AMASYA 05

Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar

Bismillâhirrahmânirrahîm

Encyclopedia · History of Amasya, Volume 1, p. 74–75 • Edited by: Prof. Dr. Mehmet ARSLAN

Original Text (Ottoman Turkish)

[3] El-hamdü lillâhi rabbi'l-âlemîn ve's-salâtu ve's-selâmu alâ seyyidi'l-mürselîn Muhammedi'n-nebiyyi'l-emîn ve alâ âlihî ve ashâbihi'l-müttakîn ve etbâ'ihi'l-mücâhidîn ilâ yevmi'd-dîn

Nev'-i beşerin ahbârını tasvîr, efkârını tenvîr, âsârını takdîr eden "ilm-i târîh"dir. Eşkâl-i muhtelifede hudûs ve tekerrür eden vekâyi'-i târîhiyye tedkîk olunursa dünyâ içün bir kıdem, zamân için bir bekâ tasavvur olunamaz.

Şu'ûn-ı âlemden her biri hudûs ve zevâl i'tibâriyle birer timsâl-i ibretdir ki hudûsunda bir hikmet, zevâlinde bin nasîhat mündemicdir. Hikmet-i hudûsunda kudret-i İlâhiyyenin bekâsı, nekbet-i zevâlinde mâ-sivânın fenâsı sâbit olur. O bir hikmetdir ki insâna basîreti celb eder. Bu bir nasîhatdır ki her mütefekkiri diyânete cezb eder.

İşte "ilm-i târîh" bu hikem-i hâdisâtı kâfil, bu nesâyih-i şu'ûnu şâmildir. Her kavmin dünyâda esbâb-ı kemâlini, avârız-ı izmihlâlini tasvîr eden "ilm-i târîh"dir. Bir kavmin sa'âdet-i hâlini ikdâr, [4] azamet-i istikbâlini ihzâr eden esbâb-ı mühimmenin biri de târîhini hakkıyla bilmekdir. Kâ'inâtda cereyân eden tebeddülâta, her kavm için ârız olan tahavvülâta atf-ı nazar-ı ibret etmeyen bir millet, hayât-ı siyâsiyyesini muhâfazada te'mîn-i istikbâl edemez. Tedrîcen sademât-ı mühlike-i zevâle ma'rûz olur.

Şu esbâb-ı mühimmeye binâ'en eslâf-ı kirâm, ilm-i târîhe fevkalâde ihtimâm ederek pek çok âsâr-ı muhallede te'lîf, umûmî ve husûsî kütüb-i nâdire tasnîf etmişlerdir. Buhârâ, Bağdâd, Hicâz, Haleb, Semerkand, Kudüs, Merv, Mısır, Yemen gibi bilâd-ı meşhûrenin ahvâl-i husûsiyyesine dâ'ir te'lîfine himmet edilen "Kütüb-i Tevârîh" fevkalâde kıymetdârdır.

Bunların her biri âid olduğu beldeden zuhûr eden e'imme-i ulemâyı, meşâyih-ı fukahâyı, kibâr-ı ümerâyı, a'yân-ı rü'esâyı, erbâb-ı sınâ'âtı; ensâb ve fürû'uyla, terâcim-i ahvâliyle mükemmelen zabt ve tafsîl ve ol beldeye âid olan şu'ûnât-ı hâdiseyi, vukû'ât-ı câriyeyi alâ-vechi's-sıhha kayd ve tatvîl ederek şâyân-ı ibret olan cihâtı enzâr-ı kâ'inâta arz etmekdedir.

Meselâ, "Ebû Bekir el-Hatîb el-Bağdâdî"nin "Târîh-i Bağdâd"ı ve "Lisâneddîn el-Hatîb et-Telmesânî"nin "El-İhâta"sı şu ifâdât-ı âcizânemin birer şâhid-i zî-hayâtıdır. Şu iki Hatîb'in himem-i meşkûresi, bu iki belde-i mu'azzamayı dolayısıyla âlem-i İslâmı [5] ihyâ edecek hidemât-ı ilmiyyedendir. Kemâl-i ihtimâm ile te'lîf edilen şu iki eser-i kıymetdârın nazîri, ma'a't-te'essüf henüz bizde mevcûd değildir.

