Abstract:

The word missionary is derived from the Latin word "missio". This word was translated into English and French as "mission". Mission lexically means duty, authority, power of attorney, and a special duty given to someone to do a job. In the most common and special sense, mission means to spread the Gospel to non-Christian people. In this context, a missioner refers to a person who is authorized, in charge, and committed to disseminating an idea. To become a big state, America initiated its attempts to conquer the Ottoman Empire internally by using its traders and missioners without violating the foreign policy principles it had newly adopted. The American Board was selected as a particular area for missionary activities and an area of education that could easily penetrate the society. The American Board headed towards constructions for missionary activities in the Ottoman lands and initiated official attempts to buy plots and lands to construct on and buildings from the state. The board began to get valuable properties in significant regions of the Ottoman Empire. It initiated missionary activities in the schools it opened in these properties. The American Board, which operated in the Ottoman lands, tried to instill the ideas of freedom in the students of different races and nationalities and arouse their national consciousness with the curricula followed and the books taught in classes. For example, Armenian and Armenian literature were taught in the curricula of Bebek College and Pera Boys' and Girls' Schools. Similarly, Greek education was also given in missionary schools. Students who graduated from these schools began to spread the ideas of independence among the people in their communities. The fact that Bulgaria's constituent statesmen studied at Robert College supports this issue. Likewise, administrators who led Arab nationalism were educated in the Syrian Protestant College.

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