EDUCATION.
Mohammed, who is the oracle on all subjects, having declared, that "the
ink of the learned and the blood of the martyr are equal in the sight
of God," education is not so entirely neglected by his followers, as is
generally supposed. It may, in one sense, be considered general; for
every parent is obliged to send his children, both male and female,
to the schools which are attached to the mosques, and supported
by them. At Constantinople there are no less than 396 mektebs,
or primary free schools, attended by 22,700 children, both boys
and girls. There are six other schools, for more advanced studies,
attended by 870 pupils.
The initiatory services to the Elif Bé, literature of the young
Moslems, are very imposing. The candidate, blooming with the roses
of six short summers, is decked in his best, and in the best of the
neighbors' too; for there is great borrowing of jewelry and rich
embroideries, when the parents cannot afford to buy. The young tyro
mounts a steed which vies with him in the splendor of its caparison,
and with his badge of honor, a beautiful and glittering satchel slung
over his shoulder, parades the streets. The children of the school
about to be honored by his attendance, are the escort; and the good
old hodja, or school-master, leads the train, and the tune, as they
wend their way, singing and chanting; the boys and girls vociferating
in full chorus, Ameen! Ameen!
When the children of the sultan are about to begin their literary
pursuits, the procession and rejoicings are, of course, in proportion
to the excelling importance of the royal progeny over all inferior
buds of humanity.
The public are thus duly notified, though the instruction of the
young sultans is by private masters.
The system of instruction in the Turkish schools is eminently
primitive, and the branches taught are very elementary.
They use neither quill nor desk, the peculiarity of the Turkish
characters requiring the stiffness of the reed; and the importance
attached to calligraphy is so great, that the paper is held on the
palm of the hand, in order to give the flexibility requisite for
the formation of the letters. The lessons of the children consist of
spelling and writing; and the higher studies in committing the Koran
to memory. In order to understand this sacred book, they are obliged to
learn the grammar, in which proficiency is seldom made. Hence very few,
even of the officials, especially of the ancien régime, can read or
write correctly, all their correspondence being performed by keatibs,
or scribes. The general deficiency of education creates a great
demand for men of this profession, whose services are needed for all
sorts of letter writing, for petitions, obligatory notes, contracts,
etc. These persons are to be found in the court-yards of the mosques,
in shops and kahvés near the Porte, and in many other places.
To those who knew not how to affix their own names to any document, a
seal not only became a convenient substitute, but the universal style
of signature. All the grandees have their mëohurdar, or seal-bearer,
and the Sadrazam officiates in this capacity to the sultan.
The common punishment at schools is the world renowned bastinado,
or falaka. The apparatus consists of a cylindrical piece of wood,
about five feet long, and one inch in diameter. Near the centre of
this rod, there is a loop of rope, sufficiently wide to hold both
the feet of the truant. The rod being turned the rope winds upon it,
and thus secures the feet, which are placed therein. The person is
then thrown upon his back, by the raising of the feet, upon the soles
of which the blows are applied with a cudgel by the schoolmaster. It
is a rather painful operation, as some can tell from sad experience,
who, like other boys that are never naughty, had to go through with
it in their younger days.
The Turkish, originally Tartar, is at present composed of three
different languages, viz: Arabic, Persian, and Tartar, owing to the
different people with whom the Turcomans came in contact. The Koran
being their fundamental study, the Arabic has become the basis of
the language, as the Latin is of the European dialects.
It is written from right to left, like all other Oriental languages,
with the exception of the Armenian.
The Turkish has no capitals or Roman letters, but consists of
italics--or in other words, the written and printed characters have
the same forms, nor have they any punctuation. Their calligraphy may
be divided into five different styles.
The Rika, or ordinary hand-writing, the same being used for printing.
Sülüs, or enlarged writing, is used for inscriptions, title-pages,
or the headings of chapters.
Divany, or the court script, which is an ornamental style of writing,
and only used at the Porte for firmans, or edicts.
Taalik, or the Persian letters, is used in the judiciary courts,
and for poetry.
Siyakat, or Turkish hieroglyphics, is only used for treasury bonds.
The Turkish language is, in itself, most copious and expressive,
euphonious in sound, and capable of the greatest variety of expression,
and is well adapted to the composition of poetry. Although the
Osmanlis formerly possessed but little mathematical, philosophical,
or scientific learning, the Muses have never denied their inspiration
to them. Foreign literature has been much in vogue in latter times,
and many translations have been made into Turkish. The languages of
Europe are also cultivated to some extent, and many are now to be
found at the Porte, who speak the French and English quite fluently.
The present sultan has done much to elevate the system of public
instruction in his dominions. He has ordained a council to superintend
all educational affairs, and also has commenced the erection of a
magnificent public university, opposite the mosque of St. Sophia.
There exist already, the school of the mosque of Ahmed, that
of Suleiman, and one founded by the late Validé Sultan, for the
education of the young candidates for public offices. There are,
also, the medical, normal, and naval schools, and last of all, the
agricultural school at San Stefano, the direction of which was, once
upon a time, given to the celebrated Turkey Jim, of South Carolina.
The sultan himself is present at the examinations of these various
colleges, with his retinue of Ulema, Ministers, and Pashas; his
majesty even propounds questions to the pupils, encouraging them by
his gracious condescension of manner.
There are as many as 80,000 books in the public libraries, written
or printed in the different Oriental dialects, Arabic, Persian,
and Turkish. These works treat of history, science, and theology;
also belles-lettres, and good breeding, on which last subject, the
Osmanlis are extremely punctilious. The young men, and even children,
are exceedingly simple and unpretending, but at the same time,
intelligent and polite in their demeanor. They maintain a remarkable
gravity of deportment, and in the absence of their fathers, exercise
the prerogatives of hospitality, with all the dignity of the patriarchs
themselves.
There are now twenty-one different newspapers and periodicals in the
country, viz. two Turkish, eight Armenian, three Greek, five French,
two Italian, and one Jewish.