The Role of James Brant in the Process of Structural Changes in British Consulates

British consulates in the Ottoman Empire were financed and selected by the Levant Company. In the meantime, a duality in the administration of the consulate system emerged. As a result, it was decided that British consulates should undergo a process of structural change. Consuls were subsequently appointed directly by the monarch, and the company was dissolved in 1825. In the following years, on the one hand the number of consulates was increased, while on the other hand spheres of duty were differentiated and came to acquire a degree of influence, including the ability to intervene in internal affairs. James Brant played a significant role in this process, individually participating in the establishment of the consulates in Trabzon, Erzurum, Batumi, Samsun, and Kayseri. This study investigates the process of structural change in British consulates in the Ottoman Empire in the first half of the 19th century and Brant's influence in this process. Additionally, in-depth information is provided concerning Brant's Trabzon and Erzurum consulships.