INTRODUCTION (17) (Mukaddime)

In Modern English

Besides these, many viziers, sadrs (persons in high learned offices such as kazasker), emirs, mevlâs (high-ranking members of the learned class) and ayan (notables of the city) were raised in Amasya, and each left a great lineage both in Amasya and in other cities; from among these lines, very many notable persons have won fame in various fields. The very famous among these families are these:

1. "Eretna Bey Family": This is the name for the line of "Sultan Eretna Bey," son of "Ca'fer Bey," one of the Uyghur beys who had attained the closeness of the beylerbeyi "İzzeddin Mehmed Pervane Bey" in Amasya. These later divided into two branches, one called "İnehanlı," the other "Eretnalı." The first are the children of "İnehan bin Ca'fer Bey," the second of "Eretna Bey bin Mehmed Bey." Both branches spread and branched out in Amasya, and their lines could be traced until the dates of 1000. Of these "Mehmed Bey, Ca'fer Bey, Ali Bey, İnehan Bey, Ali Paşa Bey" are famous; from "Ali Paşa" a third branch also arose and was called "Ali Paşazâde."

2. "Atabeg Family": This is the name for the line of "Nâsıreddin Ahmed Bey," who was atabeg of Seljuk Sultan Mes'ud II in Amasya. Three great branches arose from these; one was called "Hoca Mehmed Paşazâde," another "Yörgüç Paşazâde," another "Hızır Paşazâde." Another branch is the "İlyas Beyzâde"; all of these continued their existence, keeping their fame. Today the descendants of "Hoca Mehmed Paşa" and "Hızır Paşa" exist through the female side (zevi'l-erhâm), while the children of "Yörgüç Paşa" exist wholly through the male line (asabât).

3. "İltekin Family": This is the name for the line of "Nâsıru'd-Devle İltekin Harezmî," one of the commanders who conquered Amasya, one of the emirs of "Dânişmend Gazi." These divided into three branches; the "Gıyâseddin Mahmud" branch remained in Konya, the "Hüsâmeddin Hüseyin Rûmî" branch in Egypt, and only the "Aydın" branch branched out in Amasya. Later the "Kağnı" branch came out of these, whose members could be found until the date 1100. Of these "Aydın Paşa, Ali, Hasan Beys" are famous.

4. "Baba Family": This is the name for the line of "Baba İlyas-ı Horasânî," who was very famous in the Seljuk period until the date 650. Three great branches came out of these, each forming sub-branches. The "Âşık Paşa" branch, the "Kutlu Bey" branch and the "Fîrûz Bey" branch are the best known. The first branch kept its name until the date 1000 and later changed its fame to the titles "İn'âm Beyzâde" and "Mütevellîzâde." From the second branch first the main sub-branches "Uğurlu" and "Ulubeyli," then "Cebecili" and "Fağfurlu" appeared, the "Cebecizâde" and "Fağfur Paşazâde" branches continued; then the names "Sefer Ağazâde," "Hıfzîzâde" and later "Ganizâde" arose. From the third branch the "Fîrûz Paşazâde" sub-branch won fame. If this family is researched, it is understood that it reaches a size that would make up nearly a tenth of Amasya. Most of the Turks living in the villages "Efte, Moramul, İnepazar, Olus" are of this family; in the "Mecidözü" kaza the villages "Elvân (Ulvân) Çelebi, Kayı, Kara Ya'kûb, Kışlacık" are also attached to this family. Statesmen too numerous to count have been raised from them. The "Hacı Beyzades" are also among them.

5. "Bîçâr Family": This is the name for the line of the emir "Hüsâmeddin Bîçâr," one of the notables of the seventh hijri century. These later divided into two branches under the names "Hamza Paşazâde" and "İsmâil Paşazâde," and it is understood that their standing continued until the dates of 926.

6. "Cemâleddin Family": This is the name for the line of "Cemâleddin Aksarâyî," one of the scholars who died in Amasya in 739. These later divided into three branches; one branch went to Egypt, one to Konya, one to their homeland Aksaray, and one remained in Amasya and continued its line under the name "Cemâlîzâdelik." Then the branch that had gone to Aksaray also came to Amasya and settled in the "Temenna Quarter"; of these the sub-branches of the grand vizier "Pîrî Paşa" and the şeyhülislam "Zenbilli Ali Efendi" lived in Istanbul, the "Çelebi Halîfe" sub-branch in Amasya.

7. "Hacı Efendi Family": This is the name for the line of "Amasyalı Çavuşzâde Hacı Mehmed Efendi," one of the judges of Amasya. These appeared in the date 1000 and divided into three sub-branches under the names "Kadızâde," "Müftüzâde" and "Hacı Bekir Ağazâde." Three viziers named "Ömer Paşa," "Ahmed Paşa" and "Mustafa Paşa" came from these. They have children.

8. "Halâtî Family": This is the name for the line of "Necîbeddin Mûsâ el-Hallâtî," one of the professors of Amasya, who died at the beginning of the 700s. Two great branches, "İmâdî" and "Mes'ûdî," came out of these, each divided into many sub-branches. Of the "İmâdîs," the "Şeyh Mü'eyyedzâde," "Küpelizâde" and "Çakalzâde" sub-branches came from Amasya, while the family of the şeyhülislam "Ebu's-Su'ûd Efendi" derived from İskilip, each founding other sub-branches in Amasya and Istanbul. From the "Mes'ûdîs" the "Şeyh Zekeriyyâzâde" and "Abdullah Paşazâde" sub-branches separated; the first sub-branch came down to around 1000, the second continued in Amasya until the date 1280 and today in Sonusa (Sonisa). From this family famous judges, şeyhülislams, sadrs, mevlâs and emirs were raised in great numbers.

