Abdulhamid II (Ottoman Turkish: ??? ?????? ???? `Abd?l-?amid-i s鈔? Turkish: Ikinci Abd黮hamit) (22 September 1842 - 10 February 1918) was the 99th caliph of Islam and the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He was the last Sultan to exert effective control over the Ottoman Empire. He oversaw a period of decline in the power and extent of the Empire; ruling from 31 August 1876 until he was deposed on 27 April 1909. He was succeeded by Mehmed V. His deposition following the Young Turk Revolution was hailed by most Ottoman citizens; who welcomed the return to constitutional rule.

During his tenure; he was responsible for the modernization of the Ottoman Empire; and exerted maximum control over its affairs. Changes included: rationalization of the bureaucracy; the ambitious Hijaz Railway project; the creation of a modern system of personnel records (1896); establishment of an elaborate system for population registration and control over the press; systematization of officials salaries (1880); and the first modern law school (1898). Between the period 1871-1908; the Sublime Porte (Istanbul) thus reached a new degree of organizational elaboration and articulation. Pictures From History