Nişancı was a high post in Ottoman bureaucracy. The Turkish word ''nişancı'' literally means "court calligrapher" or "sealer," as the original duty of the nişancı was to seal royal precepts.

History

Although the post of the court calligrapher was established during the reign of

Orhan Orhan Ghazi ( ota, اورخان غازی; tr, Orhan Gazi, also spelled Orkhan, 1281 – March 1362) was the second bey of the Ottoman Beylik from 1323/4 to 1362. He was born in Söğüt, as the son of Osman I. In the early stages of his re ...

(1324–1361), the name nişancı came into use during the reign of

Murat II Murad II ( ota, مراد ثانى, Murād-ı sānī, tr, II. Murad, 16 June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1444 and again from 1446 to 1451. Murad II's reign was a period of important economic deve ...

(1421–1451). According to the law of

Mehmet II Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...

(1451–1481), the nişancı was a member of the

divan A divan or diwan ( fa, دیوان, ''dīvān''; from Sumerian ''dub'', clay tablet) was a high government ministry in various Islamic states, or its chief official (see ''dewan''). Etymology The word, recorded in English since 1586, meanin ...

(Ottoman government). Beginning in the mid-18th century, the post lost its former importance, and in 1836, it was abolished.

Duties of the nişancı

The nişancı was responsible for sealing the

precept A precept (from the la, præcipere, to teach) is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action. Religious law In religion, precepts are usually commands respecting moral conduct. Christianity The term is en ...

s of the

sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

and the

grand vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

. The nişancı was also responsible in supervising the divan's archives and keeping the records of the

timar A timar was a land grant by the sultans of the Ottoman Empire between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, with an annual tax revenue of less than 20,000 akçes. The revenues produced from the land acted as compensation for military service. A ...

system (lands granted and taxation authority by the Ottoman sultans to bureaucrats and

sipahi ''Sipahi'' ( ota, سپاهی, translit=sipâhi, label=Persian, ) were professional cavalrymen deployed by the Seljuk dynasty, Seljuks, and later the Ottoman Empire, including the land grant-holding (''timar'') provincial ''Timariots, timarli s ...

soldiers in return for their services). Up until the 17th century, the post of nişancı was also the equivalent of foreign minister. However, during the reign of

Mehmet IV Mehmed IV ( ota, محمد رابع, Meḥmed-i rābi; tr, IV. Mehmed; 2 January 1642 – 6 January 1693) also known as Mehmed the Hunter ( tr, Avcı Mehmed) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1648 to 1687. He came to the throne at the a ...

(1648–1687), reisülküttap (literally "the chief of clerks"), a post previously subordinate to that of the nişancı, replaced nişancı as the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

's foreign ministry.Gabor Agoston-Bruce Masters: ''Encyclopaedia of the Ottoman Empire'', , pp.50–51

Grand viziers of Nisancı origin

Karamanlı Mehmet Pasha Karamanlı or Karamani Mehmet Pasha (died May 4, 1481) was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman statesman who served as Grand Vizier from 1477 to 1481. Early years Karamani was born in Konya and was a descendant of Rumi. He traveled to Constantinople (p ...

(1477–1481) * Ayaşlı İsmail Pasha (1688–1688) *

Elmas Mehmet Pasha Elmas Mehmed Pasha (1661 – 11 September 1697) was an Ottoman statesman who served as grand vizier from 1695 to 1697. His epithet ''Elmas'' means "diamond" in Persian and refers to his fame as a handsome man. Early years He was a Greek from ...

(1695–1697) * Nişancı Süleyman Pasha (1709-1712) * Nişancı Ahmet Pasha (1740–1742)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nisanci Government of the Ottoman Empire Ottoman titles Turkish words and phrases