9. "Receb Family": This is the name for the line of "Amasyalı Sadreddin Receb Çelebi," one of the famous judges who died toward the 900s. The "Bayrâmzâde" and "Şa'bânzâde" branches came out of these; the first founded sub-branches in Ankara, then Istanbul, the second in Amasya, then Istanbul. From this family two şeyhülislams such as "Zekeriyyâ Efendi" and "Yahyâ Efendi" and two kazaskers such as "Hasan Efendi" and "Şeyh Mahmud Şifâî Efendi" came out.

10. "Sungur Family": This is the name for the line of "Seyfeddin Sungur," one of the emirs who died at the beginning of the 700s. These later founded three branches under the titles "Osman Paşazâde," "Çeribaşızâde" and "Yahşî Beyzâde"; the first and third branches won extraordinary fame, the third branch, found in Amasya, continued its existence in the Çeribaşı Quarter under the titles "Zanbak Oğulları" and "Mütevellî Oğulları" until the date 1300. Viziers and emirs such as "Bâyezid Paşa," "Sinan Paşa," "Dâvud Paşa" and "Ahmed Paşa" came from these, each leaving a sub-branch.

11. "Şâdgeldi Family": This is the name for the line of "Şemseddin Şâdgeldi Padişah," of the Akçakoyunlu tribe settled in Amasya, who died in 783 while ruler of Amasya. Two great branches under the names "Devâtdârlı" and "Buraklı" formed from these; the line of "Devâtdâr Ahmed Paşa" was called "Devâtdarlı." From the line of "Ahmed Paşa" five sub-branches came out under the names "Şâdî Beyzâde," "Burak Beyzâde," and later "Şâdî Paşazâde," "Sinan Paşazâde" and "Kadızâde," and from the "Sinan Paşa" sub-branch came the "Bekir Beyzâde" and "Dervîş Beyzâde" branches. The "Bekir Bey" sub-branch showed its existence in Amasya until the date 1260; the "Dervîş Bey" sub-branch could not be traced because it changed its title around 1200.

12. "Şeyh İmâd Family": This is the name for the line of "eş-Şeyh İmâdeddin Ömer el-Halvetî," one of the notables of around 840. These became famous under the name "Muslihzâdelik" and after 1000 founded sub-branches raising sadrs and emirs, under the titles "Hocazâde" in Istanbul and "Hoca Paşazâde" in Amasya. The sultan's teacher "Ömer Efendi," the kazasker "Abdullah Efendi," "Osman Efendi," "Ömer Efendi" and "Hoca Ahmed Paşa" are among them.

13. "Şirvânî Family": This is the name for the line of "eş-Şeyh Alâeddin Ali Şirvânî," one of the notables of around 800. Two branches came out of these under the names "Gâzi Beyzâde" and "Tâcî Beyzâde"; the first won fame in Köprü, the second in Amasya and Istanbul. From the second branch a sub-branch later separated under the name "Tezkirecizâde." Of these "Tâceddin Paşa," "Mahmud Paşa," the kazasker "Ca'fer Çelebi" and the reisülküttâb (head of foreign affairs and chancery) "Mehmed Bey" became famous. In Amasya recently the family of "Sirâceddin İsmâil Şirvânî" has appeared, all of whom are called "Şirvânîzâde." From these came the grand vizier "Mehmed Rüşdî Paşa" and the kazasker "Ahmed Efendi."

14. "Torumtay Family": This is the name for the line of the governor of Amasya "Seyfeddin Torumtay," who died in 679. These too divided into two branches under the names "Keçizâde" and "Kaya Paşazâde," and important persons came out of each. The members of these two branches could live until the dates of 1100. Of these statesmen came under the names "Ya'kûb Şâh," "Kaya Paşa" and "Mustafa Paşa."

15. "Doğan Family": This is the name for the line of "Bedreddin Doğan Türkmânî," one of the scholars of 740. Of his grandchildren the "Kemâl Paşazâde" branch won great fame and could continue its honor until the date 1000. The vizier "Kemâleddin Mehmed Paşa" and the şeyhülislam "Şemseddin Ahmed Efendi" honored this family.

16. "Zanalı Family": This is the name for the line of "Zanalı Kara Ca'fer Ağa," one of the zeamet holders who won fame in the event of 1069. These became three great branches under the titles "Yeğen Ahmed Paşazâde," "Mîrzâ Paşazâde" and "Zanalızâde"; the first continued in Istanbul, the other two in Amasya. From the "Zanalızâde" branch the "Şerîf Efendizâde," "Şerîf Paşazâde" and "Bakırcızâde" sub-branches separated, the second branching out in Istanbul and Egypt, the other two again in Amasya. Viziers, emirs, scholars and many ayan such as the former grand vizier "Yeğen Ahmed Paşa," "Mîrzâ Paşa," "Şerîf Mehmed Paşa," "es-Seyyid Ahmed Efendi," "es-Seyyid Abdullah Efendi" and "es-Seyyid Veliyyeddin Efendi" came from this family.

17. "Fazlî Family": This is the name for the line of the famous preacher "Fazlullâh Efendi," who died toward the 1080s. These kept their fame under the name "Fazlîzâdelik" and recently changed title by calling themselves "Hacı Başı Oğulları" and "Selâm Oğulları." The beylerbeyi "Fazlî Paşa," who revived this hearth, remained in Istanbul; the rest became ayan in Amasya, and each became persons of influence.

18. "Kayalı Family": This is the name for the line of the beylerbeyi "Kayalı Ahmed Paşa," one of the notables of around 1060. These continued their honor under the title "Kayalı Paşazâde" until the date 1260. "Ahmed Paşa," "Ali Paşa" and "Ömer Kâşif Paşa" are of this family.