İstanbul, Bursa, Edirne bir derece istisnâ edilirse bilâd-ı meşhûre-i Osmâniye'den hiçbirinin mükemmel, husûsî bir târîhi yokdur. Bunlarda yalnız ulemâ, meşâyih, şu'arâ bir derece zabt edildiği hâlde kılâ'-ı cesîme, bilâd-ı meşhûre feth eden vüzerâ, ümerâ gibi bahâdırân-ı İslâmın mükemmel terâcim-i ahvâline, ensâb ve fürû'una, himem ve hıdemâtına dâ'ir bir şey yokdur. Bir aşîretden cihângîrâne bir devlet çıkaran bir millet-i mu'azzama için şu gaflete ne kadar te'essüf edilse azdır.

Ez-cümle Amasya, sahâ'if-i tevârîhde mukayyed olan şöhreti, hâdisât ve ricâlinin kesreti i'tibâriyle bilâd-ı meşhûre-i Osmâniye'den ma'dûd olduğu hâlde târîhine dâ'ir şimdiye kadar her ciheti câmi bir eser-i nâfi' görülemedi.

Şu azîz vatana nâçîzâne bir hizmet, târîh-i İslâmın Amasya'ya ta'alluk eden nikât-ı mechûlesini keşf ve tahkîke gayret etmek üzere "Amasya Sancağı"nın vukû'âtına dâ'ir o menba'dan zuhûr, yâhud bu sancakda tavattun eden ricâl ve ulemâyı, a'yân ve şu'arâyı, meşâyih ve a'lâmı, meşâhîr-i benâmı, ashâb-ı hayrâtı, erbâb-ı sınâ'âtı mümkin mertebede ensâb ve fürû'uyla beraber ilâve ederek bir eser tahrîrini tasmîm eyledim. [6]

Şu eseri cem' ve telfîk için mukaddimenin nihâyetinde tafsîl edildiği üzere yirmi beş sene İstanbul, Amasya, Bursa, Hicâz, Sûriye ve sâ'ir bilâd ve kasabât-ı Osmâniye'de vâki' kütübhânelere, bunlarda mevcûd olan kütüb-i tevârîhe, münşe'ât ve mecâmi'-i eslâfa, mehâkim-i şer'iyye sicillâtına mürâca'at ve şâyân-ı istifâde olan kuyûd-ı kadîme, evrâk-ı vakfiye, defâtir-i hâkâniyye ve mahkûkât-ı muhallede gibi vesâ'ik-i atîkayı taharrî ve mütâla'ada bezl-i makderet ederek terkîm ve bir mukaddime, iki bâba taksîm edib "Amasya Târîhi" nâmıyla tevsîm eyledim.

Binâ'en-aleyh, bir kavl-i meşhûra yâhud her yazılan târîhe mugâyir bir kayda tesâdüf buyurulursa me'hazlara bi'l-mürâca'a tashîh buyurulmasını erbâb-ı tedkîkden ricâya bir vesîle olmak için şu eseri enzâr-ı kâ'inâta arz ve takdîme cesâret etdim. "Feminallâhi'l-i'ânetü ve't-tevfîk".

Our Research Article Editor: Mevlüt Erdem Öztürk

In Modern English

Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds; and blessings and peace upon Muhammad, the master of the prophets and the trustworthy Prophet, upon his pious family and his Companions, and upon all his followers who strive in his path until the Day of Judgment.

The science that recounts what has befallen humankind, that enlightens its thought and weighs the worth of its works is "the science of history." If one examines historical events as they arise and recur in many forms, one can conceive neither of a beginninglessness for the world nor of permanence for time.

Each of the affairs of the world is an example from which a lesson may be drawn, in its rise as in its decline; in its rise lies a wisdom, and in its decline a thousand counsels. Through the wisdom of its rise, the eternity of the divine power becomes clear; through the calamity of its decline, it becomes clear that everything other than God is perishable. That wisdom gives a person insight; this counsel draws every thoughtful person toward piety.

It is this "science of history" that takes upon itself the wisdom of these events and embraces the counsels of the world's affairs. It is the "science of history" that tells of the causes of each nation's rise in the world and of the afflictions of its collapse. One of the important causes that secure a nation's present happiness and prepare the greatness of its future is that it knows its own history as it should. A nation that does not look with the eye of a seeker of lessons upon the changes that occur in the universe and the transformations that befall every nation cannot secure its future in preserving its political existence; it is exposed to destructive blows that lead it slowly toward annihilation.

For these important reasons our honored forefathers paid the utmost attention to the science of history, wrote a great many lasting works, and produced rare books of both general and particular character. The "history books" written with great labor on the particular circumstances of famous cities such as Bukhara, Baghdad, the Hejaz, Aleppo, Samarkand, Jerusalem, Merv, Egypt and Yemen are of the highest value.

