“KOCA NİŞANCI” OF KANUNİ: CELALZADE MUSTAFA ÇELEBİ, BUREAUCRACY AND “KANUN” IN THE REIGN OF SULEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1520–1566) A Ph.D. Dissertation by MEHMET ŞAKİR YILMAZ Department of History Bilkent University Ankara September 2006 To my family “KOCA NİŞANCI” OF KANUNİ: CELALZADE MUSTAFA ÇELEBİ, BUREAUCRACY AND “KANUN” IN THE REIGN OF SULEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1520–1566) The Institute of Economics and Social Sciences of Bilkent University by MEHMET ŞAKİR YILMAZ In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY BİLKENT UNIVERSITY ANKARA September 2006 I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. --------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Halil İnalcık Supervisor I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. --------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Özer Ergenç Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. --------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Evgeni Radushev Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. --------------------------------- Asst. Prof. Hasan Ünal Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. --------------------------------- Assoc. Prof. Fatma Acun Examining Committee Member Approval of the Institute of Economics and Social Sciences --------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Erdal Erel Director IV ABSTRACT “KOCA NİŞANCI” OF KANUNİ: CELĀLZĀDE MUSTAFA ÇELEBİ, BUREAUCRACY AND “KANUN” IN THE REIGN OF SULEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1520–1566) Mehmet Şakir Yılmaz Ph. D., Department of History Supervisor: Prof. Halil İnalcık September 2006 This dissertation analyzes the development of Ottoman administration and its consequences in political reasoning under the reign of Sultan Süleyman in the light of career and works of nişancı Celālzāde Mustafa Çelebi. It shows that Ottoman bureaucracy did not only provide the tools for an effective administration of the state, but it also played an important role in the production of genuine Ottoman political understanding. It investigates expansion of Ottoman bureaucracy at the beginning of Süleyman’s reign and its effects on the development of a new political discourse with its emphasis on justice and kanun. It shows bureaucrats’ (kalemiyye) perception of Ottoman rule and its articulation in the works composed by members of bureaucracy on history and politics. Celālzāde Mustafa was a model bureaucrat, prose stylist and historian for late 16th century Ottoman literati, who served in the Ottoman chancery as a divan scribe (1517-1525), as reisülküttab (1525-1534) and nişancı (1534-1556, 1566-7). He contributed to the formation of a genuine Ottoman political reasoning with his works III on history and ethics, as well as with his service in the chancery which undertook the codification of Ottoman laws, kanun. He was an influential bureaucrat and his views were representative for the members of Ottoman bureaucracy. A study of his life and works will reveal the struggle between different branches of Ottoman administration and the role of bureaucrats in the formation of genuine political literature which emphasized on kanun for the legitimacy of Ottoman rule. Key words: Ottoman bureaucracy, chancery, Celālzāde Mustafa, 16th century Ottoman historiography, kanun, nişancı. IV ÖZET KANUNİ’NİN “KOCA NİŞANCI”SI: KANUNİ SULTAN SÜLEYMAN DEVRİNDE (1520–1566) CELĀLZĀDE MUSTAFA ÇELEBİ, BÜROKRASİ VE “KANUN” Mehmet Şakir Yılmaz Doktora, Tarih Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Prof. Halil İnalcık Eylül 2006 Bu tez Sultan Süleyman devrinde Osmanlı yönetiminin gelişimini ve bunun siyasī algılayıştaki etkilerini nişancı Celālzāde Mustafa Çelebinin hayatı ve eserleri ışığında analiz etmektedir. Osmanlı bürokrasisinin sadece devlet idaresine etkin araçlar sağlamakla kalmadığını aynı zamanda özgün Osmanlı siyasi algılayışının oluşumunda da önemli bir rol oynadığını göstermektedir. Sultan Süleyman devri başlarında Osmanlı bürokrasisinde görülen genişleme ve bunun kanun ve adalete vurgu yapan yeni siyasi söylemin gelişimindeki etkilerini araştırmaktadır. Bürokratların (kalemiyye) Osmanlı idaresi hakkındaki algılayışlarını ve bu algılayışın bürokrasi mensupları tarafından kaleme alınmış tarih ve politika kitaplarında nasıl ifade edildiğini göstermektedir. Celālzāde Mustafa 16. yüzyıl sonundaki okumuş kesim tarafından model olarak kabul edilen bir bürokrat, yazar ve tarihçidir. Osmanlı yönetiminde divan kātibi (1517-1525), reisülküttab (1525-1534) ve nişancı (1534-1556, 1566-7) olarak hizmet etmiştir. Özgün Osmanlı siyasi algılayışının oluşumuna ahlak ve tarih üstüne olan kitapları ile ve Osmanlı kanunlarının derlenmesi görevinden de sorumlu olan V divandaki çalışmaları ile katkıda bulunmuştur. Etkili bir bürokrat olan Celālzāde’nin fikirleri Osmanlı bürokrasisi mensubu kişilerce de paylaşılmaktadır. Onun eserlerinin ve hayatının ele alınması Osmanlı yönetiminin farklı birimleri arasında yaşayan çekişmeyi ve Osmanlı idaresinin meşruiyet kaynağı olarak kanun’a vurgu yapan özgün Osmanlı siyaset literatürünün oluşumunda bürokratların oynadığı rolü aydınlatacaktır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Osmanlı bürokrasisi, divan, Celālzāde Mustafa, 16. yüzyıl Osmanlı tarihçiliği, kanun, nişancı. VI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is really hard to write acknowledgements, since I am sure I will fail to express all the names I am indebted for their contributions to my educational life and to this work. I have to express my gratitude to the supervisor of the dissertation, Prof. Halil İnalcık. He proposed the topic, and helped me in every stage by his suggestions, recommendations and encouragement. I am aware of the fact that it is a privilege for a graduate student to complete his dissertation under the supervision of the great master of the Ottoman History. I am grateful to my professors at Bilkent University, History Department, Evgeni Radushev, Eugenia Kermeli, Mehmet Kalpaklı, Oktay Özel and Necdet Gök for their support and encouragement. I am especially indebted to my friends and colleagues Metin Bezikoğlu, Fatih Bayram and Mehmet Ali Doğan who devoted their precious time to help me by their comments and encouragement through the writing process. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues Erhan Afyoncu, Recep Ahıskalı, Yüksel Çelik and Bilgin Aydın from Marmara University, and Babür Turna, Rıza Yıldırım and Kürşat Akpınar from Bilkent University for their support. Finally, I would like to thank the directors and personnel of Süleymaniye Library, Ottoman Archives and Topkapı Palace Archive. VII ABBREVIATIONS Atāī Hadāiku’l-Hakāik fi Tekmileti’ş-Şakāik BOA Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi EI2 Encyclopedia of Islam, second edition KK Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, Kamil Kepeci Tasnifi MEB İA Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı İslam Ansiklopedisi Mevāhib Mevāhibu’l-Ḫallāķ fi Merātibi’l-Aẖlāķ Ṭabaḳāt Ṭabaḳātu’l-Memalik ve Derecatu’l-Mesalik TDV İA Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı İslam Ansiklopedisi TSMK Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi Kütüphanesi TTK Türk Tarih Kurumu VIII