Sadullah Pasha’s Poem, “The Nineteenth Century”: A literary Echo of Ottoman Modernization

Mehmet KALPAKLI

Sadullah Bey, a contemporary of Namık Kemal and Şinasi, achieved renown as the translator of the open letter from Mustafa Fazıl Paşa to Sultan Abdülaziz, which was published in the French newspaper Liberté, on 24 March 1867. Sadullah Bey, an intimate friend of Namık Kemal, was also involved in the Young Ottomans (Yeni Osmanlılar) movement. Sadullah Bey, the son of the Vizier Ayaşlı Esad Muhlis Paşa, was born on 7 July 1838. His secondary education included religious training from private tutors, the study of Eastern and , economics, politics, natural sciences, chemistry, as well as the , Persian and French languages. In 1853, at the age of fifteen, he was appointed to the Office of State Revenues (Maliye Gelirler Kalemi), and three years later was transferred to the Translation Office in the . Over a span of twenty years he held a variety of bureaucratic posts which included Chief Secretaryship of the Council of State (Şûrâ-yı Devlet Baş Katipliği), Undersecretaryship of Ministry of Education (Maârif Müsteşarlığı), Chairship of the Supreme Court of Appeal (Temyiz Mahkemesi Birinci Reisliği), and Ministry of Commerce (Ticaret Nazırlığı). Upon the accession of Sultan Murad V in 1876, Sadullah Bey was promoted to the office of the First Secretaryship of the Imperial Chancery (Mabeyn-i Hümâyûn Baş Katipliği). He was discharged from this post when Sultan Abdülhamid II came to the throne and became ambassador to Berlin. He represented the Ottoman State as the Second Delegate in the Treaty of St. Stefano in 1877 and at the Berlin Congress that same year. In 1881 he was granted the title of vizierate. He was appointed ambassador to Vienna in 1883 and it was during his time abroad that his Austrian servant, with whom he had an illegitimate relationship, became pregnant. According to Uzunçarşılı,1 Sadullah Paşa committed suicide as a result of this event. Mehmed Galib Bey, who was Sadullah Paşa’s Second Secretary during his years in Vienna, wrote an account of Sadullah Paşa’s experiences as an Ottoman bureaucrat and published them under the title Sadullah Paşa yahut Mezardan Bir Nida (Sadullah Pasha or a cry from his grave) (İstanbul, 1909). This work was

1 İ.H. Uzunçarşılı, “Viyana Büyük Elçisi Vezir Sadullah Paşa’nın İntiharına Dair”, Belleten, XIV/55, (1950), pp.419–449.

223 Studia et Documenta Turcologica • II written from Sadullah Paşa’s point of view, but because it merely relates the chain of events which occurred during Sadullah Paşa’s bureaucratic career, the account is little more than an straightforward memoir. Moreover, it does not provide the reader with basic information, such as Sadullah Paşa’s political opinions and his reflections on key political events.2 Sadullah Paşa was a very talented writer of prose. His travellogs such as “Şarloten- burg Sarayı” (Charlottenburg Palace) and “1878 Paris Ekspozisyonu” (1878 Paris Exhibition), as well as his letters, are among the most praiseworthy examples of the late Ottoman prose.3 The style and the clarity, which he introduced to bureaucratic writings such as mazbata (official report) and tezkire (official correspondent), gave him a widespread fame. Unfortunately, his poems were not collected and most of them have been lost. He is famous for his translation from Lamartine’s famous poem “Göl” (The Lake),4 as well as his poem, The Nineteenth Century which was published on 1 March 1885 in the Mecmua-i Ebuziyya.5 In the poem, which was composed in a journalistic style and is by no means successful as a work of literature, Sadullah Paşa indicates that, while the Ottomans are still trying to adapt themselves to the modernization, the Europeans had already reached high levels on the science and technology. The first 23 couplets of the 25 couplet-long poem is on this subject. In the couplet 24, he points out the geography where this advancements and improvements took place: West. And the last couplet of the poem implies Sadullah Paşa’s interpretation: if we (Ottomans) can not defeat ignorance, we will not survive in the world of science in this time of progress.

