Nisanci (Turkish: Nişancı) was a high post in Ottoman bureaucracy . The word nisancı literally means court calligrapher or sealer and the original duty of the nisancı was to seal royal precepts.
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Although the post of the court calligrapher was established during the reign of Orhan (1324–1361) the name nisancı came into use during the reign of Murat II (1421–1451). According to the law of Mehmet II (1451–1481) nisanci was a member of the divan (Ottoman government). Beginning by the mid 18th century, the post lost its former importance and in 1836 it was abolished.[1]
The nisanci was responsible in sealing the precepts of the sultan and the grand vizier. The nisancı was also responsible in supervising the divan’s archives and keeping the records of the timar system (lands granted by the Ottoman sultans to bureaucrats and sipahi soldiers in return to their services.) Up to 17th century the post of nisancı was also the equivalent of foreign ministry. But, during the reign of Mehmet IV (1648–1687), reisülküttap (literally the chief of clerks) a previously subordinate post of Nisanci, replaced nisancı in foreign office.[2]