IJT volume III n° 6 : table of contents
Filiz KARACA : Irâde-i Seniyye in the Constitutional Periods
Correspondence was a well-established and institutionalised practice in the Ottoman bureaucracy. Ottoman Sultans expressed their will and commands via various documents in accordance with specific conditions. This paper focuses on the transformation of irâde-i seniyye as an important document type for the correspondence in the Ottoman palace. The influence of the Constitutional Periods on the transformation of the functions of this document will be taken up along with its repercussions on the machinery of the Ottoman Palace and the Sublime Porte. This paper is an attempt to establish a connection between the Ottoman correspondence system and its function as the mirror of Ottoman administration.
Cüneyd OKAY : Modern Developments in Children’s Education And Creation of a New National Identity for Children in the Late Ottoman Empire
This essay consists of two parts, the first of which takes primary sources of the period as a basis, and explains the role and importance of education, particularly children’s education, and the role it played in Ottoman modernisation within the top-to-bottom rapid and fundamental modernisation process lead by the “state” in the Ottoman Empire. In the second part, on the other hand, developments experienced in children’s education during the Constitutional Period, which is regarded as the beginning of the process leading to the declaration of the Republic of Turkey, will be discussed in details, and the “politicisation” of education will be analysed within this framework.
Safiye KIRANLAR : Even The Calendar Changes In Modern Times: The “Story” Of The Calendar From The Ottomans To The Republic (1840-1945)
In the history of Turkey, there was a long period when more than one calendar was in use and the first step to this duplication was taken in 1840 when the Financial Calendar (Mali Takvim) was put into effect next to the Islamic Calendar (Hicri Takvim). During the World War years, a new calendar, namely Takvim-i Garbi, was introduced to eliminate 13 days of difference between the Financial Calendar and the Gregorian/ Christian Calendar which was also used by the allies of the Ottoman Empire. However the Islamic Calendar remained untouched and continued to act as the basic guide in daily life. The Islamic Calendar lost its validity once the Gregorian Calendar became effective on December 26, 1925 with the “Changing the Inception of the Calendar”(Adoption Of Gregorian Calendar) law and since then the calendar, known as the International Calendar, has been valid up to the present day. The latest alteration to the calendar was made in 1945 by changing Constitution.
Himmet UÇ : Necip Asım Bey and the Subject of Classics
This article deals with the debate about classics which started by Ahmet Midhat Efendi at the end of the 19th century. The well-known personalites of the period such as Sait Bey, Necib Asım Bey, Ahmet Cevdet, Cenab Şehabettin, Ahmet Rasim, Hüseyin Daniş, İsmail Avni Bey also took part in this debate. In this article the views and arguments of Necip Assım Bey will be exmanied in particular.
Adil BAKTIAYA : The Ottoman-french Domination Struggle Over The Syrian-lebanon Territory: The Case Of St. Joseph Medical School
In the 19th century, France was opening schools in an attempt to increase its influence over the Syrian-Lebanon territory. The St. Joseph University, which later came to include a medical school, was the most assertive one among these schools. Yet, the Ottoman State refused to recognize this medical school’s diploma. Despite all the efforts of French diplomacy, the Ottoman State resisted these requests and remained its position for 15 years, but had had to give in and grant the requested privileges during the Ottoman-Greek war. After granting the requested privilege, the Ottomans continued to challenge the school in other ways. For France, however, the future of the schools under its custody meant the future of French domination. France invaded Mytilene, and imposed the Ottoman State even much harder conditions concerning the schools under its control. The US would also follow this French example, and send its navy to the Ottoman territorial waters for obtaining concessions on today’s American University of Beirut. The Ottoman State, while trying to prevent the Great Nations to increase their influences in the region, was indeed concerned with protecting its State legitimacy, which gained new dimensions in the 19th century. Therefore, although failing on the St. Joseph Medical School, it is seen that the Ottomans continued their battle in other ways.
