Communication system in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century

The concept of communication, which occupies a very important place even today, had a very important place for the states that existed before us. The communication network, which is used for information exchange or intelligence between individuals and states, has increased its effectiveness with the ways it has been built. Although communication over these routes was initially not modern and reliable, they formed the basis of journalistic activities. Especially the communication networks of large states such as the Ottoman Empire, which spread over 3 continents, were widely used. We know that he made efforts to transform the communication organization as a modern institution by ensuring the renewal of these networks. The first institution that existed in the Ottoman Empire in the classical period in terms of communication was the menzilhane organization. We cannot say that menzilhanes were established only for communication purposes. These menzilhanes are divided into those established for the needs of the army during the war, those for the resting and changing horses of messengers for communication purposes, those established for the fulfillment of the pilgrimage, which is a religious duty for Muslims, and those covering other activities. However, during these activities, the messengers forcibly took horses from the people and caused difficulties for the range officers, which put the state in a difficult situation. Despite the regulations, this organization was abolished and the Posta Nezaret was established instead. With the establishment of the Posta Nezareti, the Ottoman Empire aimed to transition to a modern postal system. The aim was to fix the broken system, to ensure timely and confidential communications and, most importantly, to compete with the foreign postal services available in the Ottoman lands. With this supervision, it was now determined how the mails would be sent and how they would be handled. In the early days of the ministry, only postal papers were carried. In time, with the establishment of order, goods and money started to be transported. It was also intended to be the first to send letters of state. Later, postal activities increased as it was made available to the public. After all these applications, the telegraph, a more reliable and faster communication device, was invented. Before the telegraph system, communication was done by traveling on the roads, but now it was done by transmission. With these lines, telegraph lines were established in all provinces of the Ottoman Empire, large and small, and the state began to receive news from its provinces quickly.