Modernization in the Context of Sending Students Abroad in the 19th Century in the Ottoman

Abstract

In the Ottoman Empire, since the end of the 16th century, the necessity of carrying out some reforms inside and changing the perspective towards the outside world has been understood due to the deterioration of madrasas, the departure of the ulama from public life, the loss of land of the state and the deterioration of the economic situation of the people. Thus, it is aimed to catch up with the development of modern science of Europe. In line with this goal, it was first tried to establish contact with the West through Western experts were brought to the country. However, since it was realized that bringing experts from abroad was insufficient for the hoped-for development and the Ottoman Empire needed a permanent teaching staff in the newly established schools, it was decided to send students to Europe as a state policy. Students were sent not only for a military education, but also for studying in fields such as agriculture, mining, painting, chemistry, engineering, agriculture, civil engineering, leather, photography, architecture. According to the available numerical data; a total of 407 people were sent from the Ottoman Empire to Western countries in the 19th century. About ¾ of them are Muslims and ¼ are non-Muslims. 290 people went to France, 67 people went to the UK, 34 people went to Austria, 10 people went to Germany and 6 people went to Belgium. The fact that the number of students sent has increased year-on- year is a clear proof of the importance that the state attaches to sending students abroad, especially during the Tanzimat process.

On the other hand, the embassies of the Ottoman Empire in the relevant country were responsible for the students who went abroad. This, in turn, made the work load of the embassies more intense with the task of controlling the students. In addition, there were no supervisory mechanisms related to the educational process. For this reason, various Ottoman schools have been opened in Europe with the request to make it easier for students to be supervised and to relieve the work load of embassies. The courses given in these schools can be summarized as French, History, Geography, Trigonometry, Statics, Basic Physics, Chemistry, Geometry, Algebra, Basic Astronomy, and etc.

Students who were sent to Europe and got to know the scientific and cultural aspects of the West through their education here have entered a civil service position where they can use their knowledge when they return. They were placed in important positions in the state administration as sephir, governor, grand vizier, and in military and civilian schools as teachers or officers. Among the students sent to Europe in the 19th century, important names such as Selim Sâbit Efendi, Ali Rıza Bey, İsmail Hakkı Çelebi, Mehmed Sirâceddin, Chemist Derviş (Pasha) made innovations in the Ottoman Empire with the education they received, and the introduction of new disciplines into the Ottoman education system.