The system of rule by bashaws; the political style, practices, or character of a bashaw, typically involving authoritarian power and Ottoman governance.
From 'bashaw' + '-ism' (doctrine, system). Emerged in English writing in the 1700s-1800s to describe Ottoman political structures.
Europeans used '-ism' terms like 'bashawism' to analyze foreign governments they didn't understand—it let them package up entire political systems into one word, though often with more judgment than accuracy.
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