ONDOKUZUNCU ASIR6 (Nineteenth Century)

Sadullah Paşa

1 Erişti evc-i kemâlâta nûr-ı idrâkât Yetişti rütbe-i imkâna kısm-ı mümteniât

The holy light of comprehension has attained the summit of perfection The class of unattainable things has reached the level of the possible

2 For a detailed biography of Sadullah Pasha, see Ali Akyıldız, Sürgün Sefir Sadullah Paşa, Türkiye İş Bankası Yayınları, 2011. 3 For some of Sadullah Paşa’s writings, see: Yeni Türk Edebiyatı Antolojisi: II, eds: Mehmet Kaplan, İnci Enginün, Birol Emil, İstanbul 1974, pp.637–650. 4 In addition, he embarked on a translation of the Illiad, which he was unable to complete. See: Hasan Ali Yücel, Edebiyat Tarihimizden, I, Ankara, 1957, p.297. 5 Yeni Türk Edebiyatı Antolojisi: II, eds: Mehmet Kaplan, İnci Enginün, Birol Emil, İstanbul 1974, pp.651–656. 6 This poem was first published in Mecmûa-i Ebuzziyâ, 46, 1302 (1884–85). This text is taken from: Mehmet Kaplan, Şiir Tahlilleri 1, İstanbul 1978, pp.68–69.

224 Mehmet KALPAKLI • Sadullah Pasha’s Poem, “The Nineteenth Century …

2 Besâit oldu mürekkeb, mürekkeb oldu basit Bedâhet oldu tecârible hayli meçhûlât

Simple things have become complex, the complex has become simple By virtue of experimentation many hidden things have suddenly appeared

3 Mecâz oldu hakîkat, hakîkat oldu mecâz Yıkıldı belki esâsından eski malûmât

The metaphoric has turned into the real, what had seemed real is now only metaphoric Ancient knowledge has been toppled from its foundations

4 Mebâhis-i felek ü arz ü hikmet ü kimyâ Değil vesâvis-i ezhân ü vehm ü temsilât

Now talk is of astronomy and geology, physics and chemistry No longer of devilish promptings empty conjecture and analogies

5 Mesâil-i nazarîye tecârib oldu sened Erişti hadd-i yakîne fuzûl-i zanniyât

Theoretical problems depend on the bases of experiment Trivial guesses have attained the limits of certainty

6 Ukul-ı zâhire sâid fezâ-yı ecrâma Kuvâ-yı câzibe kanunu pâye-i mirkat

Triumphant intellects have elevated themselves into planetary space The law of gravitation is but one step on a ladder

7 Nüfûs-ı fâkire nâzil kaâre-i arza Delîl-i mebhas-i tekvin defâin-i tabakât

Thinking individuals have descended into the depths of the earth The deep-buried layers point to the origins of creation

8 Havâ vü berk u ziyâ vü buhâr u mıknâtıs Yed-i tasarruf-ı insanda unsur-ı harekât

Air and electricity and light and steam and magnetism Seized for the use of humankind are all means of movement

9 Ziyâ, hayâlen iken şimdi bilfiil sâî Zılâl, zâil iken şimdi zîver-i mir’ât

Light which once only labored in the imagination now does work in actuality Shadows, once transient, now adorn [fixed] reflections

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10 Sadâ, hesâb-ı mesâfâtta muhbir-i sâdık Buhâr, zulmeti tenvîrde ebda’-ı âyât

The echo is a faithful reporter in the reckoning of distance Steam is a producer of miracles in illuminating the darkness

11 Cihât-ı erbaaya berk nâkil-i ahbâr Buhâr, bahr ü ber üstünde Hızr-ı nakliyyât

Electricity transports news to the four corners of the earth Steam is a miracle-working Hızır of transportation on land and sea

