The tendency of every successful and rational political entity is to achieve the greatest possible success in the most efficient manner while expending the lowest possible number of resources. On the path toward progress, there will always be individuals who exploit the dysfunctionality of the system for their own benefit. Maḥmûd II was the name of the intelligent and capable Ottoman Sultan who ruled the Sublime State at a time when it was in urgent need of reforms. Many dignitaries, ayans, and Janissaries benefited from a period of decentralized and weak governance. It is understandable why many resisted the modernisation that the Sublime Porte in Constantinople attempted to implement throughout the empire. This thesis examines the developments in the Bosnia Eyalet during the first half of the nineteenth century, with particular emphasis on the revolt led by Husein-beg Gradaščević, the "Dragon of Bosnia." The Bosnian uprising will be situated within the broader context of the uprisings that took place across the Western Balkans. Through a comparative analysis of their causes, course, and outcomes, the thesis seeks to explain why some of these uprisings proved more successful than others.
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