▁emp ire , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁their ▁higher ▁educational ▁levels , ▁started ▁to ▁pull ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁majority , ▁leading ▁to ▁much ▁res ent ment ▁on ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁latter . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁there ▁were ▁ 5 7 1 ▁primary ▁and ▁ 9 4 ▁secondary ▁schools ▁for ▁Ott oman ▁Christians ▁with ▁ 1 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁pup ils ▁in ▁total , ▁a ▁figure ▁that ▁vast ly ▁exceed ed ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁Muslim ▁children ▁in ▁school ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁who ▁were ▁further ▁h inder ed ▁by ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁time ▁spent ▁learning ▁Arab ic ▁and ▁Islam ic ▁the ology . ▁In ▁turn , ▁the ▁higher ▁educational ▁levels ▁of ▁the ▁Christians ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁large ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁economy . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 5 4 ▁wh oles ale ▁companies ▁in ▁Ist an bul , ▁ 5 2 8 ▁were ▁owned ▁by ▁eth nic ▁Gree ks . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Post ▁and ▁the ▁Te legraph ▁Administration ▁were ▁merged , ▁becoming ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Post ▁and ▁Te legraph . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁the ▁first ▁tele phone ▁circuit ▁in ▁Ist an bul ▁was ▁established ▁between ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Post ▁and ▁Te legraph ▁in ▁the ▁So ğ uk ç e ş me ▁quarter ▁and ▁the ▁Post ah ane - i ▁Am ire ▁in ▁the ▁Y en ic ami ▁quarter . ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁May ▁