Amasyalıdır. Esbak kul kethüdâsı Mataracı Cebecioğlu İbrâhim Ağa bin Mehmed Ağa bin Osmân Ağa bin Mahmûd Ağa’nın mahdûmu olup Amasya ve İstanbul’da tahsîl-i ulûm ederek kürsî meşâyihi silkine girdi. Arab Câmii kürsî şeyhi oldu.
Hubyârlı es-Seyyid el-Hâc Ahmed Paşa’ya ve Hatîbzâde Nâ’ilî Abdullah Paşa’ya hemşehrilik sâ’ikası ile fazla te’alluk ve münâsebeti olduğundan bunların eyyâm-ı ikbâlinde merci-i enâm olup iştihâr etdi. Ba’dehû ilâveten Yeni Vâlide Câmii kürsî şeyhi de olup 1168 senesi evâ’ilinde vefât etdi. Âlim, natûk, takrîr ü ifâdesi beliğ, mizâc-gîr bir zât idi.
In Modern English
He was from Amasya. He was the son of Mataracı Cebecioğlu İbrahim Ağa, son of Mehmed Ağa, son of Osman Ağa, son of Mahmud Ağa, a former steward of the palace troops. After studying in Amasya and Istanbul he entered the ranks of the pulpit sheikhs, and became pulpit sheikh of the Arab Mosque.
Because of his very close connection and relations, through shared hometown ties, with Hubyarlı Seyyid Hacı Ahmed Pasha and Hatibzade Nâilî Abdullah Pasha, he became well known as a man to whom people turned in the days when these two were in power. Later he also served additionally as pulpit sheikh of the Yeni Valide Mosque, and he died in early 1168 [1754-55]. He was a scholar, a fine speaker, accomplished in exposition, and a man of winning temperament.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- esbak kul kethüdâsı: former steward of the palace troops; a senior official who oversaw the order and affairs of the kapıkulu soldiers
- mahdûm: son
- tahsîl-i ulûm: acquiring learning
- kürsî şeyhi: a madrasa-educated official who taught and preached from the pulpit in mosques
- sâ'ika: cause, tie
- merci-i enâm: a person to whom the public turned
- eyyâm-ı ikbâl: days of fortune and power
- natûk: a good speaker
- takrîr ü ifâde: power of expression and explanation
- mizâc-gîr: one who wins over the person before him
Hatibzade Nâilî Abdullah Pasha
The Abdullah Nâilî Pasha named in the text served as grand vizier for about three months in 1755; when dismissed he was exiled to the island of Chios, then pardoned and appointed governor of Crete. In 1758 he went to Jeddah as governor and died on the road while travelling to the pilgrimage. He is known for his work Mukaddime-i Kavânîn-i Teşrîfât, a compilation of ceremonial rules. According to the encyclopedia entry he was born in Istanbul; what Hüsameddin means by a bond of "shared hometown" therefore cannot be verified from the information he himself gives. It is evident that Hüsameddin believed the pasha had a tie to Amasya; the encyclopedic source mentions no such tie.
Hubyarlı Ahmed Pasha
The Hubyarlı Hacı Ahmed Pasha in the text is most likely the grand vizier called Hobyarlı Ahmed Pasha in some sources. He is reported to have served about two years as grand vizier under Mahmud I, to have died in 1753 while governor of Aleppo, and to have been involved in trade and jewelry. His nickname is linked to the Hobyar quarter of Istanbul. Because this information rests on a grandson's account, it is not a firm source, and Ahmed Pasha's being from Amasya could not be verified from it. The same grand vizier also appears in Hüsameddin's entry no. 657.
No information was found in other sources about Mataracızâde Ahmed Efendi himself or his father's family.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 202. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies
Other sources