19. "Keşânî Family": This is the name for the line of the judge of Amasya "Tâceddin Ebû Nasr Mehmed Keşânî," one of the notables of around 600. A great branch came out of these under the title "Pervâne Beyzâde" and became absolute superior of the notables and emirs of Anatolia. This branch, not losing its title, continued its honor until the year 900; the rest could not be found. Of these "Mühezzebeddin Ali," as Seljuk sahib (vizier), revived this hearth and brought forth two important persons such as "Mu'îneddin Süleyman Pervâne" and "İzzeddin Mehmed Pervâne." The children of the first served as emirs in Sinop, those of the second in Amasya.

20. "Güdül Family": This is the name for the line of the great emir "Güdül," who in 545 was commander-in-chief and son-in-law of Seljuk Sultan Mes'ud II in Amasya. These became two great branches under the names "Süli Oğulları" and "Halifet Oğulları," and the children of "Halifet Gazi" continued. From this line the "Kutlu Paşazâde," "Hatîb Kâsımzâde" and "Ebu'l-Kâsımzâde" sub-branches came out; the second sub-branch remained in Istanbul, the third in Amasya, taking the name "Ebul Oğulları." The "Kutlu Paşazâde Sub-branch" also remained in Amasya and was found among the emirs.

21. "Gürcü Family": This is the name for the line of the great "Gürcü Ali Bey," who in 1057 was alaybeyi (regimental commander) of Amasya. These kept their fame under the name "Gürcüzâdelik" until the date 1240, and then won fame under the titles "Hâfız Ali Paşazâde" and "Deli Beyzâde." From the line of "Gürcü Ali Bey," under the names "Halîl Paşa," "Hâfız Ali Paşa," "Hıfzî Mehmed Paşa" and "Mikdâd Ahmed Paşa," three mirimirans (beylerbeyis) and two viziers came out.

22. "Gümüşlü Family": This is the name for the line of "Gümüşlü Emîneddin Yûnus Müstevfî," one of the notables of around 670 and of the Seljuk emirs. Although many branches and sub-branches were raised from these, all became famous under the name "Gümüşlüzâdelik." Of these the children of the emir of Amasya "Tâceddin Mahmud Çelebi" were among the ayan, the children of "Seydî Hüsâmeddin Hasan Çelebi" among the emirs; "Ahmed Paşa," "Şemseddin Paşa" and "İbrâhim Paşa" are of the line of this "Seydî Hüsâm." The children of "Pîr Alâeddin Ali Çelebi" were also among the sheikhs and scholars, and His Excellency "Pîr İlyâs-ı Halvetî" and his grandchildren are of this family.

23. "Mü'eyyed Family": This is the name for the line of the mufti of Amasya "Mü'eyyed Çelebi," one of the grandchildren of "Zeyneddin Siyâvuş Difrikî," who was among the scholars of Amasya in 747. While these were generally famous under the name "Mü'eyyedzâdelik," three sub-branches appeared when the children of "Hasım Mehmed Efendi," grandson of "Abdurrahîm Efendi," were called "Hasımzâde," the children of the judge "Abdulhâdî Efendi" "Hâdîzâde," and the children of "Abdulvâsi' Çelebi," of the ayan of Amasya, "Vâsi' Çelebizâde," while the other branches kept the "Mü'eyyedzâde" fame. The first two remained in Istanbul, and the "Vâsi' Çelebizâdes" are today in Amasya. Of these the kazasker "Abdurrahman Efendi," the şeyhülislam "Abdulkâdir Şeyhî Efendi" and his father "Şeyh Abdurrahîm Efendi" became very famous; the scholars, judges and mevlâs are too many to count.

24. "Musliheddin Family": This is the name for the line of "Musliheddin Mûsâ," one of the scholars of Amasya in 757. While these were generally called "Muslihî," after the date 900 two sub-branches formed in Amasya under the names "Mehmed Paşazâde" and "Seydî Paşazâde"; then the first sub-branch ended, and from the second sub-branch a branch came out under the name "Hatîbzâde" and won fame. Toward the 1140s this branch moved wholly to Istanbul, the "Seydî Oğulları" remained in Amasya; and those who remained in Amasya also ultimately died out. From this family were raised very many judges of Amasya, the kazasker "Molla Vildân Çelebi," of the viziers "Mehmed Paşa," the grand vizier "Nâilî Abdullah Paşa," of the emirs "Mahmud Paşa," "Seydî Ahmed Paşa," "Musliheddin Paşa," several defterdars, a janissary agha and very many scholars and judges.

25. "Niğdeli Family": This is the name for the line of "Ahî Hüseyin Niğdevî," who in 770 was among the notables of Amasya. A branch famous as "Sofuzâde" came out of this family, won great fame and continued its honor until the date 1000. These are children of the sultan's teacher "Sofu Bâyezid Çelebi"; two "Mehmed Paşas," one a mirimiran, the other a vizier, came out of this family and lived in Amasya in the "Sofuzâde Quarter."

26. "Yeğen Family": This is the name for the line of "Yeğen Ali Bey," grandson of "Küçük Ali Bey," one of the famous zeamet holders in Amasya around 1060. These are generally called "Yeğenzâde"; the vizier "Ömer Paşa" and "İbrâhim Âsım Bey" of the ayan are the most famous of this family. This "Yeğen Ali Bey" is the son of the sister of "Rahtuvân Mehmed Paşa"; although this "Rahtuvân Mehmed Paşa" also formed a family in Amasya, their influence could not exceed that of their nephews. All are called "Rahtuvânzâde." The most famous are the beys "el-Hâc İbrâhim" and "Ali."

27. "Yeniceli Family": This is the name for the line of "Yeniceli Ahmed Paşa," from the village of Yenice near Amasya, of the ayan of Amasya in 1200. The children of this person, of his brother the defterdar "Mahmud" and of the scholar "Ali Efendi" are called "Yenicelizâde." From the line of "Ahmed Paşa" two viziers came out under the names "Mehmed Paşa" and "Hüseyin Paşa."

