▁The ▁emp ire ' s ▁First ▁Constitution al ▁era , ▁was ▁short - l ived . ▁But ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁Ott oman ism ▁proved ▁influ ential . ▁A ▁group ▁of ▁reform ers ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Young ▁Ott om ans , ▁primarily ▁educated ▁in ▁Western ▁univers ities , ▁believed ▁that ▁a ▁constitution al ▁mon archy ▁would ▁give ▁an ▁answer ▁to ▁the ▁emp ire ' s ▁growing ▁social ▁un rest . ▁Through ▁a ▁military ▁coup ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁they ▁forced ▁Sultan ▁Abd ü laz iz ▁( 1 8 6 1 – 1 8 7 6 ) ▁to ▁ab d icate ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁Mur ad ▁V . ▁However , ▁Mur ad ▁V ▁was ▁ment ally ▁ill ▁and ▁was ▁de posed ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁months . ▁His ▁he ir - app ar ent , ▁Abd ül ham id ▁II ▁( 1 8 7 6 – 1 9 0 9 ), ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁assume ▁power ▁on ▁the ▁condition ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁declare ▁a ▁constitution al ▁mon archy , ▁which ▁he ▁did ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁November ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁The ▁parliament ▁surv ived ▁for ▁only ▁two ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁s ultan ▁susp ended ▁it . ▁When ▁forced ▁to ▁recon ven e ▁it , ▁he ▁abol ished ▁the ▁representative ▁body ▁instead . ▁This ▁ended ▁the ▁effect iveness ▁of ▁the ▁Kan û n - ı ▁Es â s î . ▁▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁Mur at ▁V ▁ ▁After ▁Abd ü laz iz ' s ▁d eth ron ement ▁Mur