A Story of Exile: A Bosnian Franciscan Friar’s Journey From Sarajevo To Istanbul
Okan BüyüktapuThis study examines the travel memoirs of Ivan Franjo Jukić (1818-1857), a Bosnian intellectual and cultural figure who was arrested in 1852 for his alleged involvement in a pan-Slavic conspiracy and exiled from Sarajevo to Istanbul, published under the title Journey from Sarajevo to Istanbul, May 1852. The article aims to evaluate the text in its historical context by discussing Jukić’s literary and cultural activities, the political atmosphere of the period, and the effects of the Tanzimat reforms in the region. Although this travelogue—considered the beginning of modern Bosnian-Herzegovinian literature—is essentially a travel story from the Balkans to the Ottoman capital, the author’s multifaceted and in-depth historical and cultural knowledge makes it an intellectually rich text. Jukić’s exile, passing through important cities such as Sarajevo, Pristina, Skopje, and Thessaloniki, provides significant testimony, shedding light on the social, economic, and administrative conditions of the imperial territories during the mid-19th century. Throughout his journey, the author offers detailed observations on the various ethnic and religious groups, local administrations, military structures, and daily life practices he encounters, as well as valuable insights into transportation options, prison conditions, and judicial practices during the period. This work, which belongs to a group of sources rarely utilized in Turkish historiography because of language barriers, offers a valuable perspective on the history of the Tanzimat-era Balkans, while containing first-hand information on a region outside the empire’s center. In the second part of the article, the original text is translated from Bosnian to Turkish for the first time, making it accessible to Turkish readers. We hope that this translation will enhance the recognition of both the author and the travelogue in academic circles, offering a fresh resource for Turkish researchers studying the 19th-century Balkans.
Bir Sürgün Öyküsü: Bosnalı Fransisken Bir Rahibin Saraybosna’dan İstanbul’a Yolculuğu
Okan BüyüktapuBu çalışma, 1852 yılında bir Pan-Slav komplosuna karıştığı düşüncesiyle tutuklanarak İstanbul’a sürgün edilen Bosnalı aydın ve kültür adamı Ivan Franjo Jukić’in (1818-1857) Saraybosna’dan İstanbul’a Yolculuk 1852 Yılı Mayıs Ayı adıyla yayımladığı seyahat anılarını konu edinmektedir. Modern BosnaHersek edebiyatının başlangıcı olarak kabul edilen bu seyahatname, esasen Balkanlar’dan Osmanlı başkentine uzanan bir gezi hikâyesi olsa da yazarın çok yönlü ve derin tarih ve kültür birikimi onu okunması zevkli entelektüel bir metin hâline getirmektedir. Jukić’in sürgün serüveni Saraybosna, Priştine, Üsküp ve Selanik gibi önemli şehirlerden geçerek 19. yüzyıl ortasındaki imparatorluk topraklarının sosyal, ekonomik ve idari durumuna ışık tutan bir tanıklığa dönüşür. Yazar, seyahati boyunca karşılaştığı farklı etnik ve dinî gruplar, yerel yönetimler, askerî yapılanmalar ve gündelik yaşam pratikleri hakkında detaylı gözlemler sunmakta; ayrıca dönemin ulaşım imkânları, hapishane koşulları ve adli uygulamaları hakkında da kıymetli bilgiler vermektedir. Dil engeli nedeniyle Türk tarih yazımında nadiren yararlanılabilen bir kaynak grubuna dahil olan bu eser, Tanzimat dönemi Balkanları’nın tarihi açısından değerli bir perspektif sunarken imparatorluğun merkezi dışında kalan bir bölge için de birinci elden bilgiler paylaşmaktadır. Makalede Jukić’in edebî ve kültürel faaliyetleri, dönemin siyasi atmosferi ve Tanzimat reformlarının bölgedeki etkileri ele de alınarak, metnin tarihî bağlamında değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Makalenin ikinci bölümünde, orijinal metin Boşnakçadan Türkçeye ilk defa çevrilerek Türk okuyucuların istifadesine sunulmuştur. Bu çevirinin hem yazarın hem de seyahatnamenin akademik çevrelerde tanınmasına katkıda bulunması ve Türk araştırmacılar için Balkanlar’ın 19. yüzyıldaki durumu hakkında yeni bir kaynak olarak hizmet etmesi temenni edilmektedir.