Each of these records fully the leading scholars raised in its city, the great jurists, the eminent emirs, the notable administrators of the town and the master craftsmen, together with their lineages, branches and life stories; it writes down accurately and in detail the events of that city and its continuing developments, and lays out before the eyes of the world the aspects from which lessons can be drawn.

For example, Ebû Bekir el-Hatîb el-Bağdâdî's Târîh-i Bağdâd and Lisâneddîn el-Hatîb et-Telmesânî's el-İhâta are living witnesses to these humble words of mine. The praiseworthy efforts of these two Hatîbs are scholarly services that will bring to life these two great cities and, through them, the Islamic world. Unfortunately, we do not yet have the like of these two precious works, written with such great care.

Setting aside Istanbul, Bursa and Edirne to some extent, none of the famous Ottoman cities has a complete history of its own. Although in these only the scholars, sheikhs and poets have been recorded to a certain degree, there is nothing at all on the complete life stories, lineages and branches, efforts and services of the Islamic heroes, such as the viziers and emirs who conquered great fortresses and famous cities. For a great nation that brought forth a world-conquering state from a single tribe, no amount of grief is enough for this negligence.

Amasya, one of these cities, is counted among the famous Ottoman cities for its renown recorded on the pages of history and for the abundance of its events and of the personalities it raised; yet up to now no useful work covering every aspect of its history has been found.

To render a humble service to this dear homeland, and to try to bring to light and investigate the unknown points of Islamic history concerning Amasya, I resolved to write a work on the events that took place in the "Sanjak of Amasya," adding, as far as possible and together with their lineages and branches, the statesmen and scholars raised from this source or settled in this sanjak, its notables and poets, its sheikhs and well-known persons, its celebrated figures, its benefactors and its craftsmen.

To collect and bring this work together, as explained in detail at the end of the introduction, for twenty-five years I consulted the libraries of Istanbul, Amasya, Bursa, the Hejaz, Syria and other Ottoman cities and towns, the history books found in them, the ancients' collections of letters and their compilations, and the registers of the sharia courts; I wrote it making every effort I could to search and examine the old records worth drawing on, the waqf deeds, the state registers and old documents such as lasting inscriptions. I divided it into an introduction and two parts and named it Amasya Tarihi.

For this reason, if a record is found contrary to a well-known view or to any history already written, I have dared to set this work before the eyes of the world so that it may be an occasion to ask those who do research to correct it by consulting the sources. "Help and success are from God."

Notes and Research

Old Words in the Text

  • nev'-i beşer: the human race, humankind
  • ahbâr: reports, what has happened
  • hudûs ve zevâl: coming into being and passing away
  • timsâl-i ibret: an example from which a lesson may be drawn
  • mâ-sivâ: everything other than God
  • avârız-ı izmihlâl: the afflictions that lead to collapse
  • sademât-ı mühlike: destructive blows
  • eslâf-ı kirâm: honored forefathers, earlier generations
  • âsâr-ı muhallede: lasting works
  • bilâd-ı meşhûre: famous cities
  • terâcim-i ahvâl: life stories, biographies
  • ensâb ve fürû': lineages and branches
  • ricâl: men of state and learning, leading figures
  • a'yân: the notables of a place
  • ashâb-ı hayrât: those who had charitable works built
  • münşe'ât: collections of letters and correspondence
  • mehâkim-i şer'iyye sicillâtı: the record books of the kadı courts
  • defâtir-i hâkâniyye: the state's official registers
  • mahkûkât-ı muhallede: lasting writings carved in stone, inscriptions
  • tasmîm eylemek: to resolve firmly

The Author and How the Work Came to Be Written

This short preface is the gateway to Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn's great work in twelve volumes. The author was born in November 1869 in the Çeribaşı quarter of Amasya, the son of Abdizâde Hacı Mehmed Ağa. He began his schooling at the Balcı Mektebi in the quarter and continued it at the rüşdiye, where he took Persian lessons; by examining the books in the Abdüllatif Efendi Library, he had already begun in those years to keep his first notes on the history of Amasya. In 1889 he went to Istanbul and settled in the Kalenderhâne Madrasa, touring the Istanbul libraries during holidays; in 1894 he went to Crete, in 1895 to Damascus and the Hejaz, and then he continued gathering material in Amasya, Vezirköprü, Lâdik, Çorum, Merzifon, Bursa and Salonica. The cities listed in the preface correspond exactly to these journeys in the author's life; and the phrase "twenty-five years" is no exaggeration but expresses real labor extending roughly from the late 1880s to the years when the first volume of the work was printed.

