Journals / İslam Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi / 2019 / Cilt: 4 - Sayı: 1
Ottoman State Management and Social Life in the Nasîhatnâme of Kâdirî Muhyiddîn, One of Sufis Living the 17th Century
- Pages
- 32–67
- DOI
- —
Abstract
Seventeenth century is a period in which the Ottoman Empire lived a period of stagnation. In this period, great changes and degenerations were observed in political, military, social and economic life. It iss important to evaluate with a perspective of mutasavvıfs of this period took place in boks of many statesmen, poets and writers.Kâdirî Muhyiddîn is one of the important sufis and poets who lived in the seventeenth century. We have very little information about his life. His Nasîhatnâme is his only work, that we have available. He had the opportunity to observe the political, military, social and economic life in the Ottoman geography, especially in Istanbul-Kırım-Kefe cities from many points of view. He expressed his observations in his poetic nasîhatnâme that included 7997 couplets. The widespread use of tobacco and coffee in the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century, the increase in the number of coffeehouses, the increase of adultery and bribery, the increase of the admiration of luxury especially the sable fur, the bribe-buying of the authorities, the continuous dismissal of the state officials, the deterioration of the sufi class and the conflicts among themselves, and the influence of the women and bad “musâhib” the deterioration of the Ottoman military system and the various sufism issues are some of the issues addressed in the Kâdirî Muhyiddîn’s Nasihatname. In this study, seventeenth century, Ottoman state management and social life will be discussed through the eyes of Kâdirî Muhyiddîn.SUMMARYTheterritory of the Ottoman State reached its widest border, the state enriched, the welfare level of the people increased in the 16th century. However, in the view of contemporary historians, the richness of the Ottoman State is the beginning of some kind of “ counting in place” or decline. The beginning of this decline is possible to go to back to the period of Sultan Süleyman (1520-1566). Because The unilateral privileges granted to the French in this period were given to other states in later periods. This situation negatively affected the national economy. In addition, long-lasting wars also adversely affected the economy and put a large burden on the budget.For the first time, during the reign of Sultan Murad III (1574-1595 ), it was started to recruit unlawful soldiers to the Yeniçeri Ocağı. After this date, the number of soldiers increased. It become harder to pay the salary of the increasing soldiers. In addition, the deficit in the budget to be closed with additional taxes imposed on the public caused serious discomfort in the public.Severe consequenses of the economic weakening in the Ottoman State and deterioration in the military system manifested itself in the 17th century. In 1623, when he was twelve years old, he ascended the throne, Sultan Murad IV ( 1632-1640), from the age of eighteen began to be effective in goverment administration. During this period, the military class was regulated and both the rebels in Istanbul and the celalî revolts in Anatolia were eliminated. In addition, during this period tobacco was banned and coffee houses and pubs were shut down especially after the great Istanbul fire. Those who did not comply with these prohibitions were punished most severely and the lost tried to be re-established.The changes and degenerations in political, military, social and economic life in the Ottoman State since the 17th century have been the subject of many statesmen, poets and writers. Since the second half of the 16th century, many works have been written in the style of siyasetnâme and nasîhatnâme. The most well-known of these works are the works of bureaucrat writers such as Lütfi Paşa, Koçi Bey, Kâtip Çelebi and Defterdar Sarı Mehmet Efendi.One of the works dealing with the negative changes and degenerations in the political, military, social and economic life of the Ottoman State, which was written in the 17th century, is the Nasîhatnâme of Kâdirî Muhyiddîn. He wrote his work to present to Sultan Murad IV. However, there is no definite information as to whether the work was presented to Sultan Murad IV. Most of the topics discussed in the tractate of the famous writer of the period, Koçi Bey, took place in the Nasîhatnâme of Kâdirî Muhyiddîn as verse. Moreover, this nasîhatnâme was written before the tractate of Koçi Bey and many works written during this period. However, there is little information available about Kâdirî Muhyiddîn and his work. Like Koçi Bey, who is understood to have lived at the same time, Kâdirî Muhyiddîn analyzes the changes in the life of the Ottoman State and society from a traditional perspective.Kâdirî Muhyiddîn is one of the important sufis and poets who lived in the seventeenth century. We have very little information about his life. His Nasîhatnâme is his only work, that we have available. He had the opportunity to observe the political, military, social and economic life in the Ottoman geography, especially in Istanbul-Kırım-Kefe cities from many points of view. He expressed his observations in his poetic nasîhatnâme that included 7997 couplets.In this study, the subjects, addressed in the Nasîhatnâme of Kâdirî Muhyiddîn, were examined under the main headings of the Ottoman State Administration in the 17th Century and Social Life in the Ottoman Empire. The main title that The Ottoman State Administration in the 17th Century, were addressed under the following headings: Disruptions in Administrative Operation and Recommendations to the Sultan and Statesmen; Deterioration of the judicial system and the disruption of the military organization. The Deterioration of the Judicial System and the Disruption of the Military Organization are handled as subheadings.In the subheading of Disruption in Administrative Operation and Recommendations to the Sultan and Statesmen, some of there commendations of Kâdirî Muhyiddîn to the Sultan and statesmen are as follows: The Sultan as the administrator, should take the four caliphs and victoriou
Özet
17. yüzyıl, Osmanlı Devleti’nin duraklama devrini yaşadığı bir dönemdir. Bu dönemde siyasî, askerî, sosyal ve ekonomik hayatta büyük değişim ve yozlaşmalar görülmüştür. Birçok devlet adamı, şâir ve yazarın eserine konu olan bu dönemin bir mutasavvıf gözüyle değerlendirilmesi önemlidir.Kâdirî Muhyiddîn 17. yüzyılda yaşamış önemli mutasavvıf ve şâirlerden olup hayatı hakkında elimizde çok az bilgi bulunmaktadır. Elimizdeki tek eseri Nasîhatnâmesi’dir. Kâdirî Muhyiddîn İstanbul-Kırım-Kefe şehirleri başta olmak üzere Osmanlı coğrafyasındaki siyasî, askerî sosyal ve ekonomik hayatı pek çok açıdan gözlemleme imkânına sahip olmuştur. Bu gözlemlerini 7997 beyitlik manzum nasîhatnâmesinde dile getirmiştir. 17. yüzyılda Osmanlı Devleti’nde tütün ve kahve kullanımının yaygınlaşması, kahvehânelerin sayısının artması, zina ve rüşvetin yaygınlaşması, lükse özellikle samur kürklere düşkünlüğün artması, makamların rüşvetle alınıp satılması, devlet görevlilerinin sürekli azledilmeleri, meşâyihlerin bozulması ve kendi aralarındaki çekişmeleri, devlet yönetiminde kadınların ve kötü musâhiblerin etkili olması, Osmanlı askerî sisteminin bozulması ve çeşitli tasavvufî konular, Kâdirî Muhyiddîn’in nasîhatnâmesinde değindiği konulardan bazılarıdır. Bu çalışmada Kâdirî Muhyiddîn’in gözüyle 17. yüzyıl Osmanlı devlet işleyişi ve sosyal hayatı ele alınacaktır.