12 Tefâhür eylemesin mi bu asr a’sâra Kısalttı bu’d-i mekân ü zamânı muhtereât

Should not this age take rightful pride among all the ages [Its] innovations have narrowed the distances of time and space

13 Ne kaldı çeşme-i hayvân, ne dârû-yı Sûhrâb Ne kaldı nusha-i efsûn, ne hükm-i tılsımiyât

Neither the fountain of life remains nor the panacea of Sohrab Neither the book of spells remains nor the rule of talismans

14 Ne kaldı sa’d-ı tevâli, ne kaldı nahs-ı kırân Ne kaldı reml ü kehânet, ne kaldı cifriyyât

Neither the fortunate succession of stars nor the unfortunate conjunction remains Neither geomancy nor augury nor onomancy remains

15 Ne var hümâda saâdet, ne var şeâmet-i bûm Mukayyed asl-ı irâdâta cümle mec’ûlât

The bird of fortune brings no luck nor does the owl bode calamity Every thing that is done [by us] is bound to origins in human will

16 Ne atlas âlemi hâmil, ne Zühre fâil-i kül Değil ukul-i Felâtun usûl-i tekvînât

Atlas no longer holds up the earth nor does Venus influence everything The notions of Plato no longer explain the principles of creation

17 Ne kaldı zann-ı tenâsüh, ne kaldı nâr-ı Mecûs Değil ukule Ekânim kıble-i hâcât

The theory of reincarnation no longer holds nor do the Magian fires The hypostases [of the Trinity] are no longer a focus of desire for the intellect

226 Mehmet KALPAKLI • Sadullah Pasha’s Poem, “The Nineteenth Century …

18 Esâs-ı hikmet-i asr oldu vahdet-i Bârî Taammüm eyledi aslü’l-usûl-i mû’tekadât

The unity of the Creator is the basis for the philosophy of the age The truth of the superstitious beliefs is known by one and all

19 Bulur gider cihet-i vahdetin umûm milel Vücûd-ı vahdeti müsbit olunca mâkulât

All nations proceed having discovered His ultimate unity Since the operations of reason have proved this unity's existence

20 Hudûd-ı hakk u vezâif muayyen ü sâbit Ne kaldı cebr ü tegallüb, ne kaldı keyfiyyât

The limits and duties are determined and fixed No longer is there coercion or domination, no longer simply doing as one pleases

21 Hukûk-ı şahs ü tasarruf masûn taarruzdan Verildi âlem-i umrâna başka tensîkat

The rights of person and property are protected from assault The civilized world has been given a new dispensation

22 Ne Amr Zeyd’in esîri, ne Zeyd Amr’a velî Müesses üss-i müsâvâta nass-ı mevzûât

Amr is no more the slave of Zeyd nor is Zeyd Amr's master The plain text of the law rests upon the principle of equality

23 Münevver eyledi ezhânı intişâr-ı ulûm Mükemmel eyledi noksânı feyz-i matbûât

The dissemination of sciences has enlightened [our] minds The abundance of published works has remedied our deficiencies

24 Megarib oldu dirîga metâli’-i irfân Ne kaldı şöhret-i Rûm u Arab, ne Mısr u Herat

Alas that the dawnings of wisdom have arisen from the West The fame of and Arabia of Cairo and Herat is no more

25 Zamân zamân-ı terakkî cihân cîhân-ı ulûm Olur mu cehl ile kabil beka-yı cem’iyyât

The times are times of progress the world a world of science Is it possible [now] for societies to survive on ignorance?

