In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the Ottoman Empire went through a series of political crises, popular uprisings and significant transformations. Traditionally this period in Ottoman history has been understood as a narrative of ‘decline and breakdown’; recent studies however, present a more complex picture (Yaycioglu 2016: 9–15), and the examination of new archival sources such as Henrietta Liston's Turkish journals affords new insights. The journals provide a glimpse into the early part of Sultan Mahmud II's reign when the political crises were largely settled but radical reforms had yet to be realised, a period which has been relatively neglected in recent scholarship.

From the reign of Sultan Selim III (r. 1789–1807) onwards, political and institutional change took place and new institutions, designed for the Nizâm-ı Cedîd, the New Order, were introduced. The main aim of Selim's reforms was to ‘reorganize the empire's military, administrative, and fiscal regime[s]’ (Yaycioglu 2018: 448). However, his attempt to restructure the army faced a janissary-led popular rebellion and he was dethroned in 1807. He was succeeded by Mustafa IV (r. 1807–8), but in order to restore Selim to the throne, Bayraktar Mustafa Pasha, the ayan or provincial governor of Rusçuk (now in Bulgaria), organised an armed coup. During the conflict, Selim was assassinated, Mustafa IV deposed, and as the sole male heir, Mahmud II, the youngest son of Abdülhamid I, ascended the throne on 28 July 1808.

The chaotic conditions that led to Mahmud II's accession to the throne continued in the early months of his reign. War with Russia (in 1806–12) and Britain (in 1807–9) had already put the Ottoman administration in a precarious position: central control over many provinces was significantly reduced, as local notables became more influential in the administration there. Moreover, in the imperial capital, the ulema (the Islamic scholarly class) and the janissaries became important political powers, significantly restricting the Sultan's authority (Levy 1991: 58). A loyal supporter of Mahmud II, Bayraktar Mustafa Pasha was appointed as his Grand Vizier, and he brought the central and provincial forces together through the Sened-i I˙ttifak (Deed of Agreement) on 7 October 1808.