Merzifonludur. Oranın müftüsü el-Hâc Mehmed Efendi’nin mahdûmudur. Amasya’da İğnecizâde Fâzıl Abdullah Sânî Efendi’den ikmâl-i tahsîl edib Merzifon’da ders-i âm oldu. Yıllarca tedrîs-i ulûm edib sonra Sultânîye-i Merzifon müderrisi oldu. [625]
İstanbul’da Anadolu kazaskeri olan Merzifonlu Dürrî Mehmed Efendi’nin himmeti ile 1139’da kadı olup 1146’da Gümüşhane kazâsından münfasılen Merzifon’da görüldü. Dürrî Mehmed Efendi’nin 1147 senesi cumâdelâhiresinde Şeyhülislâm olması üzerine Tokat mevleviyyetiyle dâhil-i silk-i mevâlî oldu. 1150 senesinde vefât etdi. Ulemâ-yı mevâlîden idi. Mahdûmu Abdurrahman Efendi’dir.
In Modern English
He was a native of Merzifon, son of Hacı Mehmed Efendi, the mufti of that town. After completing his studies in Amasya under İğnecizâde Fâzıl Abdullah Sânî Efendi, he received authorization to give public lectures in Merzifon. After teaching for years, he became müderris of the Merzifon Sultânî Madrasa.
Through the good offices of Merzifonlu Dürrî Mehmed Efendi, who was Anatolian kazasker in Istanbul, he became a kadı in 1139 [1726-27]; in 1146 [1733-34] he was seen in Merzifon, having left the kadılık of Gümüşhane. When Dürrî Mehmed Efendi became şeyhülislam in Cumâdelâhire 1147 [1734-35], he entered the mevâlî class with the mevleviyet of Tokat. He died in 1150 [1737-38]. He was among the mevâlî ulema. His son is Abdurrahman Efendi.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- mahdûm: son
- ikmâl-i tahsîl: completing one's studies
- ders-i âm: the title of a müderris authorized to give public lectures
- tedrîs-i ulûm: teaching the sciences
- himmet: help, good offices
- münfasılen: having left office
- mevleviyet: a grand kadılık; those of this rank were called "mevâlî"
- dâhil-i silk-i mevâlî: entered the mevâlî class
- ulemâ-yı mevâlî: scholars who had reached the rank of grand kadı
Dürrî Mehmed Efendi, His Patron
The Dürrî Mehmed Efendi of the text is the first name of the Dürrîzâde family, which produced six şeyhülislams in the eighteenth century. According to the encyclopedia entry, while müderris of the Süleymaniye he moved to the kadılık career, served as kadı of Egypt, Mecca and Istanbul in turn, and became Anatolian kazasker in 1726. This date agrees with Hüsameddin's saying that Müftüzâde Ahmed Efendi became a kadı in 1139: the year 1139 corresponds to 1726-27. The same entry also records that Dürrî Efendi was removed from this post after complaints by kadıs; that is, the year Müftüzâde was appointed kadı falls in the first period of Dürrî Efendi's kazaskerlik.
The encyclopedia entry gives Dürrî Mehmed Efendi's becoming şeyhülislam on 3 Cemâziyelâhir 1147 (31 October 1734); Hüsameddin's phrase "the cumâdelâhire of the year 1147" matches this exactly. The entry has no statement that Dürrî Efendi was from Merzifon; his father's name appears as İlyas Efendi. Hüsameddin's calling him "Merzifonlu" may concern either Dürrî Efendi's family origin or another person of the same name; no other source was found to resolve this. Dürrî Efendi suffered a stroke in 1736, was dismissed on 13 April 1736 and was buried in Yeşilkapı Cemetery. Müftüzâde Ahmed Efendi died in 1150, about two years after Dürrî Efendi's dismissal.
The Mevleviyet Rank
The Tokat mevleviyet was one of the grand kadılık grades in the Ottoman ilmiye class; the holder of this rank was counted as entering the "mevâlî" group. Müftüzâde Ahmed Efendi received this rank in the year his supporter rose to the şeyhülislamate. No information on his son Abdurrahman Efendi or on the later fortunes of the family was found in other sources. No source was found for İğnecizâde Fâzıl Abdullah Sânî Efendi either.
Bibliography