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It is clear from this poem that Sadullah Paşa was a strong positivist. Moreover, as mentioned above, due to the type of education he received, Sadullah Paşa sought to synthesize Eastern and the Western ideas. This idea of synthesis is present in most works composed during the period of westernization in literature (especially those of Şinasi and Namık Kemal). He maintains that his experiences in Europe were the direct product of liberty. In the Ottoman State under Abdülhamid II, however, an atmosphere of oppression prevailed, and as a result, many poems in praise of liberty were composed during this period. Namık Kemal deals with social and political issues in his famous “Freedom Kaside” (“Hürriyet Kasidesi”).7 The concept of liberty alone is praised in the poem. On the other hand, Sadullah Paşa praises science and technology and credits advances in these areas with the higher level of development achieved by western civilization during the nineteenth century. Therefore, it can be argued that Sadullah Paşa develops this issue further in his work. In Sadullah Paşa’s impressions of the Paris Exhibition, the idea of liberty is paramount: without liberty nothing is possible. The second step in his formulation was “civilization”, or “civilizationism” (“medeniyetçilik”) which was an ideology that emerged during the Period. In his praise poem to Reşid Paşa, Şinasi calls him “the prophet of civilization” (medeniyet resûlü).8 In Sadullah Paşa’s poem, “The Nineteenth Century”, his positivist leanings emerge clearly. It is now generally accepted that Ottoman modernization did not begin with the Imperial Rescript of Gülhane (Gülhane Hatt-ı Hümâyûnu, Tanzimat Fermanı), which was its first official expression. That ferman merely demonstrated that Ottoman political life had reached a significant juncture. This becomes clear when we examine the reflections of the Ottoman modernization present in literature. The transformation in literature, which began towards the end of the 17th century, accelerated with the works of Nedim and Şeyh Galib in the 18th century. Furthermore, by the mid-nine- teenth century, this literature diverged significantly from the classical (old) style. It is not possible to connect this change in literary style to the ferman, which was announced in November 1839. To accept this date as the beginning of a “Tanzimat Edebiyatı Devri” (a period of Tanzimat literature) is not strictly accurate, because it was not until Şinasi (whose Tercüme-i Manzume, including his translations from French literature, was published in 1859) that we have the first exemplary works of the period of modernization. Therefore, in terms of literary expression, it can be

7 See Walter G. Andrews and Mehmet Kalpaklı, “Across Chasms of Change: The Kaside in Late Ottoman and Republican Times," in Islamic Asia & Africa I: Classical Traditions & Modern Meanings, eds. S. Sperl and C.Shacle, E.J.Brill, 1996, pp.301–325. 8 Şinasi, “Kaside”, in Yeni Türk Edebiyatı Antolojisi: I, eds: Mehmet Kaplan, İnci Enginün, Birol Emil, İstanbul 1974, p.492.

228 Mehmet KALPAKLI • Sadullah Pasha’s Poem, “The Nineteenth Century … argued that the Imperial Rescript of Gülhane does not clearly signify the end of an old historical period and the inauguration of a new one. Tanzimat or Edebiyat-ı Cedîde (New Literature), as it was called by the authors and of the era, covers a period of 57 years from 1839 to 1896.9 Tanzimat, or Arayışlar Devri (the Period of Searchings) as it is also known today, is a name which was applied to this period in retrospect. Almost all of the poets and authors who emerged during the Tanzimat period worked in different bureaucratic offices or served the state in some other capacity. In other words, these writers were the educated intellectuals of Ottoman society. Most of them served in the Translation Office (Tercüme Odası), which had been founded in 1832. This office emerged as the institution where most of the prominent figures of the Tanzimat Period were educated. In this particular bureau, officials learned foreign languages, modified and updated their worldviews and political perspectives, and broadened their intellectual horizons. Most of the outstanding figures of the period, such as Namık Kemal, Edhem Pertev Paşa, Ali Paşa, Fuad Paşa, Safvet Paşa worked in this office, which was referred to as the “Opposition Party of the Sublime Porte” (Bâb-ı Âli’nin muhalefet partisi).10 In addition to the Translation Office in the Sublime Porte, the intellectuals were also employed and educated in a number of other bureaucratic offices, such as Mabeyn Kalemi (Office of Palace Chancery), and Gümrük Kalemi (Office of Customs). The officials who held posts in these bureaus received an education based in the art of writing (kitâbet). In spite of the Westernized instruction of Tanzimat intellectuals and their affection for Western Culture, the traditional kitâbet education helped them maintain their Ottoman traditions. Therefore, although the intellectuals of the Tanzimat looked towards the West, they did not completely renounce the East and its older traditions. Wedged between these two cultures, Tanzimat era intellectuals became the representatives of two different worlds, and embodied the characteristics of both. This process of synthesis as expressed by Şinasi was: “Asya’nın akl-ı pîrânesi ile Avrupa’nın bikr-i fikrini tezvîç etmek”11 (“to blend the old and experienced mind of Asia with the new and original thoughts of Europe”). His conceptualization was taken to heart by most intellectuals of the Tanzimat Period.12

