonomi, serta cabaran pemerintahannya yang menyumbang kepada perubahan landskap politik Uthmaniyyah pada abad ke-18M. Penulisan ini menggunakan metode dokumentasi sebagai kaedah pengumpulan data dengan menumpukan kepada sumber-sumber sekunder yang diambil daripada karya ilmiah sejarah Uthmaniyyah yang meyakinkan. Bagi analisis data pula, pendekatan deskriptif digunakan melalui kaedah kritikan dalaman dan kritikan luaran. Dapatan kajian ini menghujahkan bahawa Mustafa III ialah tokoh pemerintah yang berwawasan, memperkenalkan pembaharuan pentadbiran dan ekonomi Uthmaniyyah serta memberi sumbangan besar dari aspek pembangunan seni bina Uthmaniyyah abad ke-18M. Namun, isu kelemahan sistem birokrasi ketenteraan dan tekanan luar telah menyekat pelaksanaan reformasi tadbir urus berkesan yang menyeluruh. Penulisan ini turut menekankan peranan Koca Rag?p Pasha sebagai pendukung utama dalam pentadbiran yang berpengaruah pada awal pemerintahan Uthmaniyyah era Mustafa III. Kajian ini mencadangkan supaya penyelidikan lanjutan dilakukan terhadap kesinambungan gagasan pembaharuan Mustafa III dalam era pemerintahan Selim III, serta perbandingan antara pendekatan Mustafa III dengan sultan-sultan terdahulu dan selepasnya dalam menangani pelbagai cabaran tadbir urus institusi Uthmaniyyah menjelang abad ke-19M.

This study examines the historical narrative of the life and reign of Mustafa III (1757-1774), the 26^th ruler of the Ottomans, who stood out during a transitional era marked by the tension between internal stability and growing geopolitical threats from foreign powers as well as domestic uprisings. The study is grounded in the critical issue of structural weaknesses in the administrative system and external challenges, such as the Ottoman-Russian War (1768-1774) and the rebellion of Ali Bey in Egypt, both of which underscore the strains within the Ottoman Arab provincial order. The primary objective of this research is to analyse Mustafa III’s personal life, administrative policies, developmental projects, economic reforms, and the challenges of his reign, all of which contributed to the transformation of the Ottoman political landscape in the 18th century. This paper employs the documentary method for data collection, drawing upon reliable secondary sources from established works in Ottoman historiography. For data analysis, a descriptive approach is applied, incorporating both internal and external source criticism. The findings of this study argue that Mustafa III was a visionary ruler who introduced significant administrative and economic reforms and contributed substantially to the architectural development of the 18th-century Ottoman Kingdom. However, the inefficiencies of the military-bureaucratic system and mounting external pressures hindered the effective and comprehensive implementation of governance reforms. This study also highlights the pivotal role of Koca Rag?p Pasha as a key figure in the early administration of Mustafa III’s reign. The study recommends further research into the continuity of Mustafa III’s reformist vision during the reign of Selim III, including a comparative analysis of Mustafa III’s governance strategies with those of preceding and succeeding sultans in addressing the institutional challenges faced by the Ottoman state on the eve of the 19th century.