Printing and Telegraphs in the Ottoman world

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

I've been trying to find out some info on this for a wgile but its pretty thin on the ground. I know there are a couple of good books on the subject but they seem pretty expensive so I was hoping you guys might know something. Anyway here's my question:

What event had the greater impact on the spreading of ideas of change in the Ottoman Empire?

a) The introduction of printing in the 1720's

b) The introduction of the telegraph in the 1850's

[edyzmedieval]

I would say the first one.

The Ottomans were conservatives, so they used the books, rarely they used the telegraph.

Hope this helps.

[edyzmedieval]

Double post!!!!!

[Mouzafphaerre]

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The "introduction" of printing is more of an urban legend than sheer fact. It was in Istanbul that the first printing was made at that date. In the European part of the empire, the technique had been in use.

Manuscript copying was a huge business, more than enough to supply the necessary amount of any written thing.

As for telegraph, it was introduced almost promptly such as the phonograph, subway (albeit a tiny one) etc.

I'll have to do a lot of bookworming if you ask for references though.
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