The word meaning military school in the Ottoman Empire It is known as “Mekteb-i Harbiye”. 19. Founded as a part of the military reform movements that started at the beginning of the century, Mekteb-i Harbiye was opened to support the efforts of the state to modernize and strengthen the army with disciplined and well-trained officers.
These schools provided students not only with military education but also in fields such as mathematics, engineering, language and management, ensuring that Ottoman officers were trained in accordance with the requirements of the age.
The foundations of the Mekteb-i Harbiye, which served as an Ottoman officer school, were laid during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II. Sultan Mahmud II took great steps towards establishing a modern army by abolishing the Janissary Corps (1826). With the abolition of the Janissary Corps, the need to open schools that would provide Western-style military education arose.
Mekteb-i Harbiye, which was established in line with this need, has become the most important educational institution that trains officers for the army. The officers trained here were assigned to ensure the internal security of the Ottoman Empire and to fight against external threats.
While Mekteb-i Harbiye was considered a modern military academy in the last periods of the Ottoman Empire, it was renamed the Military Academy after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey and continues to be one of the most important military educational institutions in Turkey today.
What Were Military Schools Called in the Ottoman Empire?
Military education in the Ottoman Empire was mostly carried out through experience and mastery system in the early periods. Troops such as the Janissaries underwent many years of training and were trained on the battlefield. However, as the empire’s relations with western states increased, the importance of modern armies was better understood and radical changes had to be made in the military education system.
The names given to military schools in the Ottoman Empire varied according to the period and the characteristics of the institution. Among the most well-known are schools such as Mekteb-i Harbiye, Mühendishane-i Bahr-i Hümâyûn (Naval Engineer’s School), Mekteb-i Tıbbiye.
Mekteb-i Harbiye was the most important military school that trained land army officers. The Mühendishane-i Bahr-i Hümâyûn trained engineers for the navy. Mekteb-i Tıbbiye was a school that trained military physicians.
The establishment and development of military schools in the Ottoman Empire was an important step in the modernization of the army. However, the effectiveness of these schools has decreased from time to time due to political instability, economic difficulties and foreign interventions.
What was a school called in the Ottoman Empire?
Education in the Ottoman Empire was an important issue in all segments of society. In this context, the names given to educational institutions in different periods and regions have also varied. These educational institutions, which are the equivalent of today’s schools, were generally places where religious and worldly knowledge was given together.
One of the most widely used educational institution names in the Ottoman Empire was primary school. These schools were usually located in neighborhoods or near mosques and taught basic religious knowledge and reading and writing. These schools, where children receive their first education, can be compared to today’s primary schools.
With the development of the education system in the Ottoman Empire, many educational institutions were established by different names. Among the names of Ottoman schools , names such as darülfünun, muallimhane, rüşdiye can be counted. While Darülfünun corresponded to a university in the modern sense, teachers’ schools were schools that trained teachers, and rüşdiye were educational institutions at the secondary school level.
http://www.osmanliarastirmalari.com
https://kho.msu.edu.tr/hakkinda/tarihce.html
https://www.fikriyat.com/galeri/egitim/osmanlida-egitim-terimleri