Besides these exalted lines there are very many families of viziers, scholars, sheikhs, mevlâs and ayan in Amasya, and if one considers how many famous and notable persons Amasya has raised, it is understood that the four lines whose explanation we have undertaken are no exaggeration. To make these persons known, and to tell what a blessed and great city Amasya is, a great labor of twenty-five years has been undertaken.

Is it fitting that this source of the good remain unknown,
that every scholar be consigned to a corner of oblivion?
Is it fitting that this source of the virtuous remain unrecognized,
that these secrets of Amasya remain obscure through the ages?

Looking at the beauties and conditions summarized above, it could not be seen as proper that Amasya, though a source of the good and the virtuous, should have its so many beauties and past conditions remain unknown and its good people in a corner of oblivion because in the past no complete history covering all its conditions was written.

To recall the past of Amasya in Anatolia and to write its history is as important as speaking of the great sources of pride and the old beauties of the great Turkish nation. Some persons, who considered this before this humble author, compiled and wrote books and treatises about the scholars, poets, some events and works of Amasya; since these became known during my researches, those obtained can be summarized as follows:

1. "Bezm ü Rezm": A fine work written in Persian by "Azîz bin Erdeşîr el-Esterebâdî," divan secretary of "Kadı Burhaneddin," ruler of Sivas; it covers the historical conditions of Sivas, Amasya and the places attached to them until the date 768-798. It is found in the "Ayasofya" and "Yerebatan" libraries in Istanbul.

2. "Münşe'ât" (collection of letters): It consists of letters and official writings that "Çelebi Sultan Mehmed Han" sent to some rulers and emirs of the surrounding area while he reigned in Amasya, and of private letters written by the emirs of Amasya to some surrounding emirs; it is written in Arabic and Persian. It was found in the "Veliyyeddin Efendi" and "Es'ad Efendi" libraries, among miscellanies and münşeats.

3. Another "Münşe'ât": It is a work written by the Amasyan "Münîrî Çelebi," covering the petitions (arz) and private letters until the date 886-917 that the Amasya governor Prince "Sultan Ahmed" wrote to his father "Sultan Bayezid Han II" and to other emirs. This too was found among the münşeats in the "Veliyyeddin Efendi" Library.

4. "Tezkire-i Abdî": A literary work arranged by the Amasyan "Abdî Efendi," professor of the famous Abdullah Paşa Madrasa, covering the poems and very short life stories of poets raised in Amasya until the date 1000-1081. In its margin he also recorded earthquakes and strange events that occurred in Amasya. This work was found in Amasya in a very incomplete state.

5. "Tezkire-i Sâdât" (tezkire of sayyids): It is the register of the sayyids of Amasya written in a fine hand in the year 1110 by "es-Seyyid eş-Şeyh Ali Efendi," son of the said professor "Abdî Efendi," while he was deputy of the nakîbü'l-eşrâf (head of the sayyids) of Amasya; it was confirmed by the nakîbü'l-eşrâf "Amasyalı Hocazâde es-Seyyid Osman Efendi." Unfortunately only ten pages of this valuable work were obtained. Nevertheless much use has been made of it.

6. "Defter-i Vukû'ât" (register of events): It was arranged by the said deputy "Şeyh Alizâde es-Seyyid Ahmed Rüşdî Efendi" and recorded the earthquakes and disasters that occurred in Amasya until the date 1121-1153 and also wrote some deaths. Of this too ten leaves were found missing from the middle.

7. "Tezkire-i Ulemâ": A work arranged by the professor of Merzifon "Abdurrahman Eşref Efendi," it recorded the life stories and deaths of his teachers from whom he took lessons and learned knowledge in his youth and of some scholars raised in Amasya and its dependencies until the date 1100-1140. This work was printed in the margin of the "Tezkiretü'l-Hikem," one of the said professor's works.

8. "Defter-i Nüfûs ve Mahallât" (register of population and quarters): It is in three parts, one until 816-918, one until 1000-1057, one until 1112-1163, and covers Amasya's population, quarters, notables and their lineages of about three generations each. The first and third were found incomplete, the second complete; each was confirmed by the steward of the state register (defter-i hâkânî).

9. "El-Mecmû' Mine'l-Meşhûd ve'l-Mesmû'" (compilation from what was seen and heard): It is a great work arranged by the Amasyan "Âkif Efendizâde es-Seyyid Abdurrahîm Efendi." It covers the scholars, valuable teachers and contemporaries who won fame until the date 1050-1221, especially in Amasya and in general in Anatolia. After seven years of searching it could be found, complete and in the author's own handwriting, in the private library, in the village where he lived, of the famous historian "İsmâil Paşa." Among the works of the later period no finer biographical dictionary of scholars has been seen for Anatolia than this.

10. "Belâbilü'r-Râsiye Fî Riyâz-ı Amâsiyye": A work compiled by "Çorumlu Kara Müftüzâde Mustafa Vâzıh Efendi." It concerns the conquest of Amasya, its scholars, its organization and the temper and morals of the Amasyans and is not based on history.

11. "Defter-i Vefeyât" (register of deaths): A fine work arranged by the Amasyan "Hacı Abdullahoğlu eş-Şeyh Mustafa Efendi," it recorded the deaths of great scholars in Amasya until the date 1245-1291. This register too was found complete in an unexpected place after about five years of searching.

With this thought he made a very fine effort,
He compiled and recorded the words and accounts.
Searching, he wrote it a detailed history,
A proud servant of Amasya, like "Asrî."

Since these works of earlier periods that have been presented do not cover all the conditions and notables of Amasya, this humble author, who decided to write a detailed history by adding to them, having been engaged with literature for a time in my childhood, had chosen the pen name "Asrî" among my friends, and later had given myself to historical research.

