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Tursun Bey’s Tarih-i Ebü’l-Feth (1488) and Ibn-i Haldun’s Mukaddime
Abstract by Prof. Kenan Inan On Session 188  (Ibn Khaldun in the Ottoman Empire)

On Saturday, November 16 at 11:00 am

2019 Annual Meeting

Abstract
Tursun Bey’s Tarih-i Ebü’l-Feth (“History of the Father of Conquest”) is not a systematic chronicle of events but essentially a panegyric on the reigns of Mehmed II and of its dedicatee Bayezid II. In his introduction, Tursun states that he composed his book using either his own experiences of events or the information which was ‘common among the people’. However, we know that Tursun used written sources. The introduction can be placed in the tradition of ‘Mirrors for Princes’ literature, in which an imperial servant-in our case Tursun Bey- offers advice on ruler ship to the reigning Sultan. His use of the Ahlak-? Nas?ri of Nas?ruddin Tusi and possible use of the Chahar Makala of Nizami-i Arudi proves his familiarity with this literary genre. Tursun Bey’s ideas on the kinds of human settlement, sovereignty and law show some similarities with that of Ibn-i Haldun mentioned in Mukaddime. Haldun discusses that human being live together and there are differences in the behaviours of the nations and societies. However, the reason of this difference is to help each other in order to make a living. Tursun Bey also mentions that human being created to live together and this is called temeddün (becoming civilized). He names the kinds of temeddün as ?ehir (city), köy (village) and oba (nomad life). The compilation of Tursun Bey’s History coincides with the compilation of the Kanunname of Mehmed II in the early years of Bayezid II’s reign, and the Preface appears to be in part a justification of the Kanunmame. The reason for kanun-making is, he states, nizam-? alemi zahir içün (to bring order to the world). He calls these laws siyaset-i sultani ve yasa?-? padi?ahi (Sultanic law and prohibition of the Sultan) and örf (customary law). He makes clear that these laws are not based on ?eriat (religious laws), but on reason, and contrasts them with siyaset-i ilahi (divine government). Similar to some of the points mentioned above Ibn-i Haldun also tells that human being needs a hakim (sovereign) and he sometimes implements religious orders sent by God and he sometimes acts according to siyaset-i akl (rational politics). Both politics are necessary to have the expected civilization. The paper will try to analyse the reason of the similarities between two authors.
Discipline
History
Geographic Area
Islamic World
Sub Area
13th-18th Centuries