Amasyalıdır. Amasya‘da hattât-ı meşhûr olan Hâfız Fazlullâh Efendi’nin mahdûmudur. Pederinden ve amcası Hâfız Ahmed Efendi’den hutût-ı mütenevviayı ahz ve temeşşuk edib İstanbul’a gitdi.
Orada Amasyalı Nefiszâde es-Seyyid İsmâil Efendi’den de ta’lim-i hutût ederek mezûn olup Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn küttâbına iltihâk etdi. Ba’dehû Amasyalı Hüseyin Paşa’ya Gümrük emîni iken kâtibi ve 1095’de vezîr oldukda dîvân kâtibi olup vefâtında İstanbul’a avdet etdi.
1103’de mâliye tezkirecisi, 1105’de Reîsülküttâb [310] kâim-makâmı, 1106’da hazîne muhâsebecisi, 1108’de vekâleten kethüdâ-yı sadr-ı âlî olup 1109’da hastalığından dolayı ma’zûl ve 1110’da merhûm oldu. Hâcegân-ı dîvân-ı hümâyûndan bir hattât-ı meşhûr idi.¹⁷²
In Modern English
He was a native of Amasya, the son of Hâfız Fazlullâh Efendi, a celebrated calligrapher of Amasya. He learned the various scripts from his father and from his uncle Hâfız Ahmed Efendi, practised by copying models, and went to Istanbul.
There he also took lessons in writing from Nefiszâde es-Seyyid İsmâil Efendi of Amasya, received his licence, and joined the scribes of the Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn. Later he became secretary to Hüseyin Pasha of Amasya while the Pasha was customs superintendent; when the Pasha became a vizier in 1095 [1683-84] he became his council secretary, and on his death returned to Istanbul.
In 1103 [1691-92] he became financial tezkireci, in 1105 [1693-94] deputy of the reîsülküttâb, in 1106 [1694-95] treasury accountant, and in 1108 [1696-97] acting kethüda to the grand vizier; in 1109 [1697-98] he was dismissed because of illness, and in 1110 [1698-99] he died. He was one of the hâcegân of the Imperial Council and a celebrated calligrapher.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- mahdûm: son
- hutût-ı mütenevvia: the various styles of script
- ahz ve temeşşuk: taking and practising, that is, copying models to train the hand
- ta'lim-i hutût: instruction in writing
- mezûn: licensed, holder of an icazet
- küttâb: scribes
- iltihâk: joining
- gümrük emîni: superintendent of customs
- maliye tezkirecisi: the official who drew up official notes in the finance department
- reîsülküttâb kâim-makâmı: deputy of the reîsülküttâb
- kethüdâ-yı sadr-ı âlî: the grand vizier's principal assistant and officer
- ma'zûl: dismissed
- hâcegân: the senior scribes of the Imperial Council
His Teacher Nefiszâde İsmâil Efendi
Hüsameddin names Emîn Mehmed's teacher as "Nefiszâde es-Seyyid İsmâil Efendi of Amasya". According to the entry in volume 7 of the book (p. 306–307), İsmâil Efendi was a scribe of the Imperial Council, taught writing, was the teacher of Hâfız Osman Efendi, and died in 1085 [1674-75]. The same entry notes that other sources give the death as 1084 [1673-74] and 1090 [1679-80]. The encyclopedia entry says that Nefeszâde was born in Istanbul, learned the six scripts from Hâlid Erzurûmî and received his licence, was the only representative of the Şeyh Hamdullah manner in his time, that Hâfız Osman learned this manner from him, and that he died in 1090 [1679]. Hüsameddin reconciles the two accounts in his own entry by saying "Istanbulite by residence, Amasyalı by birth".
According to the order of Hüsameddin's account, this training precedes Hüseyin Pasha's vizierate of 1095. That Nefeszâde died in 1090 at the latest does not conflict with this (inference).
Hüseyin Pasha of Amasya
The entry "Hüseyin Paşa-Gümrükçü el-Hâc" in volume 9 of the book (p. 32) describes this pasha. He was the son of Mustafa of Amasya, became kethüda to Küçük Hasan Pasha of Amasya, and became customs superintendent in Zilkade 1083 [1673] on the death of his brother-in-law. On the twenty-first day of Ramazan 1095 [1684] he was sent to Babadağı with the rank of vizier and the sanjaks of Malatya and Ayıntab, then served as governor of Özi, Silistre and Basra, and died in Basra in 1098 [1687]. The text's "when the Pasha became a vizier in 1095" agrees with this. The text says "on his death he returned to Istanbul" without saying who died. If the Pasha's death is meant, the return falls after 1098 (inference).
The Rank of Hâcegân and the Office of the Grand Vizier's Kethüda
According to the encyclopedia entry, the word hâcegân is used for the senior scribes of the Imperial Council; the financial tezkireci, the various accountants, the reîsülküttâb and the grand vizier's kethüda are among the offices counted at this rank. The grand vizier's kethüda is the grand vizier's assistant. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, with his own bureau, he had become the second power in the state after the grand vizier, and he was the first point of appeal at the Porte for provincial mütesellims, âyan, voivodes and judges. Since Fazlızâde's kethüdalık in 1108 was in an acting capacity, it could not be determined from the sources whether he held the full powers of the office.
The Family Line
According to Hüsameddin's footnote 172, his son el-Hâc Veliyüddin Efendi, Efendi of the Janissaries, died in 1132 [1719-20]. Veliyüddin's sons Emîn, Mehmed and Ali Efendi were known as "Veli Efendizâde", belonged to the Istanbul notables, and were calligraphers as well. Emîn Mehmed Efendi, while Efendi of the Janissaries, retired and died in 1160 [1747]; Ali Efendizâde Veli Efendi, while kîsedâr in the Janissary chancery, died in 1192 [1778-79]; and Emîn Mehmed Efendizâde Ali Efendi, while chief assistant of the same chancery, died in 1202 [1787-88].
The Calligrapher Fazlullâh and Hâfız Ahmed Efendi
No information on Hâfız Fazlullâh Efendi or on Hâfız Ahmed Efendi was found in sources other than the book. Another entry in volume 7 (İsmâil Efendi-Fazlızâde, p. 315) records that Fazlullah Efendi's son Hâfız Ahmed, and his son Mehmed Efendi, was chief secretary of the Amasya court. The Fazlızâdes thus appear as a family engaged in writing and clerical work in Amasya. However, that entry makes Ahmed a son of Fazlullah, whereas the entry on Emîn Mehmed calls him Emîn Mehmed's uncle; the two statements do not agree, so either two different men named Ahmed are involved or one of the records is mistaken (inference).
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 7, p. 358. amasya.bel.tr
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 7, p. 306–307 ("İsmâil Efendi-Nefiszâde es-Seyyid") and p. 315 ("İsmâil Efendi-Fazlızâde el-Hâc").
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 9, p. 32 ("Hüseyin Paşa-Gümrükçü el-Hâc").
Academic studies