Since, in order to present my researches on the history of Amasya and the various stages of the serious researches during my education, it is necessary to tell a part of my own life story, as much as necessity requires is mentioned:

In Amasya, in the "Çeribaşı Quarter," in the house adjoining the west of the mosque, on the last Friday of the month of Receb of 1286 [1869], at dawn, I was born a twin, of the line of "Abdîzâde el-Hâc Mehmed Ağa bin Abdî Ağa bin el-Hâc Mehmed Ağa bin Abdî Ağa bin el-Hâc Ali Ağa bin the regimental commander Kara Hüseyin Ağa." My father gave the name "Hüseyin"; my mother, "Zâhide Hatun daughter of el-Hâc Hâfız Osman Efendi son of the Şeyhü'l-Kurrâ (chief of the teachers of readings) el-Hâc Halîl Efendi," gave the epithet "Hüsâmeddin," out of love for His Excellency "Hüsâmeddin Halvetî," one of the saints of Kuba; this my father and mother used to tell.

In 1296 [1879] I first went to the "Balcı School" and there memorized the Qur'an; in 1300 [1882-83] I entered the "Rüşdiye School," and in four years, reading and learning the rules and preliminary knowledge of the sciences such as Turkish, Arabic, Persian, History, Geography, Geometry and Arithmetic and learning calligraphy, in 1304 [1886-87], thanks to the kind interest of my teacher "Arhavili Osman Remzi Efendi," I received my diploma with first place. I attended the lessons of His Excellency "Mecdîzâde Hâfız Abdurrahman Kâmil Efendi," who is today mufti of Amasya, and of his brother the late "Hâfız Mustafa Sâdık Efendi."

While in the third class of the rüşdiye, staying in the room above the fetvahane adjoining the "Abdullatîf Efendi Library," I read from "Şirvânîzâde Ahmed Enver Efendi" the verse works "Sa'dî's Bostan" and "Câmî's Yûsuf and Züleyhâ"; of the Persian dictionaries I examined the "Şu'ûrî and Nâsırî" dictionaries, the "Burhân-ı Kâtı'," then "Attâr's Pendname," the "Mantıku't-Tayr," the "Divan of Hâfız-ı Şîrâzî," selected poems of the Iranian poets, "Ziyâ Paşa's Harâbât" and "Firdevsî's Shahnameh."

On the other hand I read the commentaries of "Şeyh Rızâ" and "Seyyid Abdullah" on the "Kâfiye" and "Şâfiye," the glosses of the "Fenârî Commentary" on the "Îsâgocî"; I examined Arabic dictionaries such as the "Vankulu" and "Ahterî," and took and read from the library next to me the "Vefeyâtü'l-A'yân" and the "Şakâ'ik-i Nu'mâniyye," and from the library of "Osman Fâik Efendi" biographical books such as the "Tabakât-ı İsnevî."

The effect on me of the events of the old Iranian kings in the "Shahnameh" and of the life stories of the notables in the "Vefeyâtü'l-A'yân" and the "Şakâ'ik-i Nu'mâniyye" awakened in me a wish to collect only the scholars of Amasya of that day and write their life stories; in 1305 [1887-88], when I strove to visit the known scholars and ask about their life stories and lineages, I received appreciation from some of the scholars.

But as my wish grew more and more and advanced as far as writing the historical conditions of Amasya and its old scholars too, I went around the libraries in Amasya and, visiting the graves of the dead, read the gravestones; while I looked in amazement at the old tombs seen in the "Şâmîce" and "Gök Medrese" quarters, I found and read "Vâzıh Efendi's" "Amasya Tarihi."

Although I could not be satisfied by any means with the words and stories written in this history, and though I was affected by the information it gave on the morals and temper of the Amasyans, I did not like its stories on the conquests of Amasya. An extraordinarily serious curiosity arose in me to research the truth of these strange stories.

To widen knowledge and complete my education, in 1307 [1889-90] I went to Istanbul and stayed in the "Kalenderhâne Madrasa"; I became mülâzım to the lessons of His Excellency "Tokadîzâde el-Hâc Ahmed Nûreddin Efendi," and on holidays I read the history books and the miscellanies, treatises and letter collections on history found in the libraries of "Sultan Fâtih, Sultan Bâyezid, Sultan Süleyman, Şehzâde, Ayasofya, Köprülü, Râgıb Paşa, Nûr-ı Osmâniye, Molla Murâd, Âşir Efendi, Hamîdiye, Es'ad Efendi." In 1312 [1894-95] I went to Crete and in 1313 [1895-96] to the vilayets of Syria, and continued researching in Chania in the "Kâdiriyye" and in Damascus in the "Zâhiriyye" libraries; then, touring the Hejaz, when I returned to Istanbul and then to Amasya I applied to many persons and researched in their houses old books, registers, deeds of appointment (berat), copies of waqf deeds, licenses (icazetname), papers and treatises. On account of a strange dream I researched the records of the Amasya court and examined them twice down to scraps of paper the size of a hand; in various years, touring the cities "Köprü, Ladik, Mecidözü, Çorum, Merzifon, Hacıköyü, Bursa, Salonica," I strove to collect knowledge.

