Reinterpreting American missionary presence in the Ottoman Empire : American schools and the evolution of Ottoman educational policies (1820-1908)

Abstract

An interesling aspect of Ottoman educational modernization in the nineteenth century was its relation to the boom in the number of foreign schools in the 1-mpire. This period witnessed the development of an educational web by American missionaries, in a very rapid and comprehensive manner compared to the development of other foreign schools in the same dominions. This development did not escape the attention of Ottoman rulers and bureaucrats, and there were significant efforts to provide for a regular inspection of these schools. The purpose of this study is to trace the evolution of Ottoman educational policies and their utilization with regard to the American schools in the limpire.