Brief History of the Pulleys and Explanation of Chief Instructor Ishaq Efendi's Work on Pulleys and Pulley Systems

Abstract

Pulleys and pulley systems have been used since the early times of history. The application of this simple machine has been available since the earliest civilisations. It was widely used in construction and transportation for lifting heavy loads on its own or as a part of another machine. These systems have a capacity of lifting heavy weights very easily, sometimes just by changing the direction of a tractive force in a fixed simple pulley and/or sometimes by reducing the tractive force considerably in the compound pulley system. The theory of this system grows much later than the application itself. The theory was considered first by Archimedes and many centuries later by Galileo. The application of this system was, of course, available in Ottoman land, but the subject's theory was attached to the official curriculum of the Military Engineering School in the 18-19th century. In the beginning, therewere not any Turkish written sources. The first Turkishwritten treatise including this subjectwas Ishaq Efendi's (1748? -1835/36) Mecmua-i Ulum-i Riyaziyye. It was a compendium written in order to introduce theWestern-style mathematical sciences to the Ottoman students. The 3rd volume of this treatise was dedicated to physics and mechanics. There is a chapter about simple and compound machines in themechanics part. After publishing this book, the Military Engineering School teachers started to use this treatise as a primary source of education on mechanics courses. This paper presents a brief history of the pulley, and the related chapters of Ishaq Efendi's Mecmua-i Ulum-i Riyaziyye are reviewed. His treatise can be considered as fundamental significance in the education of the Military Engineering School of Ottomans.