a council chamber or court of justice among the eastern nations, particularly the Turks.—The word is Arabic, and signifies the same with sofa in the Turkish dialect.

There are two sorts of divans; that of the grand signior, called the council of state, which consists of seven of the principal officers of the empire; and that of the grand vizir, composed of fix other vizirs or counsellors of state, the chancellor, and secretaries of state, for the distribution of justice.

The word is also used for a hall in the private houses of the orientals. The custom of China does not allow the receiving of visits in the inner parts of the house, but only at the entry, in a divan contrived on purpose for ceremonies.

Travellers relate wonders of the silence and expedition of the divans of the east.

DIVAN-Beghi, the superintendent of justice in Persia, whose place is the last of the fix ministers of the second rank, who are all under the aghamaduler or first minister. To this tribunal of the divan-beghi lie appeals from sentences passed by the governors. He has a fixed stipend of 50,000 crowns for administering justice. All the serjeants, uthers, &c. of the court are in his service. He takes cognizance of the criminal causes of the chams, governors, and other great lords of Persia, when accused of any fault. There are divan-beghis not only at court and in the capital, but also in the provinces and other cities of the empire. The Alcoran is the sole rule of his administration of justice, which also he interprets at pleasure. He takes no cognizance of civil causes; but all differences arising between the officers of the king's household and between foreign ministers are determined by him.