A tribute to the kingly virtues of Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603-1617) : Hocazade Abdülaziz Efendi (d. 1618) and his Ahlak-ı Sultan Ahmedi

This thesis aims to offer a literary-historical analysis of Ahlâk-ı Sultân Ahmedî (Morals of Sultân Ahmed), an early seventeenth-century Ottoman treatise on ethics prepared for Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603-1617). This work of ethics was originally written in Persian in 1494-5 under the title, Ahlâk-ı Muhsinî (Morals of Muhsin), by Hüseyin Vâiz Kâşifî, a renowned Timurid scholar and intellectual. This work of ethics was dedicated to the Timurid ruler, Hüseyin Baykara (r. 1469-1506), but the main adressee was his son Ebu‘l-Muhsin Mirza. In around 1610, Ahmed I ordered a translation of this Persian work into Ottoman Turkish, a task which was completed, with some critical additions, in 1612 by Hocazâde Abdülaziz Efendi (d. 1618), the fourth son of the famous Hoca Sadeddin Efendi (d. 1599). Overall, this thesis is an attempt to provide a critical examination of Ahlâk-ı Sultân Ahmedî particularly with respect to the question of how such a translated book on ethics was used as a tool to create as well as to legitimize a powerful image of the Ottoman sultan at a time of crisis and change in the Ottoman imperial and dynastic establishment. The main contention is that the production of Ahlâk-ı Sultân Ahmedî should be understood as part of a much larger political agenda carried out by Ahmed I, who, as a young and ambitious ruler, tried hard to present his reign and rule as a recovery from the turbulent years of wars and rebellions since the late 1590s. Key Words: Ahlâk-ı Sultân Ahmedî, Sultan Ahmed I, Hocazâde Abdülaziz Efendi, Books on Ethics, Süleymanic Image, Patronage.Abstract ........................................................................................................................... .iii Öz ..................................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ......................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................vi Table of Contents................................................................................................vii CHAPTER INTRODUCTION................................................................................1 I.THE HOCAZÂDES: ABDÜLAZİZ EFENDİ AND HIS FAMILY .......................... 21 I.1. A Powerful Father and His Sons: The Beginning of a Heady Career for Hocazâde Brothers ............................................................................................. 21 I.2. The İlmiye Careers of Hocazâde Abdülaziz and His Brothers after Hoca Sadeddin ............................................................................................................. 30 I.3.The Hocazâdes under Ahmed I ..................................................................... 32 I.4.The Hocazâde Network ................................................................................ 38 I.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 41 II. THE REIGN AND ROYAL PATRONAGE OF AHMED I .................................... 42 II.1. An Overview of Ahmed I‘s Reign ............................................................. 43 II.2. Ahmed I and his Endeavor to Become a ―Second Süleyman‖ .................... 45 II.2.1 Ahmediyye: A Sign of Piety ......................................................... 45 II.2.2. The Restoration of Ka‗ba in Mecca ............................................. 50 II.2.3. A Warrior Sultan or A Passionate Hunter ................................... 51 II.2.4. Auspicious Ceremonies as Signs of Prosperous Times ............... 53 II.2.5. Ahmed‘s Patronage of Manuscripts ............................................ 54 II.3. Patronage Networks at the Imperial Court ................................................. 55 II.3.1. The Patronage of El-Hac Mustafa and His Relationship with Hocazâde Abdülaziz Efendi ................................................................... 56 II. Manuscript Patronage: The Books on Ethics Presented to Ahmed I ......... 62 II.5. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 70 III. A DISCOURSE ON THE SULTANIC IMAGE OF SULTAN AHMED I AS IT IS CONSTRUCTED IN AHLÂK-I SULTÂN AHMEDÎ ...................................................... 72 III.1. The Preface of the Book: The Purpose of the Translation ........................ 72 III.1.1. The patrons: Ahmed I and El-Hac Mustafa as They are Presented in the Preface Section ............................................................................. 74 III.1.2.The Intentions of the Translator: Expectation for a Reappointment ................................................................................................................. 78 III.2. A Comparative Perspective: Ahlâk-ı Sultân Ahmedî and Zübdetü‟t-Tevârîh ............................................................................................................................. 80 III.3. Kingly Virtues of Ahmed I as Constructed in Ahlâk-ı Sultân Ahmedî ...... 83 III.3.1.The pious sultan .......................................................................... 84 III.3.2. Sultanic Justice ........................................................................... 86 III.3.3. Sultanic Generosity .................................................................... 95 III.3.4. Sultanic Bravery ......................................................................... 98 4. Conclusion ................................................................................................ 99 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 101 Bibliography ................................................................................................................ 10