Chapter 6 The Personal Anthology of an Ottoman Litterateur: Celâlzâde Sâlih (d.1565) and His Mecmua
In: Dimensions of Transformation in the Ottoman Empire from the Late Medieval Age to ModernitySearch for other papers by Cornell H. Fleischer in
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Abstract
This chapter revolves around the autograph mecmua of Celâlzâde Sâlih (c.1495–1565), compiled by the author towards the end of his life as a selection from his own writings, both literary and epistolary. The mecmua, meant to be a representative summary of the author/compiler’s œuvre, comprises letters sent by Sâlih to the sultan, various officials, and acquaintances; panegyrics offered to grandees; a selection from Sâlih’s poetry; an account of the 1532–33 Ottoman campaign against the Habsburgs, the so-called Alaman seferi; and a group of letters sent by Sâlih to Prince Bayezid and two members of his household, concerning a translation project commissioned by the prince. We argue that, just as Celâlzâde Sâlih’s life reflects the tensions, challenges and opportunities of the Süleymanic era, his personal anthology allows us to discuss several important themes that pertain to early modern history, Ottoman and otherwise: the large-scale institutional and cultural transformations of the sixteenth century; the ideological and cultural functions of history-writing; and the impact of networks of patronage and solidarity on cultural production and intellectual life.