Amasyalıdır. Fethiye Mahallesi eşrâfından Niyazoğlu Mustafa Ağa’nın mahdûmudur. Ceddi şâir-i meşhûr Niyâzî Mehmed Çelebi’dir. Evâ’il-i hâlinde talebe-i ulûmdan olup oldukça tahsîl gördü. Ba’dehû pederinin cizye-dârlığında kâtibi oldu.
1031’de şehir kethüdâsı olup yedi yıl mevki’ini hüsn-i muhâfaza etdi. 1038 muharreminde azledilip 1042 senesi muharreminde sâniyen şehir kethüdâlığına geldiyse de saferinde ma’zûl oldu. 1044 senesi ramazânında sâlisen şehir kethüdâsı olup altı yıl kadar devam etdi.
1050 senesi rebîülevvelinde ma’zûl ve 1054 muharreminde râbi’an [443] şehir kethüdâsı oldu. Ancak sene-i mezbûre zilka’desinde Bağdâdlı oğlu Osmân Ağa’nın nüfûzuna karşı duramadığından isti’fâ edib çekildi.
1057’de İstanbul’a gidip Amasyalı Sıdkı Mustafa Paşa’ya efendiliğinde intisâb etdi. 1058’de müşârün-ileyhin riyâsetinde kethüdâsı oldu. On yıl kadar Paşa’nın mu’temedi olarak İstanbul’da kaldı. 1068’de ihtiyârlığı hasebiyle avdet edib 1073’de vefât etdi.
Nüfûz ve serveti yerinde, âkil, müdebbir bir zât idi. Bazen Bâlî Bey diye anılır, bazen de Bâlî Ağa denirdi. Me’ârif-âşinâ idi. Mahdûmları el-Hâc Osmân, Hasan Ağalardır. Hacı Hasan Ağazâde el-Hâc Mehmed Ağa eşrâfdan idi. Bunlara ve evlâdına Molla Bâlî Oğulları dendi.
In Modern English
He was a man of Amasya. He is the son of Niyazoğlu Mustafa Ağa, one of the notables of the Fethiye Quarter. His grandfather was the famous poet Niyâzî Mehmed Çelebi. In the early part of his life he was one of the students of the sciences and received a fair education. Then he became the clerk of his father in the collection of the poll tax (cizye).
In 1031 [1621-22] he became city steward (şehir kethüdası) and held this position well for seven years. In Muharrem of 1038 [1628] he was dismissed; in Muharrem of 1042 [1632] he came a second time to the city stewardship, but was again dismissed in Safer. In Ramazan of 1044 [1635] he became city steward for the third time and held it for about six years.
In Rebîülevvel of 1050 [1640] he was dismissed, and in Muharrem of 1054 [1644] he became city steward for the fourth time. But in Zilkade of the same year, being unable to stand against the influence of Bağdatlı oğlu Osman Ağa, he resigned and withdrew.
In 1057 [1647] he went to Istanbul and attached himself, as his lord, to Sıdkı Mustafa Pasha of Amasya. In 1058 [1648] he became his steward under the pasha's leadership. For about ten years he remained in Istanbul as the Pasha's trusted man. In 1068 [1657-58], on account of old age, he returned, and he died in 1073 [1662-63].
His influence and wealth were in good order; he was sensible and prudent. He was sometimes called Bâlî Bey and sometimes Bâlî Ağa. He took an interest in learning and culture. His sons are el-Hâc Osman and Hasan Ağa. Hacı Hasan Ağazâde el-Hâc Mehmed Ağa was one of the notables. They and their children were called the Molla Bâlî Oğulları.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- eşrâf: notables, men of rank and standing
- ced: grandfather
- evâ'il-i hâl: the early years of life
- cizye-dârlık: the office of collecting the cizye (the tax taken from non-Muslims)
- şehir kethüdâsı: the official chosen to manage the affairs of the city's people
- ma'zûl: dismissed from office
- sâniyen, sâlisen, râbi'an: for the second, third, fourth time
- isti'fâ: resignation
- mu'temed: a trusted man
- me'ârif-âşinâ: interested in learning and culture
- mahdûm: son
The City Stewardship
According to the source, the city steward was chosen to attend to the services of the people; he was also called "şehir âyanı". In the seventeenth century this post could be filled not only by merchants and prominent craftsmen but also by members of the military class and the notables of the city. Hüsameddin's subject fits this picture: Bâlî Ağa, from a family that had served as cizye clerks, came to this office four times. According to the text, the periods he held it were 1031-1038 (seven years), 1042 (a few months), 1044-1050 (six years) and 1054; in the last he resigned within the same year. The reasons for the dismissals and the resignation, apart from the influence of Bağdatlı oğlu Osman Ağa, are not written in the text and could not be found in another source.
The Fethiye Quarter
The Fethiye Mosque is a building on the south bank of the Yeşilırmak in Amasya that was formerly a Byzantine church. In the Danishmendid period it was converted into a mosque by Fetih Gazi, governor of Amasya, and took the name "Fethiye". It is likely that the Fethiye Quarter took its name from this mosque; this is an inference. No separate record was found for the quarter or the Niyazoğlu family.
What Could Not Be Verified
No information was found in the sources consulted about the poet Niyâzî Mehmed Çelebi, Niyazoğlu Mustafa Ağa, Sıdkı Mustafa Pasha of Amasya and Bağdatlı oğlu Osman Ağa. Later generations of the family known as the Molla Bâlî Oğulları and their traces today could not be found either.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 7, p. 396–397. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies
Official sources