9 For more detailed information about the term “Tanzimat” see: Ömer Faruk Akün, “Tanzimat Edebiyatı Sözü Ne Dereceye Kadar Doğrudur?”, Kubbealtı Akademi Mecmuası, 2, 1977, pp.15–37. 10 Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Ondokuzuncu Asır Türk Edebiyatı Tarihi, İstanbul, 1976, p.143. 11 Ibidem., p.203. 12 Orhan Okay has argued that it is possible to interpret all the reform movements from the period of Selim III up through the present as a way of expressing this synthesis. See: Orhan Okay, “Edebiyatımızda Batılılaşma”, Sanat ve Edebiyat Yazıları, İstanbul, 1990, pp.44–53.

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Therefore, what we refer to as the Tanzimat reforms were ideas imagined and put into practice by bureaucrats who were conversant in two traditions, Eastern and Western. The Ottoman modernization led to the westernization of bureaucrats as well. The group of intellectuals referred to as “men of culture” by Şinasi, differed from the traditional intellectuals in that they knew the West, were educated in the schools in Europe, or received an European-style education within the Empire. We can add to this group those officers and ambassadors who had experience of Europe, the bureaucrats who knew European languages, and the Empire’s Christian minority. Reşid Paşa, who read the Imperial Rescript of Gülhane, was the first representative of this new breed of intellectuals or people of culture (ahâli-i fazl). In a poem dedicated to Reşid Paşa, Şinasi addresses him as: Eyâ ahâli-i fazlın reis-i cumhûru13 (O! The President of the people of culture!) Although they were the representatives of modernization in Ottoman Literature, Namık Kemal and Şinasi did not use new literary genres or styles. Instead they produced a new context for the traditional genres. Sadullah Paşa received both an Eastern and Western education and was influenced by the notions of modernization advanced by the major theorists of the Tanzimat project, Mustafa Reşid Paşa and Sadık Rıfat Paşa. Sadullah Paşa, believed in science, technology, social equality, and liberty, and through his poem “The Nineteenth Century” he joined Namık Kemal and Şinasi Efendi in bringing new subject matter to and, by telling the story of nineteenth-century Europe, pointed out the road to be followed by Ottoman society. He spoke as follows to Ahmed Midhat Efendi: “Bizim için henüz Avrupa’yı beğenmek mi, beğenmemek mi lazım olduğu bile tayin ve hükmolunamamıştır. Gah Avrupa’yı kendimize nümune-i terakki addederek bâlâya çıkartırız. Gah kendimizi dev aynasında görerek Avrupa’yı ehemmiyete bile şâyân bulmayız. Bu ifrat ve tefritin her iki ciheti de ziyanlıdır. Asıl mahâret bu bâpta Osmanlıların ittibâ etmeleri lâzım gelen tarîk-i evsat ve savâbı bulmaktır.”14 “For us it is not yet fixed and decided whether or not we ought to admire Europe. Either we praise Europe to the heavens, considering it an exemplar of progress for us or, having an inflated view of ourselves, consider Europe unworthy of being taken seriously. Both of these, the over-estimating and the under-estimating are harmful. The real skill is to find the righteous, middle path which the Ottomans should follow in this matter.” However, it was also he who emphasized that this road should be “the righteous, middle path.”

13 Şinasi, 1974, p.492. 14 Ahmed Midhat Efendi, Avrupa’da Bir Cevelân, İstanbul, 1307 (1889–90), p.1004.

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