In my days of study, from the said virtuous teacher I read and heard the lessons "Tasavvurât and Tasdîkât," the books "Muğni'l-Lebîb," "Telvîh" and "Akâid-i Nesefiyye Commentary," the "Hayâlî and Siyelkûtî Glosses," the "Siyelkûtî and Konevî Glosses" of the mukaddemât-ı erbaa (the four basic preliminary sciences), the "Akâid-i Adudiyye Commentary," the "Gelenbevî Gloss," of the exegeses the sura "Tebâreke" and the "Amme" juz, of the principles of hadith the "Takrîbü'n-Nevevî" with its commentary "Tedrîbü'r-Râvî," and of meânî the books "Mutavvel"; of the fazıl, from His Excellency "Ödemişli Mustafa Efendi" the "Mir'ât" and its glosses, from "Harputlu Abdullatîf Efendi" the "Muhtasarü'l-Meânî," from "Ermenekli Süleyman Sırrî Efendi" the "İsâmü'l-Ferîde," from "İnegöllü Ali Râtib Efendi" the "Kasîdetü'l-Bürde" and its commentary, from "Dağıstânî Ömer Ziyâeddin Efendi" the "Muhtasaru'l-Buhârî," and in Damascus from His Excellency "eş-Şeyh Bedreddin Mehmed bin Abdurrahmânü'l-Mağribî" the books of "Sahîhü'l-Buhârî"; I learned science and technique from each of them, and after reading very many valuable books on these sciences I succeeded in receiving a license (icazetname) from my teacher His Excellency "el-Hâc Ahmed Nûreddin Efendi" in the middle of the month of Cemâziyelâhir 1317 [1899-1900].

"Perşembeli Ahmed Remzî Efendi," from whom I learned the "Science of Inheritance (Ferâiz)," being the recorder of the Military Division Court (Kısmet-i Askeriyye Mahkemesi) at the Şeyhülislâmlık Gate, accepted me in 1316 [1898-99] as assistant at a salary of two hundred kuruş. Thereupon I examined what I could see of the records of the sharia courts of Istanbul and its dependencies, took the parts concerning the notables of Amasya, and benefited historically from this assistantship.

In 1319 [1901-02], because I attained the appreciation and favor of Şeyhülislâm "Mehmed Cemâleddin Efendi," I was appointed to the deputy judgeship of the Surre-i Hümâyun (the sharia duty accompanying the surre procession sent to Mecca and Medina) and went for the second time to Damascus and the Hejaz. On my return I was appointed to the naibship of Köprü; while waiting for the beginning of the term of duty I spent the time in Amasya and strove at research; at the beginning of Muharram 1321 [1903-04] I began the post, and on the one hand fulfilled my official duty, and on the other strove to complete my researches on Köprü.

From this date I began to rescue from disorder, and to examine and arrange, a chestful of historical papers that I had been obliged to carry with me at all times. Completing my term in Köprü, on the twentieth of Shaban 1323 [1905-06] I moved to the naibship of Osmancık and began the work; although I strove for the arrangement of the history, its draft and then its fair copy and completed it in two years, while at the end of my term I was awaiting a new naibship, the Constitution was proclaimed; after this I was appointed to the naibship of Niksar and began the post in Zilkade 1326 [1908]. I strove to correct it a second time, shortening and summarizing many events and adding new ones in the places I removed; completing my term in Niksar, I also finished the introduction and the first chapter (bab).

As presented above, the "Sanjak of Amasya" consists of the kazas "Amasya, Hacıköyü, Havza, Köprü, Ladik, Mecidözü and Merzifon"; the kaza of Amasya, the center of the sanjak, consists of four nahiyes:

I. The Kaza of Amasya:

1. "Akdağ Nahiye": It wholly encircles the east parts of Amasya. Its center is "Akviran Village." This nahiye took this name because it lies at the foot of a mountain, about one thousand two hundred meters above sea level, extending from east to west and famous since long ago as "Akdağ."

Since this mountain's highland is abundant, its winter pastures suitable, its water plentiful and its air exceedingly healthy, most of the sheep flocks of the liva of Amasya graze there in summer. Its butter, cheese and yogurt are valuable and have extraordinary fame in the "Pont" region. It gained fame in Amasya through the emergence of a mature guide such as "eş-Şeyh Muhyiddin Mehmed Akdâğî" from "Baş Alan Village" within this nahiye, and he had a lodge built in this village and arranged its waqfs. Of his sons one, the kazasker of Anatolia "Bedreddin Mahmud Efendi," and the other, "Hüsâmeddin Hüseyin Efendi," Halvetî sheikh in Amasya, became very famous; their grandchildren are of the judges and sheikhs.

From "Zana Village," as noted above, a great family such as the "Zanalı Family" came out, and they preserved their existence in Istanbul and Amasya for about a hundred years. From "Akviran Village" came the famous teacher "Akdâğî eş-Şeyh Mustafa Efendi" and, of his grandchildren, the Istanbul-ranked (pâyeli) "İngiliz Abdülkerîm Efendi"; from "Yenice Village" the "Yeniceli Family" and, among the scholars, "Musliheddin Efendi"; His Excellency "Sa'deddin Mahmud Horasânî," one of the great saints, has his lodge and tomb in this village, and the defterdar "Mahmud Efendi" a mosque and waqfs.

2. "Öz Nahiye": It surrounds the south parts of Amasya; its center is "Ezine Pazar Village." Formerly it was called "Cuma Pazarı" (Friday Market); added to the word "âzîne," which in Persian means "Friday," it was called "Ezine Pazarı" and, shortened, "İnepazar."

The center of this nahiye was developed by "Hacı Hamza Bey," one of the Ottoman emirs, who had a great mosque built, and by "Mehmed Ağa," one of the çavuşes of the palace gate (dergâh-ı âlî), who had a great han, bathhouse and lodge built. Since this nahiye is generally settled with pure and plain Turkmen tribes such as the "Bayındırlı," "Akçakoyunlu," "Esenli" and "Karakeçili," it became famous by the name "Öz" (Pure).

