Chapter Four - Bediuzzaman and the Thirty-First of March Incident

CHAPTER FOUR

Bediuzzaman and the Thirty-First of

March Incident

#### Introduction

Introduction

After nine months of CUP rule, increasing discontent found expression in the famous Thirty-First of March Incident. [^161] Many aspects of this revolt, which started with certain sections of the Army in Istanbul mutinying and continued for eleven days, have still not been brought to light.

[^161]:The revolt is named according to the Rumi calendar then in use in the Ottoman Empire. 31 March 1325 corresponded to 13 April 1909 on the Gregorian calendar.

Bediuzzaman played no part in the revolt, on the contrary as far as he could he used his influence and reputation in persuading the rebelling soldiers to obey their officers and return to barracks, and to no mean degree was successful in this. Nevertheless, when order was restored on the arrival of the Operation Army from Salonica, he was arrested along with many hundreds of others and sent before one of the military courts. The reason for this was his involvement with the İttihad-ı Muhammedî Cemiyeti or Muhammadan Union, which was accused of inciting the revolt. In any event, he was he acquitted, and in one hearing. His defence speech, which was also instrumental in forty to fifty other prisoners being released, was published in 1911 entitled The Testimonial of Two Schools of Misfortune or The Court Martial and Bediuzzaman Said-i Nursi.

#### The Muhammadan Union

The Muhammadan Union

The Muhammadan Union was founded on 5 February 1909, [^162] though the full versions of its manifesto and code of rules did not appear in the Volkan newspaper until 16 March 1909. [^163] The ceremony to mark its founding took

[^162]:M. Ertuğrul Düzdağ, (ed.), Volkan Gazetesi, (No. 36), Istanbul 1992, 168.

[^163]:Ibid., (No. 75), 362-4; Sadık Albayrak, 31 Mart Vak'asi, Gerici Bir Hareket Mi? Istanbul 1987, 166-175; T. Z. Tunaya, Türkiye'de Siyasal Partiler, i, 199-203.