Ottomans' Mechanical Science Books in the 19th Century

Abstract

From the 18th century onwards, Ottomans tried to catch up with the new technologies, especially in the military. Various expeditions were made to investigate the reasons for the Western world's military superiority; for that, various books were translated from Western sources at this time. Some experts were invited to teach in the military academies, and some Ottoman students were sent abroad for education. Mechanics education in military academies was an important part of transferring information about new technologies. Therefore, understanding its content is very important for the history of science and technology in Turkiye. In this article, all the mechanics textbooks written and compiled for the Ottoman military academies in the 19th century are examined, and information is given about their authors and the contents of these books. Some of these books have been reviewed by historians of science before, and some have not been examined. While preparing this article, the original Ottoman texts of these books mentioned were examined, and secondary sources were also used.