page_title: Imperial Council (Ottoman Empire)
section_title: Council bureaucracy
hierarchical_section_title: Imperial Council (Ottoman Empire) / Council bureaucracy
caption_attribution_description: English: The Reis Efendi, or Ottoman Foreign Minister
context_page_description: The Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn, in English the Imperial Council or Imperial Divan, was the de facto cabinet of the Ottoman Empire for most of its history. Initially an informal gathering of the senior ministers presided over by the Sultan in person, in the mid-15th century the Council's composition and function became firmly regulated. The Grand vizier, who became the Sultan's deputy as the head of government, assumed the role of chairing the Council, which comprised also the other viziers, charged with military and political affairs, the two kadi'askers or military judges, the defterdars in charge of finances, the nişancı in charge of the palace scribal service, and later the Kapudan Pasha, the head of the Ottoman Navy, and occasionally the beylerbey of Rumelia and the Agha of the Janissaries. The Council met in a dedicated building in the Second Courtyard of the Topkapi Palace, initially daily, then for four days a week by the 16th century. Its remit encompassed all matters of governance of the Empire, although the exact proceedings are no longer known.
context_section_description: An ever-expanding scribal service, under the supervision of the reis ül-küttab, assisted the members of the Council, preparing the material for its sessions, keeping records of its decisions and creating the necessary documents. As their duties included drafting the state correspondence with other powers, initially they were probably drawn from various milieus, since until the early 16th century the Sultans corresponded with foreign rulers in their own language. After c. 1520 documents were only drawn up in Turkish, Arabic or Persian, and the service seems to have consisted solely of Muslims.
  The main branches of this secretarial service were:
  the main chancery (divan kalemi or beylik/beylikçi kalemi) under the beylikçi, the senior subordinate of the reis ül-küttab. This was the office responsible for drafting and publishing all imperial decrees (firman) or ordinances on all issues except for financial ones, and for keeping an archive of the originals of all laws and regulations (kanun) as well as treaties or other documents concerning relations with other states.
  the tahvil kalemi, also nişan or kese kalemi, which issued the documents of appointment for the posts of vizier, beylerbey, sanjakbey and provincial kadi, and kept the relevant records. In addition, it dealt with the grant and transfer of timars and ziamets.
  the ruus kalemi, which was responsible for the appointments of all other civil, military or religious officials beyond those dealt with by the tahvil kalemi.
  the offices of the master of ceremonies (tesrifatçı) and official court chronicler (vakanüvis) who kept records on ceremonies and history.
  a later addition, the amedi or amedci, the chief of staff to the reis ül-küttab, headed a department responsible for the conduct of foreign affairs, as well as for the liaison between the various government departments and the palace.
caption: The reis ül-küttab
exif: {}