At the start of the 19th century, not long before the outbreak of the revolutions in the Balkans, the Ottoman Empire barely resembled the state of the first sultans.

The Ottoman army, a symbol of power and authority for over 250 years, had become, since the 18th century, a defensive mechanism. Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Wallachia, Moldavia, the Aegean and Ionian territories, Crimea and Azov constantly changed hands. The Empire's enemies gradually grew in size and power, whereas the sultan's soldiers were socially undermined and poorly paid.

In Constantinople, the administration's headquarters had moved elsewhere. The High Gate of the Grand Vizier became the Empire's command office. In pursuit of their ambitions, clerks and diplomats occupied high offices. On the other hand, the sultan's traditional supporters (military and religious leaders) were trapped in a glorious past which could not accommodate present needs. Various roups of people in Constantinople, the Black Sea, in Egypt and the Adriatic became engaged in a series of battles, constantly forming allies and dissolving previous ones.

At the close of the 18th century, the Ottoman Empire lived in a turbulent environment tortured by the outbreak of revolutions in Europe and in the territories of the New World. Prior to the Christian revolt, Sultan Selim III made his own 'revolution'. He made radical changes, thus trying to assuage conflicting powers. His vision, the 'New order', proved to be inadequate. Armed groups appeared to be the only solution in dealing with the tumult in southeastern Europe.