On a Letter Mîrzade Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî sent to Ahmet Caferoglu
Müslüm YılmazAhmet Caferoglu, a name that is prominent in Turkology completed important works on the late period poets who migrated from their homeland, Azerbaijan, to Anatolia. The motive that drew Ahmet Caferoglu to work on this topic was that there is a lack of expansive knowledge in relation to poets from Azerbaijan, insufficient information in sources, and the confusion regarding poetry which belongs to different people who share the same pseudonym. The first of his works on this matter is based upon the poetry belonging to Mîr Seyyid Nigari’s son, who passed away at a very young age, who wrote poems under the pseudonym Siraci. Caferoglu who by publishing this work, brought to light that Molla Osmân Siraceddin’s poems are mixed up in sources, revived a huge impact on Azerbaijan Turks and those who work in the field of Turkology. After his work was published Ahmet Caferoglu received many letters, critique, and encouragement from others studying the subject and so he began to publish in the Azerbaijan Homeland Information Journal. Seyyid Nigari’s cousin Mîrzade Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî wrote a letter to Ahmet Caferoglu on the topic. With this letter it was learned that Molla Osmân Siraceddin had taken credit for Mîrzade Seyyid Nigari’s son Siraceddin Efendi’s poems and that he intentionally manipulated Seyyid Nigari’s work, Nigar-name. In this article, after presenting the text of the letter found in Ahmet Caferoglu’s personal archive at Istanbul University Research Institute of Turkology, an evaluation of Mîrza Mustafa Fahreddin’s allegations is made.
Mîrzâde Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî’nin Ahmet Caferoğlu'na Gönderdiği Bir Mektup Üzerine
Müslüm YılmazTürkolojinin önde gelen isimlerinden olan Ahmet Caferoğlu, Azerbaycan topraklarından Anadolu'ya göç eden son devir Azeri şairleri hakkında önemli çalışmalar yapmıştır. Ahmet Caferoğlu'nu bu konuda çalışmaya sevk eden en büyük âmil, son devir Azeri şairleri hakkında geniş bir bilgi olmaması, kaynaklardaki bilgi çelişkisi ve aynı mahlası kullanan şairlerin şiirlerinin birbirine karışmış olmasıdır. Ahmet Caferoğlu’nun bu konudaki ilk eseri Mîr Seyyid Nigârî'nin genç yaşta vefat eden oğlu ve Sirâcî mahlası ile şiirler kaleme alan Sirâceddîn Efendi üzerinedir. Seyyid Nigârî'nin muhibleri arasında yer alan ve Sirâcî mahlasını kullanan Molla Osmân Sirâceddîn'in şiirlerinin kaynaklarda karıştırıldığını dile getiren Caferoğlu, yayımladığı bu çalışma ile başta Azerbaycan Türkleri ve Türkoloji alanında çalışanlar üzerinde büyük bir etki uyandırmıştır. Bu eserin neşrinden sonra konu üzerine çalışanlardan birçok mektup, eleştiri ve teşvik alan Ahmet Caferoğlu, bu alandaki eksiklikleri gidermek için Azerbaycan Yurt Bilgisi Dergisi'ni neşretmeye başlamıştır. Sirâcî adlı eserini neşrettikten sonra Ahmet Caferoğlu'na, Seyyid Nigârî'nin amcazâdesi Mîrzâde Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî tarafından bu konu hakkında bir mektup yazılmıştır. Bu mektupta Seyyid Nigârî'nin çevresinde bir dönem bulunan Molla Osmân Sirâceddîn adındaki birinin Mîrzâde Seyyid Nigârî'nin oğlu Sirâceddîn Efendi'nin şiirlerini kendisine mâl ettiği ve Seyyid Nigârî'nin Nigâr-nâme adlı eserini bilerek tahrif ettiği hakkında bilgiler vermektedir. Bu makalede Ahmet Caferoğlu'nun İstanbul Üniversitesi Türkiyat Araştırmaları Enstitüsü'ndeki şahsi arşivi arasında bulunan mektubun metni verildikten sonra Mîrzâde Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî’nin iddiaları değerlendirilecektir.
The Ottoman Empire supported migration and settlement movements as a policy from the early period. However after the 18th century the subjects who started to migrate to Anatolia after their lands were lost became a big problem and Russia’s quick rise with the Ottomans losing in the arena of battle meant that an unexpected situation occurred. Especially after losing the great 1877-1878 war against Russia, Caucasia became the only power in which Turkic Tribes were living in. In order to secure the acquisition of the land, Russia gradually occupied cities and to put pressure on the Turkic Tribes, leading figures were executed. A big part of these societies that did not accept the sovereignty of Russia revolted while others were forced to migrate.
A prominent name in Turkology, Ahmet Caferoglu was born in a village in Azerbaijan called Gence and worked for Azerbaijan’s independence against Russia, volunteering in the Islamic army and taking part in fighting. In 1920 the Soviet army occupied Azerbaijan, resulting in Caferoglu coming to Turkey, and undertaking important study into poets that had migrated from Azerbaijan lands to Anatolia.
The motive that drew Ahmet Caferoglu to work on this topic was that there is a lack of expansive knowledge in relation to poets from Azerbaijan, insufficient information in sources, and the confusion regarding poetry which belongs to different people who share the same pseudonym. The first of his works on this matter is based upon the poetry belonging to Mîr Seyyid Nigari’s son, who passed away at a very young age, who wrote poems under the pseudonym Siraci. Caferoglu, who by publishing this work, brought to light that Molla Osman Siraceddin’s poems are mixed up in sources, revived a huge impact on Azerbaijan Turks and those who work in the field of Turkology.
After his work was published Ahmet Caferoglu received many letters, critique, and encouragement from others studying the subject and so he began to publish in the Azerbaijan Homeland Information Journal. Seyyid Nigari’s cousin Mîrzade Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî wrote a letter to Ahmet Caferoglu on the topic.
With this letter it was learned that Molla Osman Siraceddin had taken credit for Mîrzade Seyyid Nigari’s son Siraceddin Efendi’s poems and that he intentionally manipulated Seyyid Nigari’s work, Nigar-name.
While Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî’s father who shares the same lineage as Mîr Hamza Nigari Efendi migrated from Karabag to Amasya due to the persecution of the Russians, Mîrzade Mustafa Fahreddin was born in 1889 in Amasya after the death of Mîr Hamza Nigari Efendi.
Although Mîrzade Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî did not meet Mîr Seyyid Hamza Nigari Efendi, his life was spent amongst his followers and he grew up listening to discussions about Nigari from sources such as his father Seyyid Sadeddin Efendi and his teacher Muhammed Bahaeddin Efendi.
In this sense, he especially analyzed papers written by Seyyid Nigari and Siraceddin Efendi and wrote his works by using them as a platform. While these must also be evaluated as a source on their own, they illuminate firstly, the letter which is the topic of our article and many subjects that are unknown in the works published.
Mîrzade Mustafa Fahreddin Akabâlî who writes about the topic in Huma-yi Ars a work which is not seen in the the work published by Ahmet Caferoglu and therefore not mentioned is something that is also noteworthy.
In this article, after presenting the text of the letter found in Ahmet Caferoglu’s personal archive at Istanbul University Research Institute of Turkology, an evaluation of Mîrza Mustafa Fahreddin’s allegations is made.
