Amasya’nın Üçler Mahallesi’nden Mehmed bin Hamza oğludur. Genç iken güzel ve gürbüz olduğundan Bekir Beyzâde Ebûbekir Paşa dâ’iresine aldı. Paşa’nın sâye-i ikbâlinde tefeyyüz ederek kethüdâsı olup nüfûz ve servet kazandı.
Paşanın vefâtında mukata’ât iltizâmında iştihâr edib meclis-i a’yân a’zâsı oldu. 1200 senesi hilâlinde vefât etdi. Oğulları; el-Hâc Mehmed, Hamza Ağalardır. Hacı Mehmed Ağa’nın oğulları İbrâhim, Mustafa Ağalar olup, İbrâhim Ağazâde el-Hâc Mustafa Efendi meşâhîr-i ulemâdandır. Bunlara “Şehirli Oğulları” dendi. Hamza Ağazâde diğer el-Hâc Mustafa Efendi de ulemâdandır.
In Modern English
He is Mehmed, son of Hamza, of the Üçler Quarter of Amasya. Since he was handsome and sturdy in his youth, Bekir Beyzâde Ebûbekir Pasha took him into his retinue. Rising under the pasha's patronage, he became his steward (kethüda) and gained influence and wealth.
After the pasha's death he became famous through revenue farming (mukataa iltizamı) and became a member of the council of notables. He died in early 1200 [1785-86]. His sons were el-Hâc Mehmed and Hamza Ağa. The sons of Hacı Mehmed Ağa were İbrahim and Mustafa Ağa, and İbrahim Ağazâde el-Hâc Mustafa Efendi was one of the well-known scholars. They were called "Şehirli Oğulları" (the Sons of Şehirli). The other el-Hâc Mustafa Efendi, Hamza Ağazâde, was also one of the scholars.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- dâ'ire: retinue, circle, sphere of service
- sâye-i ikbâl: the shadow of fortune and patronage
- tefeyyüz: benefiting and advancing
- kethüdâ: steward who manages the affairs of a vizier or leading man
- mukata'ât iltizâmı: collection of state revenues by auction for a fixed sum
- iştihâr: becoming famous
- hilâl: beginning of the month
- meşâhîr-i ulemâ: well-known scholars
Bekir Beyzâde and the Şehirli Oğulları
The text summarizes the path of a notable who rose around a great household: entering a pasha's retinue at a young age, serving as steward, taking revenue farms, and then joining the council of notables. Iltizam is the leaving of state revenues to a person for a fixed sum; earning wealth from it was the common path of provincial notables in the eighteenth century. Ahmed Ağa's name passed to the Şehirli Oğulları, and two of his grandsons are also mentioned as scholars. According to the text, the family also turned to the path of learning.
No information on Bekir Beyzâde Ebûbekir Pasha and on Ahmed Ağa and his family was found in other sources.
Bibliography
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, pp. 212–212. amasya.bel.tr