A NEW MODEL IN THE MODERNIZATION OF THE OTTOMAN TURKISH SOCIETY: EUROPEN MURABBIYAS (GOVERNESSES)

Abstract

Even though Ottoman State's efforts of westernization, especially in military fields, goes way back in history, the declaration of Tanzimat Edict (1839) has been accepted as its official beginning. Important steps were taken in the field of education during this period, as in many other fields of Ottoman Turkish society. Especially gaining the girls into the world of education for the first time was realized by the foundation of Inas (girls) schools in 1870s. The emergence of the first samples of Turkish novels as a literary style also happened in this period. Murabbiyes/enstitutris (governesses) were given a place in the novels that shed light on social life. By means of this profession which was first imported from Europe and then turned into a way of making a living, European governesses started to appear in the mansions and cottages of the affluent Ottoman Turkish families. Jozefino in Ahmet Midhat Efendi's novel titled Felatun Bey'le Rakim Efendi, Anjel in Huseyin Rahmi's novel Murebbiye, and Courton in Halid Ziya's novel Ask-i Memnu were first the examplary characters that represented governess for children in this period. In the framework of this article, we will deal with the place of the governesses in Ottoman Turkish modernization. We will try to explain the characteristics of the governesses who existed in the early novels and what function they carried out in the discipline and training of the children.