TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Sovereignty and central government
Also known as: chancellor
The high-ranking member of the Imperial Council who drew the sultan's tughra on documents.
The nişancı did not only draw the tughra; he also checked that firmans conformed to the law, which is why he was also called müftî-i kânun, “the mufti of the law”. Timar registers were his responsibility too. The famous nişancı Celâlzâde Mustafa Çelebi held the office for many years under Süleyman the Magnificent.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “NİŞANCI” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.