Abstract
<jats:p>Written by Nişancızâde Mehmed Efendi (d. 1031/1621), who lived between the second half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, Mir’âtü’l-Kâinât is essentially a general history book. Beginning with the creation of the universe and containing information on many Islamic states, this work also devotes a section to Ottoman history. The Ottoman history section of Mir’âtü’l-Kâinât consists of an introduction and 10 chapters (baps). The chapters begin with Osman Gazi, the first sultan, and conclude with Süleyman the Magnificent, the tenth. Nişancızâde, at the beginning of each chapter, recorded basic information about the sultan, such as his birth date and place, the date he ascended to the throne and death year, primarily in Persian. The main text of the work is written in Ottoman Turkish, sometimes in artistic writing and sometimes in simple prose. Nişancızâde, dividing the sections into sections using the term "Fasl", provided information on topics such as the sultans’ children, begs, viziers, wars, conquered lands, and the scholars and sheikhs of the period. In some sections, he recorded additional information related to the topic under the subheading “benefit” (faida). He also added verse sections, sometimes consisting of single couplets and sometimes multiple couplets, immediately at the beginning of each chapter and between the topics. In writing the Ottoman history section of Mir’âtü’l-Kâinât, the author used Hoca Sadeddin Efendi’s (d. 1008/1599) chronicle, Tâcü't-Tevârîh, as the primary source for political developments in the first nine chapters. He summarized the information and did not delve into the details Hoca Sadeddin had described. Due to his occasional over-summary, he also appears to have some fragments of sentences or omissions of information in some sections. Furthermore, it is a fact that the long and elaborate sentences in Tâcü’t-Tevârîh sometimes make it difficult for the reader to grasp the main theme and focus on the issue being discussed. A comparative reading of the two works enhances comprehension from both sources. Therefore, considering this aspect, the Ottoman history section of Mir’âtü’l-Kâinât will be a helpful text for researchers. In the final section of the work, on Süleyman the Magnificent, Nişancızâde draws on the chronicle of his grandfather, Ramazanzâde Mehmed Çelebi (d. 979/1571), also known as the “Küçük Nişancı,” and other sources from the period. He also draws on the Târîh-i Nişâncı in other sections, particularly in establishing the overall structure of the work. The main source for the biographies of scholars and sufis appended to the final sections of the chapters is Taşköprizâde Ahmed Efendi’s (d. 968/1561) biographical work, eş-Şakâ’iku’n-Nu‘mâniyye fî Ulemâi’d-Devleti’l-Osmâniyye. In addition to these, the author also used Heşt Behişt, written in Persian by İdris-i Bitlisî (d. 926/1520) and Kemalpaşazâde’s (d. 940/1534) Selimnâme, which covers the reign of Yavuz Sultan Selim. The work also contains sections that make general references to information filtered from various sources. Numerous manuscripts of Mir’âtü’l-Kâinât exist; However, most of these contain various errors. In our study, the copy registered in the Berlin State Library, Ms. or. quart. No. 1381, was determined to be the author’s copy, and this copy was used when transcribing the text into modern letters. The missing part in the cited copy was completed using the copy printed in the last period of the Ottoman Empire. Information has been added in footnotes regarding the current names of places mentioned in the work, many of which are currently known by different names, the country or region where they are located, as well as various points requiring clarification. This is intended to facilitate the use of the work by those who will benefit from it.</jats:p>