Because His Excellency "eş-Şeyh Şâdî," one of the great saints, lived in the "Şeyh Şâdî Village" bearing his name, "Bekdemirli Musliheddin Mûsâ Bey," of the "Karakeçi" uruk (uruk: in Old Turkish meaning "child, lineage"), had a lodge and tomb built in 812 for the said sheikh and endowed the "Karakeçili Estate" to this lodge. "eş-Şeyh Bâyezid Çelebi," one of the grandchildren of "Baba İlyas-ı Horasânî," is buried in "Efte Village"; "eş-Şeyh Musliheddin Efendi," one of the famous Halvetîs, in "İnepazar"; "eş-Şeyh Ahmed Efendi," one of the great Halvetîs, in "Heniske Village." The famous viziers "Deli Ömer Paşa" and the "Peçelizâde Family" came from "Sevincer Village," the famous scholar "el-Hâc İsmâil Hakkı Efendi" from "İnepazar."

Again in "Karataş Village" within this nahiye, "Umur Bey," of the "Bayındır" uruk, had a mosque and lodge built; "Ali Efendi," one of the famous scholars, in 1135 made this lodge a place of lessons and had brought this village in the "Öz Nahiye" to the appearance of a madrasa of learning. "eş-Şeyh Maksûd Baba," one of the famous Halvetîs, is buried in "Urunkuş Village," and "eş-Şeyh Merâmî Baba" in "Merâmî Village," called by his name. "Şeyhşâdili Muhyiddin Mehmed Efendi" is among the great commentators.

Notes and Research

Old Words in the Text

• sülâle, ensâb: lineage, genealogy
• fırka, şu'be, fürû': branch, sub-branch; the separated branches of a lineage
• zuhûr etmek: to appear
• mu'ahharan, ba'dehû: later, after that
• teferru', teselsül, idâme-i mevcûdiyet: branching out, continuing, maintaining one's existence
• tahvîl-i unvân / tahvîl-i şöhret: changing one's epithet or name of fame
• muntafî: whose line has been extinguished, died out
• vüzerâ, sudûr, ümerâ, mevâlî, a'yân: viziers, high learned and state officials, emirs, high-ranking members of the learned class, notables of the city
• züamâ: zeamet holders; mid-sized timar-holding cavalry commanders whose income was assigned by tax
• asabât, zevi'l-erhâm: those descended through the male line, relatives through the female side
• hafîd: grandson
• nâhiye, kazâ, livâ: subdistrict, district, sanjak (an administrative division between province and district)
• mülhakât: places attached to a place
• münşe'ât: collection of letters; a book in which official and private correspondence is gathered
• tezkire: a book containing short biographies of persons such as poets, scholars or sayyids
• mü'ellif, muharrir-i âciz: author; the humble expression the author uses for himself, "this humble author"
• mülâzemet, icâzetname: entering training by taking lessons with a teacher; the document of permission a teacher gives
• mukayyid, niyâbet: recorder, naibship; the sharia judicial duty in a given place on behalf of the kadı
• mîr-i mîrân: beylerbeyi, mirimiran; a rank one below vizier

What the List of Lineages Tells

This section consists of two parts. First comes the list of twenty-seven families that won fame in Amasya over the centuries. Then Hüsameddin lists eleven works written before him about Amasya and afterward tells of his own education and duties. The item ends at the beginning of the part describing the administrative divisions of Amasya. Why the city deserves a comprehensive history, what the sources of this history are, and how the author came to this work are told here.

Nearly all the dates in the list are round hijri numbers: "until the dates of 1000," "until the date 1100," and the like. These are not document dates but approximate limits showing how far the author could trace a line. The hijri year 1000 means about 1591-92, 1100 about 1688-89, 1300 about 1882-83. For this reason no definite chronology should be drawn about the duration and order of the families.

Hüsameddin's judgment "this family would make up nearly a tenth of Amasya" rests on his own estimate. No count or source for this proportion is cited in the text; no such proportion was found in other sources either. It is fitting to read this statement as an estimate. Most of the names and titles in the list (such as "Cemâleddin Aksarâyî," "Zenbilli Ali Efendi," "Ebu's-Su'ûd Efendi") have not been researched separately in other sources. In this study the connections of these lines could not be confirmed; the text is given as the author relays it.

The Author of Amasya Tarihi

Hüseyin Hüsâmeddin Yasar was born in November 1869 in Amasya in the Çeribaşı Quarter, died on 10 February 1939 at his home in Şişli in Istanbul, and was buried in the Feriköy Cemetery. His life story in the text largely agrees with the entry in the TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. His beginning his first schooling in 1879 at the Balcı School, his memorizing the Qur'an, his finishing the rüşdiye in 1887, his going to Istanbul in 1889 and staying at the Kalenderhâne Madrasa and his becoming a student of Tokadîzâde Ahmed Nûreddin Efendi are the same in both accounts. His going to Crete in 1894 and to Damascus and from there to the Hejaz in 1895 is given in the same way. That he received the license from his teacher in 1899, that is, hijri 1317, also agrees with the date Hüsameddin gives.

His professional life was spent in naibship duties. According to the encyclopedia entry he was made assistant to Perşembeli Ahmed Remzi Efendi in 1898, appointed to the naibship of the Surre-i Hümâyun in 1901, began the naibship of Vezirköprü in March 1903, and in October 1905 was sent to Osmancık and then to Niksar. In 1911 he was appointed to Refahiye, and his last post was as translator of old records at the Ministry of Waqfs. The "Köprü" in Hüsameddin's text is the Vezirköprü of this entry. The "introduction and first chapter" mentioned in the text is the beginning part of the work; the author himself states that this part was completed in Niksar.

An interesting detail is Hüsameddin's saying that he was born a twin. This information does not appear in the encyclopedia entry; no other information on his brother was found either. The author relays this as an account he heard from his family, and it is presented so in the text.

