The Ottoman bureaucrat and intellectual Mehmed Rauf travelled to a number of countries, cities and regions of Europe on his way to and from the Great Exhibition of London (opened on May 1, 1851), and reflected his views and impressions on his visits in the book entitled Seyahatname-i Avrupa (The Travelogue of Europe). This work is one of the most important travel works in terms of the number of cities and places visited among the works describing the travels of Ottoman statesmen to Europe up to that time. The second part of the author’s handwritten autograph of the Seyahatname-i Avrupa, includes an unpublished report (layiha) by the same author, in which the economic, political and social features of Europe are evaluated. This report, which has comparable features to the opinion writings of certain earlier Ottoman statesmen who have travelled to Europe, is a piece of work that can be viewed as a bureaucrat intellectual’s report on European societies at the end of his travels. In this study, we examine the textual features of this autograph work, the subjects it dealt with and the similarities to the works that it was influenced by. We also provide a transcription and facsimile of certain parts of the work in Latin letters for better understanding of the text. 

In the report, the author expresses the dominant views and administrative measures that ensured the strengthening and progress of European states. According to him, in Europe, civil servants had certain rights while doing their duties and holding responsibilities. Practices regarding the training, appointment, social rights and responsibilities of civil servants had a great part in Europe’s success. Civil servants openly expressed their opinion on government affairs. In the negotiations on state affairs, all of them freely expressed what they knew without fear and expressed useful views. The work and affairs of civil servants and deputies were supervised. Especially in countries governed by the constitutional method, that is, in the states and nations with a constitutional government, deputies who were elected by the people and sent to govern the state for a predetermined period, supervised the work of the ministers in parliament and checked if the administrative works were done in accordance with the rules set. Civil servants were selected on the basis of merit. They did not open new civil service positions only to favour someone. They also did not cause extra expenses by building unnecessary buildings. Since they did not have unnecessary officers, the number of civil servants was not many and therefore, they did not cancel or change their positions unless they had a fault. 

For the author, in Europe, taxes were charged according to people’s income. Taxes were collected from the people in accordance with the rates and tariffs prepared by the state, which were based on the income and trade of the people, and no money was taken from anyone more than the determined rates. 

European states preferred to go to war as little as possible because wars in those times did not involve personal power and national heroism as they did in ancient times. On the contrary, they required great expenses and various technical systems. So, they carefully calculated how much it would cost and if losses could happen during the war. In Europe, people were taken to the military for a specified period and officers were specially trained. There were many modern and regular schools for officers, and military students studied both social and military sciences in these schools.

There were schools in Europe for the education of everyone, from the deaf to the mute to the blind. There were observatories, anatomy halls, large museums and galleries where stuffed animals, skeletons and mineral samples were exhibited, all of which served to teach the application of science and studies more effectively. 

Press, broadcasting and cultural activities were carried out freely in Europe. Anyone who wanted to write books on the things they had invented and experienced could easily write and have them printed, and these then passed on to new generations. In this way, the standards of science and arts increased. People in Europe had rights and freedoms. Because people were educated, policemen and officials did not treat people harshly. 

Strong and big bridges and wide and smooth roads were widespread in Europe and they facilitated transportation. Railways were very developed. Transport and shipping facilities had enabled the development of agriculture and trade. Nothing would happen in any of the European countries that would lead to a weakening of agriculture and trade or even a crisis. Traveling increased tourism activities. When traveling, people did not take too many expensive and flashy things and maids with them, and they did not need to make such unnecessary expenses. 

Issuing company stocks was a method used to fund large investments in Europe. One of the methods applied in the realization of the works for the welfare of the citizens was based on establishing certain companies and printing stocks on their behalf and selling them with certain prices according to procedures and rules. Banks helped development by lending, and in this way, wealthy people could safely deposit their money in banks and profit from it. Uppermost importance was given to export in Europe. They made sure that exports were higher than imports. The postal system and telegraph were also developed considerably.