Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsameddîn H.1319 (M.1901-1902)’da Şeyhülislâm Mehmed Cemâleddîn Efendi’nin takdîriyle Surre-i Hümâyûn Niyâbet-i şer’iyyesine tayin olmuş ikinci kez Şâm ve Hicâz’a gitmiştir. Dönüşünde Köprü naibliğine tayin olduğu esnâda Amasya’da araştırmalarına devam etmiş, H.1321 yılı Muharrem ayının ilk günü (M. 30 Mart 1903) işe başlamış bir taraftan da Köprü’ye dâir araştırmalarını tamamlamaya çalışmıştır.
Köprü’deki görevini tamamladıktan sonra H.1323 şabanının yirmisinde (M. 20 Ekim 1905) Osmancık nâibliğine nakl edilmiş, Meşrûtiyet’in ilân edilmesinin ardından Nîksâr nâibliğine tayin olmuş, H.1326 Zilkadesinde (M. Kasım /Aralık 1908) işe başlamıştır.
Niksar’dan sonra 14 Nisan 1911’de Refahiye nâibliğine getirilmiş ve aynı zamanda Evkaf Nezareti tarafından Kuyûd-ı Kadîme Arapça Mütercimliği görevi verilmiştir. Bu nezarette Mülhaka Kalemi Mümeyyizliği, Levâzım ve Mebânî Mümeyyizliği ve Kuyûd Kalemi Mümeyyizliği görevlerinde bulunmuştur.¹⁶
Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsameddîn, İstanbul’a tayin edilmesi sonrasında, kütüphaneleri teftiş etmek amacıyla da görevlendirilmesi ona Amasya Tarihi için daha fazla vesika bulma imkanı sağlamıştır.¹⁷ Kütüpnahelerdeki vakfiyeleri tasnif etmek amacıyla oluşturulan komisyonda yer alması vakıflarla ilgili malumatını artırmış ve bu birikimini Amasya Tarihi’ne de yansıtmıştır. 1911 yılında Evkaf-ı İslamiyye Matbaası Müşahidliği’ne 500 kuruş mukabilinde atanmış ardından Ayasofya’da özel bir odada evrak tasnifi ile görevlendirilmiştir. Zaten Amasya Tarihi içerisinde sık sık Ayasofya mahzeninde bulunan evraklara atıflar yapması muhtemelen bu sırada da Amasya ve Amasyalılar ile ilgili vesika toplamaya devam ettiğini göstermektedir. 1917 yılında Kuyûd-ı Vakfiye Kalemi Arabî Mütercimliği’ne getirilmiş ve bu sürede ilmi çalışmalarına da devam etmiştir. 1921 yılında Topkapı Saray-ı Hümâyûnu’nda bulunan Bağdat ve Revan Köşkü Kasr-ı Hümâyûnları kütüphanelerinin, Topkapı Saray-ı Hümâyûnu Kütüphanesi’nin ve ayrıca bütün İstanbul kütüphanelerinin en kıymetli müellif hattı kitaplarının incelenmesi amacıyla kurulan komisyonda görev almıştır.¹⁸
Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsameddîn’in Vakıf Kayıtları İdaresi Mümeyyizliği görevini üstlenmiş olması onun arşiv belgeleri hakkındaki bilgi ve tecrübesini artırmıştır. Bu görevi üstlendiği sırada vakıf kayıtlarının tasnifi ile de ilgilenmiştir. Onun döneminde “Umûmî Vakfiye Fihristi” (üç cilt) de denilen eser hazırlanmıştır. Eser, Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsameddîn’in el yazısı ile kaleme alınmıştır. Bu Fihrist Defterleri; Vakfiye Fihristleri (üç cilt), İl Fihristleri (Her il için ayrı), İstanbul Fihristi (Padişah, Sultan ve Paşalara aittir) olmak üzere üçe ayrılmaktadır. Bu defterler; eski vilâyet taksimatına göre, vâkıfların adları ile şahsiyetlerinin hangi Esas defterinde kayıtlı olduğunu gösteren ön bilgiler Vakfiye, Hazine ve Esas defterlerindeki kayıtlardan hareketle oluşturulmuştur.¹⁹
In Modern English
Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsameddîn, in the Hijri year 1319 (1901-1902 CE), through the esteem of Şeyhülislam Mehmed Cemâleddîn Efendi, was appointed to the Surre-i Hümâyun Sharia Deputy Judgeship (Şer'î Nâibliği) and went for the second time to Damascus and the Hejaz. When on his return he was appointed to the naibship of Köprü, he continued his researches in Amasya; he took up the post on the first day of Muharrem 1321 (30 March 1903 CE), and at the same time tried to complete his researches on Köprü.
After finishing his post in Köprü he was transferred to the naibship of Osmancık on the twentieth of Şaban 1323 (20 October 1905 CE); after the proclamation of the Constitution (Meşrutiyet) he was appointed to the naibship of Niksar and took up the post in Zilkade 1326 (November/December 1908 CE).
