This paper explores the development of environmental consciousness in the Ottoman Empire, with a particular focus on the Southeast European provinces and Istanbul, from the late 18th to the end of the 19th century. This period, marked by early examples of industrialisation, witnessed significant changes in resource use, spurred by new mining activities, the establishment of factories, and an increased interest in resource extraction by both Ottoman and foreign investors. Simultaneously, the Ottoman administration began implementing regulations on the usage of common lands, such as forests, grazing lands, rivers, mills, and lakes, to preserve communal resources and balance the growing demands of industrial and infrastructure projects. In short, during this era, traditional relationships with nature faced serious pressures from emerging industrial and administrative changes, when people began to express these changes through their impact on the nature.
Through a detailed investigation of unpublished archival materials from the Ottoman State Archives, this paper uncovers how local communities responded to such developments. It examines the administrative discourse on environmental management, regulations on common lands, and reclamation projects that often placed these areas at risk. By highlighting local voices and reactions, the paper demonstrates how growing environmental pressures led to a budding awareness of resource management within the Ottoman state and among its citizens. This research reveals the complexities of environmental governance at the onset of Ottoman modernisation and contributes to our understanding of early environmental awareness among people during significant socio-economic transformations.