His statement in the preface that he consulted court registers also has a concrete basis. In 1898 Hüsameddin was appointed assistant at the military division court (kısmet mahkemesi), and he regarded this post as an opportunity to scan the sharia registers of Istanbul and its surroundings, collecting information on persons connected with Amasya. He later served as a deputy judge (nâib) in Vezirköprü, Osmancık, Niksar and Refahiye, and his last post was as translator of old records at the Ministry of Waqfs (Evkaf Nezâreti). This was a post in which he could directly handle the waqf deeds and old registers he mentions in the preface. He died on 10 February 1939 at his home in Şişli, Istanbul, and was buried in the Feriköy Cemetery.

The Two City Histories He Took as Models

The two works Hüsameddin cites as models are the best-known examples of city historiography in the Islamic world. Hatîb el-Bağdâdî's Târîhu Bağdâd was begun when its author was about thirty years old and was completed twenty years later, in 444 [1052-53]. The work consists of a broad introduction describing the founding of Baghdad, its rivers, bridges and cemeteries, followed by the biographies of 7,831 people who lived in or came to the city. Every stratum of society, from caliphs to craftsmen and from judges to poets, appears in these biographies. The sequence in the preface, "scholars, emirs, notables, men of the trades" (ulemâyı, ümerâyı, a'yânı, erbâb-ı sınâ'âtı), is almost identical to the structure of this work. Târîhu Bağdâd became a model for the city histories written after it; Hüsameddin openly aims to be a link in the same tradition.

The second work is el-İhâta fî ahbâri Gırnâta, the history of Granada by the Andalusian scholar and statesman Lisânüddin İbnü'l-Hatîb. Written between 761 and 769 [1359-1368], it contains the biographies of well-known people who lived in Granada in the fourteenth century; the author also added his own life story at the end of the work. That Hüsameddin likewise placed his own autobiography in the first volume of Amasya Tarihi can be read as a conscious loyalty to this model; but he does not say so himself, and this is an inference.

The author who appears in the text as "Lisâneddîn el-Hatîb et-Telmesânî" is Lisânüddin İbnü'l-Hatîb, who was born in 713 [1313] in the town of Loja (Levşe) in Andalusia. His family was of Yemeni descent and had migrated from Syria to Andalusia; the name "Hatîb" comes from one of his great-grandfathers having served as a preacher (hatîb). He served at the Granada court as vizier and chief secretary of the divan, and at the end of his life, fleeing his enemies at court, he took refuge in 773 [1371] in Tilimsân (Tlemcen, in today's Algeria). The nisba "Telmesânî" used by Hüsameddin most probably derives from this refuge in Tilimsân; however, in the sources the author is more often mentioned together with Granada and Andalusia.

The Claim in the Preface and Its Assessment Today

Hüsameddin complains that, apart from Istanbul, Bursa and Edirne, no Ottoman city has a history of its own. This complaint is the point that still determines the value of the work today. Amasya Tarihi has been regarded by later researchers as a pioneering work of city historiography. It was prepared in twelve volumes, but in the author's lifetime only the first four volumes and the "remainder" (bakiyye) of the fourth volume could be printed. The fifth volume is lost; the manuscript volumes VI-XII were purchased by the Amasya Municipality in 1979. The first volume was published in Istanbul in 1327 rûmî [1911-12], and takes as its subject the founding of the city, its districts, fortresses, quarters, mosques, tombs, scholars and lodges. The text published on this site is based on the complete edition of the work issued by the Amasya Municipality in 2022.

In the last paragraph of the preface the author asks that a record contrary to the sources be corrected if one is seen. This humble request has a reason. While appreciating that Hüsameddin relied on primary sources such as manuscripts, court registers, waqf deeds, inscriptions and gravestones, the researchers who have assessed the work have criticized him for not citing the sources he consulted in many places and for indulging in excessive etymological analogies on some subjects. According to Turgut Akpınar's assessment, despite the solid Islamic education he received, the author is a "staunch Turkist" and defined the aim of his life as researching Turkish history and language. The emphasis in the preface on "a nation that brought forth a world-conquering state from a tribe" is the first sign of this outlook; in the continuation of the introduction, this tendency will be seen more clearly in his effort to link the city's name to a Turkish root.

Despite these criticisms, the German historian Franz Babinger said that on some subjects the work is "a true treasure" and recommended that at least part of it be translated into a Western language. Some errors in the printed volumes of the work were corrected by Sabri Yetkin, the mufti of Amasya, and the first volume was also published in new letters in 1986, partly simplified, by Ali Yılmaz and Mehmet Akkuş. The "Research Article" sections on our site aim, in keeping with the author's own request, to compare the information he gave with present-day research.

Bibliography

Primary sources

Academic studies

Volume 1 contents

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