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{{Short description|Period of constitutional monarchy in the Ottoman Empire (1876–1878)}}
{{morefootnotes|date=March 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Constitutional history of Turkey sidebar}}
{{History of the Ottoman Empire|expanded=decline}}

The '''First Constitutional Era''' ({{langx|ota|مشروطيت}}; {{langx|tr|Birinci Meşrutiyet Devri}}) of the [[Ottoman Empire]] was the period of [[constitutional monarchy]] from the promulgation of the [[Ottoman constitution of 1876]] ({{lang|ota-Latn|Kanûn-ı Esâsî}}, {{lang|ota|قانون اساسى}}, meaning '[[Basic Law]]' or 'Fundamental Law' in Ottoman Turkish), written by members of the [[Young Ottomans]], that began on 23 December 1876 and lasted until 14 February 1878.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tarihiolaylar.com/tarihi-olaylar/meclis-i-mebusan-mebuslar-meclisi-991 
|title=Meclis-i Mebusan (Mebuslar Meclisi) |publisher=Tarihi Olaylar }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sabah.com.tr/egitim/2017/01/19/meclis-i-mebusan-nedir-ne-zaman-kurulmustur |title=Meclis-i Mebusan nedir? Ne zaman kurulmuştur? |publisher=Sabah |date=19 January 2017 }}</ref> These Young Ottomans were dissatisfied by the [[Tanzimat]] and instead pushed for a constitutional government similar to that in Europe.<ref>A History of the Modern Middle East. Cleveland and Buntin p.78</ref> The constitutional period started with the dethroning of Sultan [[Abdulaziz]]. [[Abdul Hamid II]] took his place as Sultan.<ref>"Constitutional Period in the Ottoman Empire." Constitutional Period in the Ottoman Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.istanbul.com/en/explore/info/constitutional-period-in-the-ottoman-empire {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220212409/http://www.istanbul.com/en/explore/info/constitutional-period-in-the-ottoman-empire |date=20 December 2016 }}</ref> The era ended with the suspension of the Ottoman Parliament and the constitution by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, with which he restored his own [[absolute monarchy]].

The first constitutional era did not include a [[party system]]. At the time, the Ottoman Parliament (known as the [[General Assembly of the Ottoman Empire]]) was seen as the voice of the people but not as a venue for the formation of political parties and organizations. The elections for the Parliament were held in accordance with the provisional electoral regulations. The Parliament ([[General Assembly of the Ottoman Empire]]; {{lang|ota|مجلس عمومي}}, {{lang|ota-Latn|Meclis-i Umumi}}) was composed in two stages. The [[lower house]] of the [[bicameralism|bicameral]] legislature was the [[Chamber of Deputies of the Ottoman Empire|Chamber of Deputies]] ({{lang|ota|مجلس مبعوثان}}, {{lang|ota-Latn|Meclis-i Mebusan}}), while the [[upper house]] was the [[Senate of the Ottoman Empire|Senate]] ({{lang|ota|مجلس أعيان}}, {{lang|ota-Latn|Heyet-i Ayan}}). The initial selection of deputies was made by administrative councils in the provinces (also called {{lang|ota-Latn|Meclis-i Umumi}}).

After the establishment of the General Assembly in the provinces, the members selected the deputies from within the assembly to form the [[Chamber of Deputies of the Ottoman Empire|Chamber of Deputies]] in the capital. The Chamber had 115 members and reflected the distribution of the [[millet (Ottoman Empire)|millets]] in the empire. In the second elections, there were 69 Muslim millet representatives and 46 representatives of other millets ([[Jews]], [[Phanariotes]], [[Armenians]]). The second body was the [[Senate of the Ottoman Empire|Senate]], and the members were selected by the Sultan. The Senate had only 26 members. It was designed to replace the [[Sublime Porte|porte]], and the [[Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire|Grand Vizier]] become the speaker of Senate. The two elections happened between 1877 and 1878.

==First term, 1877==
[[File:MehmedKani.jpg|thumb|right|Mehmed Kani Pasha, member of the first Ottoman Parliament.]]
{{See also| First 1877 Ottoman general election}}
The members' reactions to the approaching war were very strong, and Sultan [[Abdul Hamid II]] asked for new elections citing the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)]].

{{multiple image|align=center
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|width1=339  |height1=583  |image1=Kanun-i Esasi.jpg            |caption1=[[Ottoman constitution of 1876]]
|width2=400  |height3=395  |image2=Opening of the Turkish Parliament by the Sultan, at the Palace of Dolma-Bagtche, Constantinople - ILN 1877.jpg|caption2=Opening ceremony of the first parliament at the [[Dolmabahçe Palace]] 19 March 1877. [[Illustrated London News]]
|width4=800  |height4=505  |image3=A Sitting of the New Turkish Parliament at Constantinople - ILN 1877.jpg|caption3=Meeting of the first Parliament later on the same day at the [[Old Darülfünun building]]. 
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==Second term, 1878==
[[File:Mehmet raif pasaa.jpg |thumb|200px|right|Mehmed Raif Pasha, member of the first Ottoman Parliament.]]
{{See also|Second 1877 Ottoman general election}}
The life of the second term of the parliament was merely a few days, as after the initial speeches by the members from [[Balkan]] [[vilayet]]s, 
[[Abdul Hamid II]] closed the parliament, citing social unrest.

The president of the Chamber of Deputies was a Deputy from [[Jerusalem]], [[Yousef al-Khalidi|Yusif Dia Pasha Al Khalidi]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}


==Significant people==
* [[Mehmed Rushdi Pasha]]
* [[Ahmed Vefik Pasha]]
* [[Hussein Avni Pasha]]
* [[Midhat Pasha]]
* [[Suleiman Pasha (Ottoman general)|Suleiman Pasha]]

==See also==
* [[Second Constitutional Era]]
* [[Constitutional history of Turkey]]
* [[Elections in the Ottoman Empire]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Ottoman Empire topics}}
{{Abdul Hamid II}}
{{Great Eastern Crisis}}

[[Category:Politics of the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:1870s in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Reform in the Ottoman Empire]]