Hoca Sadeddin Efendi

Hoca Sadeddin Efendi was a prominent Ottoman scholar, theologian, official, and historian who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Istanbul in 1536 or 1537 to a family of Iranian origin. His grandfather, Hafiz Muhammed, was a scholar and poet who was brought to Istanbul by Sultan Selim I after the Battle of Chaldiran. His father, Hasan Can Çelebi, was a court poet and confidant of Selim I and Suleiman the Magnificent. Hoca Sadeddin received a thorough education from the leading scholars of his time, such as Karamani Mehmed Efendi and Ebussuud Efendi. He became a professor at various madrasas in Istanbul and Bursa, and rose to the rank of sahn müderris (chief professor). In 1573, he was appointed as the teacher of Prince Murad, the future Sultan Murad III, and accompanied him to Manisa. He gained the trust and respect of Murad, and became his close advisor when he ascended the throne in 1574. He was given the title of hâce-i sultânî (teacher of the sultan) and enjoyed a privileged position in the palace and the government. He was involved in many political and diplomatic affairs, such as the establishment of relations with England, the war against Safavid Iran, the revolt of the Janissaries, and the succession of Sultan Mehmed III. He also served as the Shaykh al-Islam, the highest religious authority in the empire, from 1597 to 1599. He died in Istanbul on October 2, 1599, and was buried in the Eyüp Sultan Mosque. Hoca Sadeddin Efendi was a prolific writer and a master of Ottoman Turkish prose and poetry. His most famous work is Tâc üt-Tevârîh (Crown of Histories), a history of the Ottoman Empire from its origins to the reign of Murad III. It is composed of both prose and verse, and combines historical facts with literary embellishments. He also wrote several works on Islamic law, theology, ethics, and mysticism, such as Risâle-i İslâmiyye, Risâle-i Mevâhib-i İlâhiyye, and Risâle-i Ahlâk-ı Alâ’î. He was a patron of arts and sciences, and supported many poets, scholars, and artists. He had a large library of books and manuscripts, some of which he donated to the Suleymaniye Mosque. He had five sons, who also became scholars and officials, and his descendants continued to serve the Ottoman state for generations. He is regarded as one of the most influential and respected figures in Ottoman history and culture.