This study examines the travel memoirs of Ivan Franjo Jukić (1818-1857), a Bosnian intellectual, Franciscan friar, and cultural figure who was exiled from Sarajevo to Istanbul in 1852 on suspicion of involvement in a Pan-Slavic conspiracy. Jukić's journey from the Balkans to the Ottoman capital, passing through important cities such as Sarajevo, Pristina, Skopje, and Thessaloniki, offers important testimonies of the social, economic, and administrative conditions of the Ottoman lands in the mid-19th century. The article begins with a detailed biographical summary highlighting Jukić's multifaceted contributions to Bosnian culture and literature. His role in organizing the region's literary life, distributing important books, and founding the first Bosnian literary journal is highlighted. Jukić's activities as a compiler of folklore, historian, geographer, geographer, statistician, lexicographer, and ethnographer are also noted, emphasizing his importance in the intellectual development of 19th-century Bosnia. The study then explores the historical context of Jukić's exile, examining the complex political landscape of the Ottoman Balkans during the Tanzimat period. It discusses the initial optimism regarding the Tanzimat reforms and Jukić's hopes for improving Christians' situation, followed by his disappointment and eventual arrest. It argues that Jukić's case exemplifies the tension between reform efforts and the realities of Ottoman rule in the provinces.
The analysis of Jukić’s travelogue focuses on the following key themes:
1. Physical and Psychological Challenges: This study provides a vivid account of Jukić's challenging journey and highlights the physical and psychological challenges he faced. His experiences of poor health, harsh weather conditions and constant uncertainty about his fate significantly shaped his narrative and perceptions.
2. Ethnic and Religious Diversity: Jukić's keen observations of the different ethnic and religious groups he encountered are examined in detail. The article highlights Jukić's special interest in the conditions of the Christian population under Ottoman rule and his notes on linguistic and cultural practices in the regions he traveled.
3. Historical Reflections: This study analyzes Jukić's reflections on historical places and events, especially those related to Bosnian history. It argues that these reflections reveal Jukić's Pan-Slavic sympathies and romantic nationalist outlook and place his work in the broader context of 19th-century Balkan intellectual movements.
4. Ottoman Administration: Jukić’s critical observations on Ottoman governance are scrutinized, including his comments on corruption, poor infrastructure, and the perceived ineffectiveness of Tanzimat reforms. The article suggests that these critiques offer valuable insights into the challenges of implementing centralized reforms in the empire’s peripheral regions.
5. Urban centers: This study examines Jukić’s detailed descriptions of the cities and towns he visited, including their populations, economic activities, and administrative structures.
6. Literary and Linguistic Aspects: This article discusses the stylistic and linguistic features of Jukić’s writing, noting his use of Turkish loanwords and dialectal features. It situates his work within the context of emerging Slavic-language travel literature and compares it to other contemporary travelogues.
This study emphasizes the importance of Jukić’s travelogue as a historical source that bridges Balkan and Ottoman historiography. This paper argues that such studies can provide nuanced insights into the complex interplay of imperial governance, local realities, and emerging nationalist sentiments in the 19th-century Balkans. This article concludes by reflecting on the potential of translated primary sources like Jukić’s travelogue to foster dialog among different historiographical traditions. It suggests that making such works accessible to Turkish-speaking scholars and students can contribute to a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the Ottoman Empire’s final century, particularly from the perspective of its non-Muslim subjects. Finally, the study includes a full Turkish translation of Jukić’s travelogue and a map of his journey, making this important primary source available to Turkish researchers for the first time. This translation is presented as a significant contribution to the field, opening new avenues for comparative and cross-cultural research on the 19th-century Balkans.
