Ebûbekir Efendi — Müftüzâde es-Seyyid el-Hâc

In Modern English

He was the son of Hacı Efendizâde el-Hâc Ömer Efendi, mufti of Amasya. He studied under Çorumlu Hâfız es-Seyyid el-Hâc Mehmed Efendi and Ayntâbî el-Hâc Mustafa Efendi, became a ders-i âm, and became the son-in-law of his teacher Hoca Ayntâbî Efendi. Later, being müderris (madrasa professor) of the Yakub Pasha Madrasa and a member of the ayan council, he died at the end of 1155 [late 1742 - early 1743]. He was a man of the leading scholars, from a well-rooted family. His son is es-Seyyid Sa'id Ahmed Efendi.

Notes and Research

Old Words in the Text

• müftü: official who issues fatwas on matters of the sharia
• mahdûm: son
• tahsîl etmek: to study
• ders-i âm: a müderris authorized to give public lessons open to all in a mosque
• dâmâd olmak: to marry someone's daughter
• meclis-i a'yân: council made up of the notables of the city
• evâhir: the last days, the end
• a'yân-ı ulemâ: the leading scholars

A Family of Teachers: Ayntâbî and Müftüzâde

Ebûbekir Efendi's life is intertwined with that of Ayntâbîzâde Ebûbekir Efendi, described in the previous entry. Both were students of Çorumlu Hâfız es-Seyyid Mehmed Efendi and of Hoca Ayntâbî Mustafa Efendi; since Müftüzâde married the daughter of his teacher Ayntâbî Efendi, he became the brother-in-law of Ayntâbîzâde. The professorship of the Yakub Pasha Madrasa also stayed within the same circle. In Hüsameddin's list of professors in the first volume it is written that in 1121 "Müftîzâde es-Seyyid Ebûbekir Efendi" came after "Ebûbekir Efendi from among the ulema." Since Ayntâbîzâde died around 1153 [1740-41], Müftüzâde must have taken over this chair after him.

The same list says that the professorship of Müftîzâde es-Seyyid Ebûbekir Efendi ended in 1161 [1748] with "kasr-ı yed", that is, withdrawal of his hand, and that the muhaddis (hadith scholar) Uzun Müderris Süleyman Efendi took his place. This record does not agree with the death date of 1155 in the entry; either the death date is wrong, or the madrasa's share remained in his family's hands for a time after his death and changed hands in 1161. Which of the two is correct could not be established.

A similar name appears in the first volume's list for the Ayas Ağa Madrasa as well: when es-Seyyid Ahmed Sa'îd Efendi, son of Çorumlu Mehmed Efendi, gave up his professorial share in 1144 [1731-32], "Müftüzâde es-Seyyid Hâfız Ebûbekir Efendi" took his place, and in 1145 [1732-33], on his "fevt", the share changed hands again. Since the word "fevt" means both death and the loss of a right, this part of the record can be read in two ways; if death is meant, this person cannot be the subject of the entry. If the loss of the right is meant, it is possible that he is the same person; but since Hüsameddin does not link the two records, nothing certain can be said. The fact that the name of the subject's son is also es-Seyyid Sa'id Ahmed may suggest that this family had a close tie with the family of Çorumlu Mehmed Efendi, but this is only a possibility.

A Müderris in the Ayan Council

That Ebûbekir Efendi was both a müderris and a member of the ayan council reflects the system of governing the Anatolian cities in the eighteenth century. In this century the city kethüdas, also called "şehir âyanı" (city ayan), who were chosen to handle the people's affairs in the cities, could be chosen not only from merchants and leading tradesmen but also from members of the military class and from the notables of the city. The presence of the ulema within this group, which had a say in matters such as taxation, tax-farming and the appointment of officials, also explains the composition of the Amasya councils that Hüsameddin mentions often. The office of city ayan was abolished in 1786 and replaced by elected city kethüdas.

No information was found in other sources on the muftiship at Amasya of his father Hacı Efendizâde Ömer Efendi. The name Hacı Efendizâde also calls to mind the family of Hacı Efendizâde Ömer Pasha, the governor of Egypt whom Hüsameddin mentions; but no link between the two families has been established.

Bibliography

Primary sources

• Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 93. amasya.bel.tr
• Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, vols. 1-4, Amasya Belediyesi e-book, vol. 1, p. 176-177 (the Ayas Ağa and Yakub Pasha madrasas).

Academic studies

• M. Baha Tanman, "Yâkub Paşa Tekkesi", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/yakub-pasa-tekkesi).
• Mehmet Canatar, "Kethüdâ", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/kethuda).