Enderun

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The library of the palace school in neoclassical style

The Enderûn ( Ottoman اندرون Enderûn , German for 'the interior' tooاندرون همايوم Enderûn-i Hümâyûn 'Grand Magnificent Enderûn' orاندرون مكتبى Enderûn Mektebi 'palace school') was an Ottoman training and recruitment system for Christian subjects, who wereselectedby boy reading and taught in Islamic and Ottoman culture, in order to then serve in various positions as personal servants of the sultan. Later Muslim students were also accepted. The name Enderûn is derived from the school in Topkapı Palace , which was the last stop for the students. This palace school was in the third inner courtyard of Topkapı - the Enderûn. This inner area of ​​the palace was in contrast to the outside world (Bīrūn) and was only occupied with the personal service for the royal family. All of the people who worked and served here had the status of Kul (قول/ ḳul / servant) and were thus in a slave-like relationship with the sultan.

The Enderûn was quite successful in building a bureaucracy whose members came from different cultures. The success was reflected on all levels. In addition to administrative training, the students were also prepared for a military career. The graduates of the Enderûn were very attached to the Sultan and separated themselves from the lower classes. They later worked as scholars, poets, military commanders and held political offices such as ministers and grand viziers .

This educational system differed from the rest of the Turkish, Islamic or European school traditions. Due to the multicultural character of the empire, it was also a model for the training of students of various origins for a common ideal. The Enderûn had a positive effect on peaceful coexistence in the empire.

history

The growth and existence of the Ottoman Empire depended on the quality of its statesmen. A characteristic of Mehmed II's policy was to found a special school for the most gifted children of the empire in order to make them loyal and good statesmen. Mehmed II improved the palace school, which was founded under his predecessor Murad I in Edirne , and moved it to the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. This system worked well until the reign of Mahmud II in the 19th century. With the opening of European-oriented military schools and the dissolution of the traditional Ottoman army in 1826 under Mahmud II, the school lost its importance. In the course of the Tanzima reforms , various commercial and other schools were opened by Turks and members of other nationalities, and the graduates lost their supremacy in the Ottoman administration, which harmed the Enderûn even more. Finally, the Enderûn was closed during the Second Ottoman constitutional period in 1909.

Curriculum and basic principles of the Enderûn

The careers of the students in the Enderûn school system

Various scouts searched the country for talented children. The children should be between 10 and 20 years old, not orphans or only children, and not physically disabled, because it was believed that a strong mind would only reside in a strong body. The training began in three preparatory schools outside the Topkapı Palace, where 1,000–2,000 students studied, of which the best were further taught at the palace school after being selected. The training of these selected Içoğlan took seven to eight years. In the course of time the school rules changed. The subjects were divided into five complexes:

  1. Islamic sciences like Arabic, Turkish and Persian,
  2. Natural sciences such as mathematics and geography,
  3. History, law, administration, customs of the palace and statecraft,
  4. Professional training, including arts and music education, and
  5. Physical training, including weapons training

The successful graduates were divided into either an administrative or a scientific career according to their abilities, those who did not pass joined the military. One of the most distinctive features of the Enderûn was its ingenious system of carefully graduated rewards and corresponding penalties. Ipsirli described that the main goal of the school was not only school education, but also the recognition and promotion of student talent. At the end of their training, the students were able to write and read fluently in at least three languages, had an understanding of new scientific developments, were able to do at least one craft or artistic subject and had military qualities. The Enderûn not only wanted to train scribes or soldiers, but the perfect person who could administer the vast empire with broad knowledge and skills.

The school building

The palace school was located in the third courtyard of the Topkapı Palace, where other important buildings such as the treasury, the throne room, the harem and the pavilion with holy relics ( Emanat-ı mukaddese ) were located. The palace school consisted of seven halls, which represented the different classes or occupational fields. Twelve teachers taught in each hall and the students wore different clothes according to their performance. The halls were in detail:

  1. Hane-i Sağır (The Small Hall) - Both here and in the large hall, the students were busy reading and writing. The supervisor and director here was Kapı Ağası.
  2. Hane-i Kebir (The Great Hall) - Both here and in the small hall, the students were busy reading and writing. The Kapı Ağası was in charge here.
  3. Hane-i Bâzyân (The Falconer's Hall) - In this hall the students looked after the rulers' hunting falcons. The number of students here was 40.
  4. Hane-i Seferli (Expeditionary Corps Hall) - The Sultan's laundry was housed here. The students took care of the clothes.
  5. Hâne-i Kiler (pantry) - The pantry and kitchen were housed here. The students here occupied themselves with the food and drink for the ruler. The sultan's food was tested by foremen.
  6. Hazine Koğuşu (Treasury) - Here the students dealt with the management of the court treasure and bookkeeping.
  7. Has Oda (interior room) - The Sultan lived in this area and was served by about forty disciples with the rank of Aga.

The school included a library, mosque, music conservatory, dormitories and baths.

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Kemal Karpat : Social Change and Politics in Turkey: A Structural-Historical Analysis . P. 204
  2. ^ Corlu et al., P. 21
  3. ^ Gábor Ágoston and Bruce Masters, p. 452
  4. ↑ Corlu et al., 14 (1), pp. 19-31.
  5. ↑ Corlu et al., 14 (1), pp. 19-31.
  6. ^ Corlu et al., P. 21
  7. ↑ a b B. Miller: The palace school of Muhammad the Conqueror (Reprint ed.). Arno Press, NY 1973.
  8. ↑ M. Ipsirli: Enderun . In: Diyanet Islam ansiklopedisi . Vol. XI. Turkiye Diyanet Vakfi, Istanbul 1995, pp. 185-187
  9. ↑ a b U. Akkutay: Enderun mektebi . Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Fak. Yay, Ankara 1984.
  10. ↑ I. Basgoz, HE Wilson: The educational tradition of the Ottoman Empire and the development of the Turkish educational system of the republican era . In: Turkish Review , 3 (16), 1989, p. 15.
  11. ↑ A. Armagan: Osmanlı'da ustün yetenekliler fabrikası: Enderun Mektebi . In: Yeni Dünya Dergisi , 10, 2006, p. 32.
  12. ↑ Corlu et al., 14 (1), pp. 19-31.
  13. ↑ Mehmet Deri: Osmanlı Devletini Cihân Devleti Yapan Kurum: Enderun Mektebi. In: www.populertarih.com. Populer Tarih, October 10, 2009; archived from the original on April 24, 2012 ; accessed on April 4, 2020 .