The Importance and Spread of Public Education in the Ottoman Empire

In the second half of the nineteenth century, education and modernization efforts rapidly increased in the Ottoman Empire. Numerous new institutions emerged during this period, and new projects began being implemented. The origins of all these developments actually lie in the reforms made during the reign of Sultan Mahmud in the first half of the century and the subsequent renewal movements of Sultan Abdülmecid’s reign. In this respect, the educational developments during the reigns of Sultan Abdülaziz and Sultan Abdülhamid II are entirely a continuation of the previous developments with close continuity between them.