After Niksar, on 14 April 1911 he was brought to the naibship of Refahiye and at the same time was given by the Ministry of Waqfs (Evkaf Nezareti) the post of Arabic translator for Old Records (Kuyûd-ı Kadîme). In this ministry he served as inspector (mümeyyiz) of the Mülhaka Office, inspector of the Levâzım and Mebânî Office, and inspector of the Kuyûd Office.
The fact that Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsameddîn was charged with inspecting libraries after his appointment to Istanbul gave him the opportunity to find more documents for Amasya Tarihi. His membership of the commission established to classify the waqf deeds in the libraries increased his knowledge of waqfs, and he reflected this accumulation in Amasya Tarihi as well. In 1911 he was appointed Observer (Müşahit) of the Evkaf-ı İslâmiyye Press at 500 kuruş, and was then assigned to sort papers in a special room in Hagia Sophia. His frequent references in Amasya Tarihi to the papers in the Hagia Sophia cellar probably show that at this time too he continued collecting documents concerning Amasya and the people of Amasya. In 1917 he was brought to the Arabic translatorship of the Kuyûd-ı Vakfiye Office, and during this time he continued his scholarly work too. In 1921 he took part in the commission established to examine the Baghdad and Revan Kiosk libraries in Topkapı Palace, the Topkapı Palace Library, and also the most valuable author manuscripts in all the libraries of Istanbul.
Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsameddîn's taking on the inspectorship of the Waqf Records Administration increased his knowledge and experience of archival documents. While in this post he also concerned himself with the classification of the waqf records. In his time the work also called the "Umûmî Vakfiye Fihristi" (three volumes) was prepared. The work was written in Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsameddîn's own hand. These index registers are divided into three: the Vakfiye Indexes (three volumes), the Provincial Indexes (separate for each province) and the Istanbul Index (belonging to sultans, ladies of the dynasty and pashas). These registers consist of preliminary information, according to the old division into provinces, showing the names of waqf founders and in which main register their persons are recorded; they were prepared from the records in the Vakfiye, Treasury and Main registers.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- surre-i hümâyun: the delegation carrying money and gifts sent every year to Mecca and Medina in the name of the sultan
- niyâbet-i şer'iyye: a judicial post held on behalf of the kadı, a naibship
- nâib: an official who handled judicial and notarial matters as the kadı's deputy
- Meşrûtiyet: constitutional government; proclaimed again in 1908
- Evkaf Nezareti: the Ministry of Waqfs
- kuyûd-ı kadîme: old records
- mütercim: translator
- mümeyyiz: an official who inspects records
- mülhaka: affiliated waqfs
- levâzım ve mebânî: supplies and buildings
- vakfiye: waqf deed
- tasnif: classification
- fihrist: index
- mahzen: an underground storeroom
The Posts in Order
The encyclopedia entry confirms this order of posts with the same dates: his gaining the esteem of Cemâleddin Efendi in 1901 and appointment to the Surre-i Hümâyun Sharia Naibship, then the naibship of Vezirköprü (starting the post in March 1903), Osmancık in October 1905, then Niksar, and Refahiye in 1911. The "Köprü" in the introduction and the "Vezirköprü" in the encyclopedia are the same place. The last civil service post was Arabic translator of old records at the Ministry of Waqfs.
Provincial Posts
The author's serving as nâib in districts such as Vezirköprü, Osmancık, Niksar and Refahiye fits with his close interest in the settlements around Amasya. The introduction states that while serving in Köprü the author tried to complete his researches on that place. No information could be found in any source on how far these posts were reflected in the later volumes of the work.
Târîh-i Osmânî Encümeni
According to the encyclopedia entry, the author was a member of the Târîh-i Osmânî Encümeni from its founding. The Encümen was founded on 27 November 1909, in the Second Constitutional period, at the proposal of Grand Vizier Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha and by the will of Sultan Mehmed Reşad, in order to instil national consciousness and love of the homeland in the public. The first issue of the Encümen's organ, Târîh-i Osmânî Encümeni Mecmuası, appeared on 14 April 1910. About 280 articles by some fifty authors were published in the journal. The Encümen was closed in 1931 and replaced by the Türk Tarihi Tedkik Cemiyeti, which took the name Türk Tarih Kurumu in 1935.
Waqf Records and Amasya Tarihi
The encyclopedia entry notes that the author consulted first-hand sources he found in Istanbul in libraries, court registers, waqf deeds, inscriptions and gravestones. The same entry reports that on the commission for inspecting libraries he worked together with Bursalı Mehmed Tâhir and Kilisli Rifat Bilge. The history section of the work Evkāf-ı Hümâyun Nezâretinin Târihçe-i Teşkîlâtı ve Nüzzârın Terâcim-i Ahvâli, which the author wrote in 1916-17 together with İbnülemin Mahmud Kemal, is his. This work is a product of his experience with waqf records.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, Introductory Volume, p. 17–18. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies