Amasyalıdır. 1113’de Bağdâd harbinde vefât eden Rahtuvân el-Hâc Mehmed Paşa’nın mahdûmudur. Amasya’da tevellüd edib pederi Şâm mütesellimi iken birâderi Osmân Bey’le beraber Şâm ulemâsından ahz-ı ulûm ederek Amasya’ya geldi.
Pederinin Cidde ve Habeş beylerbeyiliği zamanında îfâ-yı Hac edib ba’zı bilâda ve eyâletlere pederi tarafından mütesellim oldu. Pederinin vefâtında Amasya’ya gelip 1114’de Yâkutiyye, 1120’de Bâyezîd Paşa, 1121’de Hüseyin Ağa vakıflarına mütevellî oldu. 1122’de mîr-livâ olup ma’zûlen Amasya’ya geldikde mükerreren baş-a’yân olmuşdu. [140]
Ancak etbâ’ının ba’zı ahvâl-i nâ-becâya cür’eti ve rukabâsının da şikâyeti yüzünden birkaç def’a teftîşe uğradı. Mîr-i mîrân olacağı esnâda Hüseyin Ağa vakfından zimmeti çıkarılıp terakkîsine mâni’alar ihdâs eyledi. Nihâyet 1143 vak’asında rüfekâsıyla birlikde Samsun’a iclâ ve kal’abend edilip zilhiccesinde vefât etdi. Bekir Beyzâde Ömer Paşa’nın dâmâdıdır.
Âlim, fâzıl, edîp, şâir, hasîb, gâyet mükerrem, beşûş, servet ü yesâre mâlik, hânesi mahfel-i üdebâ ve mecma’-ı ulemâ idi. Haftada bir def’a ulemâ ve şu’arâyı hânesinde cem’ ederek onlarla ilmî ve edebî musâhebeler eder, isbât-ı meziyyet edenlere atıyyeler verirdi. Mahdûmları Ömer Lütfî, Mehmed Avnî Beylerdir. Birâderleri Osmân, Ali, Ahmed beylerdir. Ömer Beyzâdeler ahfâdı bâkidir.
In Modern English
He was a native of Amasya, the son of Rahtuvan el-Hâc Mehmed Pasha, who died in the battle of Baghdad in 1113 [1701-02]. He was born in Amasya. While his father was mütesellim of Damascus, he learned from the scholars of Damascus together with his brother Osman Bey and then came to Amasya.
During his father's time as beylerbeyi of Jeddah and Abyssinia he performed the pilgrimage; his father sent him as mütesellim to certain districts and provinces. When his father died he came to Amasya and became mütevelli of the Yâkûtiyye waqf in 1114 [1702-03], of the Bâyezîd Pasha waqf in 1120 [1708-09], and of the Hüseyin Ağa waqf in 1121 [1709-10]. In 1122 [1710-11] he became mîr-livâ (sanjak bey); when he was dismissed and returned to Amasya, he had again become baş-a'yân (head of the ayan).
However, because his partisans dared to commit some improper acts and because of his rivals' complaints, he was subjected to investigation several times. Just when he was to become mîr-i mîrân (beylerbeyi), his responsibility (zimmet) for the Hüseyin Ağa waqf was brought up, and this obstructed his rise. Finally, in the events of 1143 [1730-31], he was exiled to Samsun together with his companions and imprisoned in the fortress, and he died in Dhu al-Hijjah. He was the son-in-law of Bekir Beyzâde Ömer Pasha.
He was a scholar, a man of virtue, a man of letters, a poet, skilled in arithmetic, very generous, cheerful, wealthy and comfortable. His house was the gathering place of the community of literati and a meeting place for scholars. Once a week he gathered scholars and poets in his house, held learned and literary conversation with them, and gave gifts to those who excelled. His sons were Ömer Lütfî Bey and Mehmed Avnî Bey. His brothers were Osman Bey, Ali Bey and Ahmed Bey. The grandchildren of the Ömer Beyzâdes are living.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- mütesellim: deputy who governs a place on behalf of a governor or sanjak bey
- baş-a'yân: head of the notables of a town
- mîr-livâ: sanjak bey
- mîr-i mîrân: beylerbeyi
- ma'zûl: dismissed from office
- etbâ': partisans, followers
- rukabâ: rivals
- teftîş: investigation
- iclâ ve kal'abend: exile and confinement in a fortress
- hasîb: skilled in arithmetic
- beşûş: cheerful
- atıyye: gift, present
An Ayan and a Literary Circle
İlmî Bey's life opens in two directions. The first is the administration of Amasya's waqfs. The Yâkûtiyye waqf that Hüsameddin mentions can be linked to the waqf of the Yâkub Pasha Tekke; this tekke was founded in 1412 and is a Khalwati foundation, and according to the sources stewardship of the waqf passed in time to the line of Müeyyed Çelebi. According to Hüsameddin's own account, İlmî Bey's becoming mütevelli of this waqf in 1114 came immediately after his father's death.
The second is the literary circle he held at his house. His gathering scholars and poets once a week for conversation is an example of how Ottoman cultural life continued even in the provinces. However, no detail on this circle or on İlmî Bey's poems was found in any source other than Hüsameddin; the book gives no sample of his work.
The date of the exile, 1143, is the year of the Patrona Halil rebellion. That rebellion led in 1730 to the deposition of Ahmed III. After the rebellion disorder continued in the provinces as well: according to one article, in June 1731 a janissary gang leader in Amasya declared himself the "second Patrona," beat the kadı and caused great disturbances. Whether İlmî Bey's exile to Samsun had any connection with these events cannot be understood from the book; Hüsameddin lists as the reason only the investigations from the period of his ayan leadership.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 52–52. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies