Köprülüdür. Köprü’de müderris ve müftü olup “Kara Müderris” demekle iştihâr eden el-Hâc Mehmed Efendi’nin mahdûmudur. Mukaddimât-ı ulûmu pederinden ahzedib Amasya’ya geldi. Sultân Bâyezîd Medresesinde ikâmet ederek Uzun Müderris el-Hâc Mehmed, Müftü Habilzâde Mehmed, müfessir-i meşhûr Hızır Efendilerden ikmâl-i tahsîl ederek me’zûnen avdetle Köprü’de müderris oldu.
Orada ilm ü faziletle fevkalâde iştihâr edib Fâzıl Ahmed Paşa’nın binâ etdirdiği Taş Medrese müderrisi, ba’dehû Köprü Müftüsü oldu. Bunun zamanında Köprü’de medreseler çoğaldı. Talebe ile doldu. Pek çok ulemâ yetiştirdi. 1092 senesi muharreminin evâ’ilinde vefât etdi. [560] Meşâhîr-i ulemâdan fâzıl, ulûm-ı şer’îyede kâmil, edebiyât-ı Arabîye ve usûl ve kelâmda mâhir, muhakkik bir zât idi. Birkaç yüz talebeye icâzet verdiğini tilmizi Abdurrahman Eşref Merzifonî “Tezkîretü’l-Hikem” adlı eserinde yazıyor.
In Modern English
He was from Köprü. He was the son of el-Hâc Mehmed Efendi, a madrasa professor and mufti in Köprü who was famous as "Kara Müderris." He took the elementary knowledge of learning from his father and came to Amasya. Staying at the Sultan Bâyezid Madrasa, he completed his studies under Uzun Müderris el-Hâc Mehmed, Mufti Habilzâde Mehmed and the famous commentator Hızır Efendis; having received a license, he returned and became a madrasa professor in Köprü.
Gaining extraordinary fame there in learning and virtue, he became professor of the Stone Madrasa built by Fâzıl Ahmed Pasha, and then Mufti of Köprü. In his time the madrasas in Köprü multiplied and filled with students; he trained a great number of scholars. He died in early Muharrem 1092 [February 1681]. He was one of the famous scholars: learned, mature in the religious sciences, a master of Arabic literature, legal methodology and kalam, a deep researcher. His student Abdurrahman Eşref Merzifonî writes in his work "Tezkîretü'l-Hikem" that he granted licenses to several hundred students.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- mukaddimât-ı ulûm: the elementary knowledge of the sciences
- müfessir: commentator on the Qur'an
- me'zûnen avdet: returning after receiving a license (icazet)
- iştihâr: gaining fame
- ulûm-ı şer'îye: the religious sciences
- edebiyât-ı Arabîye: Arabic language and literature
- usûl ve kelâm: the method of fiqh and the science of religious reasoning
- muhakkik: a scholar who investigates and determines the truth in detail
- icâzet: permission given to a student to teach and give lessons
- tilmîz: student
The Stone Madrasa
Köprü is present-day Vezirköprü. The Stone Madrasa mentioned in the text was built by Fâzıl Ahmed Pasha. The Vezirköprü Municipality writes that the building was built in 1662, while a cultural inventory record says 1661; there is a one-year discrepancy among the sources. The building consists of 28 small domes and one large one. When first built, its domes were covered with lead; later with tile, and in 1974 with copper. Built of pink Karacaviran stone, the madrasa was used for various purposes until 1964 and has served as a public library since that date. It was repaired in 2002-2003 with local means. A record states that students trained in the madrasa were sent to the Bayezid Madrasa in Amasya; this matches the learning link between Amasya and Köprü that Hüsameddin describes.
His Student Abdurrahman Eşref
The student at the end of the text is Abdurrahman Eşref Efendi of Merzifon. After his madrasa education he served as a kadı and became known for a work he wrote in Turkish in 1728 called "Tezkiretü'l-hikem." The work consists of an introduction, thirty-six tezkires and a conclusion; it is an encyclopedic work that speaks of commentators, hadith scholars and Arabic grammarians. There is one interesting detail: Kara Müderris died in 1681, while the book was written in 1728, so about forty-seven years passed between. Hüsameddin's statement that the number of licenses is mentioned in this work was not checked against the relevant section of the work; this information was not found in the TDV entry.
No information on Kara Müderris himself was found in other sources.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 175–175. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies
Official sources
- "Taşmedrese", Vezirköprü Municipality, tourist sites page.
Other sources