The Dream Account and the Author's Method

In footnote 187 in the text Hüsameddin tells how he found the owners of two gravestones whose names were unknown in Amasya. One of the stones, without inscriptions, belonged to Dersi Tamâm Efendi, lying at the head of the "Kuş Köprü," the other to Hıfzîzâde Osman Fâik Efendi, lying at the foot of a tree in the cemetery opposite the Burmalı Minare. According to the author, these two persons appeared in his dream, introduced themselves and told him to research the court records. The author later writes that, by examining the court records and a work found in Osman Fâik Efendi's library, he found what had been told him in the dream "exactly." This is the historian's own account; it has not been confirmed by an independent source. But the story shows how much importance Hüsameddin gave to using gravestones, court registers and waqf documents as sources.

The encyclopedia entry notes that he took manuscripts, court records, waqf deeds, inscriptions and gravestones as sources but often did not cite his sources and on some subjects went in for excessive etymological analogies, which gave rise to hesitation about the scholarly value of what he wrote. The same entry also writes that Franz Babinger counted the work on some subjects a true treasure and recommended that at least a part of it be translated into a Western language. These two judgments must be read together: the work is rich in terms of sources, but the basis of some claims goes no further than the author's own account.

According to the paper Mehmet Fatih Köksal presented at the Amasya Scholars Symposium, Hüsameddin, besides places where he cites no sources, in some places also mentions his sources collectively. For example, at the beginning of the fourth volume he listed the histories of Vecîhî, Hasan Beg-zâde, Naîmâ, Abdî Paşa and Silahdâr, Kâtib Çelebi's Fezleke, the ahkâm and order registers in the Bâb-ı Âlî waqf archive, the Amasya Court Registers and the Amasyan Abdî Efendi Tezkire. This shows that the "Tezkire-i Abdî" mentioned in this entry was indeed used by Hüsameddin as a source.

Earlier Works and the Lost Volumes

Most of the eleven works Hüsameddin mentions were either obtained only partially or remained incomplete. By the author's own expression, of the "Tezkire-i Sâdât" only ten pages, from the middle of the "Defter-i Vukû'ât" ten leaves are missing, and the "Tezkire-i Abdî" was found "very defective." The present whereabouts and condition of these works have not been researched in this study; here the information the author gives has therefore been relied on. Hüsameddin himself says of Vâzıh Efendi's work "it is not based on history"; he also writes that he liked its information on the morals of the Amasyans but found its conquest stories insufficient. This statement shows the author's approach to source criticism.

Köksal's paper tells what befell Hüsameddin's own work. The first four volumes of Amasya Tarihi were printed between 1912 and 1928 in Arabic letters, and the appendix of the fourth volume in 1939 in Latin letters. The printed volumes were published in 2007 by the Amasya Municipality in five volumes, but seven more volumes of the work exist in manuscript. According to the encyclopedia entry the work in fact consists of twelve volumes; in the copy the Amasya Municipality purchased in 1979 the fifth volume is lost, and the manuscript volumes six to twelve have been entrusted to the Süleymaniye Library. Köksal writes that the section containing the biographies remained unfinished and that the six volumes of notebooks he bought from a second-hand bookseller in Ankara he established to be drafts of the work's lost part, partly incomplete and partly completed.

The Öz Nahiye and Ezinepazar Today

The last section of the text begins to describe the nahiyes of the kaza of Amasya. Hüsameddin's linking the name "Ezine Pazar" to the Persian word "âzîne" is an etymological proposal. In other sources it is written that the village's name appears in records of 1602 as Ezinepazarı in the sense of "Friday market"; that is, the meaning "Friday market" is known independently of Hüsameddin as well. The village today is attached to the central district of Amasya. It became a municipality in 1987, and because its population fell below 2000 the municipal status ended in 2013. It is about 38 kilometers from the Amasya provincial center.

The han built by the person Hüsameddin mentions as "Mehmed Ağa, one of the çavuşes of the dergâh-ı âlî" stands today under the name "Ezinepazar Hanı." According to the Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the han was built by Mahperi Hatun, wife of Seljuk Sultan Alâeddin Keykubad; since its original inscription is lost, its year of construction is not known with certainty but is dated between 1238 and 1246. After many repairs it took an appearance resembling an Ottoman work in construction technique. The han, left for a long time unkept and half buried in the earth, was repaired and opened to visitors in 2007 by the General Directorate of Foundations. On the marble plaque over the han's entrance door it is written that the mosque was repaired in 1650 with the donations of Mehmed Çavuş. This suggests that the çavuş Hüsameddin mentions as "Mehmed Ağa" may be not the first builder of the han but its repairer, for the han belongs to the Seljuk period. This is an inference and is not stated directly in the sources.

In footnote 188 the author says that during his researches he received great support and appreciation from the governor of Damascus and marshal (müşir) of the Fifth Army Osman Nûrî Paşa, from the marshal of the Third Army in Salonica, the Amasyan Hüseyin Fevzi Paşa, and from Şeyhülislâm Hâlid Efendizâde Mehmed Cemâleddin Efendi, and that he is therefore grateful to them forever.

No reliable source was found in this study on the present condition of the other villages and sheikhs such as Akdağ, Akviran, Yenice, Karataş, Efte and Heniske.

Bibliography

Primary sources

• Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 1, p. 319–343. amasya.bel.tr

Academic studies

• Turgut Akpınar, "Hüseyin Hüsâmeddin Yasar", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, TDV İslâm Araştırmaları Merkezi, 1998. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/huseyin-husameddin-yasar
• Mehmet Fatih Köksal, "Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn'in Amasya Tarihi'nin Kayıp Ciltleri", Uluslararası Amasya Âlimleri Sempozyumu Bildiriler Kitabı II, Amasya Üniversitesi, 2017. https://isamveri.org/pdfdrg/G00226/2017/2017_KOKSALF.pdf

Official sources

• "Ezinepazar Hanı", T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, Kültür Portalı (sourced from the Amasya İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü). https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/amasya/gezilecekyer/ezne-pazar-hani

Other sources

• "Ezinepazar", Vikipedi. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezinepazar