From an American journalist to a converted Ottoman bureaucrat: Muhammed Alexander Russell Webb

Abstract

The document concerns the appointment of Muhammad Webb Efendi, an American citizen, as the Ottoman Consul General in New York and his receipt of a merit medal. It provides insight into the Ottoman Empire’s procedures for appointing officials to foreign diplomatic positions and its mechanisms for recognizing and rewarding diplomatic service. The date recorded on the document is 28 Jumada al-Awwal 1319 in the Hijri calendar, corresponding to September 7, 1901, in the Gregorian calendar. The document is cataloged under the archival code 373-29 and classified within the ‘İ..HR..’ series, which denote the İrade-i Hariciye (Imperial Edicts on Foreign Affairs) collection, preserved in the Ottoman Archive (Osmanlı Arşivi), formerly known as the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archive (Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, BOA). This collection of documents includes appointments issued by the sultan pertaining to foreign affairs, indicating that the document forms part of a broader framework of diplomatic policy and governance. It is written in Ottoman Turkish using the Rika script style...