ENVER PASHA’S TRIP TO CHINA: AN INVESTIGATION OF OTTOMAN-CHINESE RELATIONS

The trip to China by the Counsel Delegation, appointed by Sultan Abdulhamid II and led by Enver Celalettin Pasha, marked a significant turning point in the Ottoman Empire’s external affairs in Asia, especially with China, at the beginning of the 20th century. This study aims to analyze Ottoman archives and travel notes to investigate the Counsel Delegation's activities, sent within the framework of Panislamism to influence Chinese Muslims involved in the Boxer Rebellion and to reveal the trip's short- and long-term consequences. The Boxer Rebellion, which erupted at the end of the 18th century, led to the formation of a unique allied group. Due to positive Ottoman-Chinese relations during the reigns of previous emperors and Abdulhamid II, the Ottoman Empire was not part of this grand colonial effort. However, after Chinese Muslims sided with the Boxers and the Japanese envoy Sugiyama was killed by a Muslim general, German Emperor Wilhelm II requested that the Ottoman Empire join the allied group to stop the Chinese Muslims. Instead of sending troops, Abdulhamid sent a nine-member delegation to China to assess the situation and engage with Chinese Muslims. This study will focus on the significance and impact of Enver Celalettin Pasha’s trip, detailing its political, economic, and cultural aspects. It will also explore how the Ottoman Empire's strategic goals in Asia were shaped and how this trip contributed to those objectives.