The 1869 Ottoman Public Education Act: Proceedings and Participants

Abstract

The enactment of the Regulations of Public Education law in 1869 ushered in a new era in Ottoman educational history. It was a composite of ideas borrowed from several previous educational reforms, and served as a basis for subsequent reforms. But the participants that drafted this legislation have been misreported for nearly ninety years, dating back to a study by Kansu. This paper will correct that misreporting based on the meeting minutes from the Council of State’s Department of Education, which drafted the law. The findings reveal some interesting partici- pants, including representatives from non-Muslim communities, two ulamas who were previously said to not have participated, members who supported and imple- mented educational reforms in the Danube Vilayet, and persons familiar with the educational systems of France and Prussia.