ON THE TÂRÎH-İ NİŞÂNCI PAŞA (LIT. THE HISTORY OF NİŞÂNCI PAŞA) OF RAMAZÂNZÂDE AND ITS COPIES

A statesman and a historian, Ramazân-zâde Nişâncı Mehmed Paşa had been working as the secretary of the dîvan (lit.Imperial Council or Supreme Court), provincial treasurer, head of secretaries, and ultimately as a nişâncı (member of the dîvan responsible for the signatures of the sultan being stamped on the decrees) Although its exact date is not precisely known, either before or during his divan membership task, he compiled a summary general history titled with his own name. Târih-i Nişâncı Paşa was comprised of an introduction, four chapters and an epilogue. The first chapter is the history of the prophets starting from the Prophet Adam until the Prophet Muhammad. The pieces of information in this chapter, which discusses the history of the prophets, are in the form of anecdotes. These anecdotes were written after being compiled from the most reliable narratives. The second chapter is comprised of pieces of information concerning the Prophet Muhammad, Rashidun Khalifas, and the emperors of the Umayyads, Abbasids, Fatimid Empire, Ayyubids, and Mamelukes. This chapter was designed in a way to include the genealogical information of the emperors such as date of birth, death, and the duration of their reigns. Moreover, even with simple sentences, the most notable personalities of each period, their works, and important aspects were touched on. The third chapter is comprised of the political events starting from the foundation of the Ottoman State until the murder of Bayezid, the son of Suleiman the Magnificent. The fourth chapter mentions about Pisdadi, Keyani, Eskani, Sassanids, Greeks, and Romans, which are named as other states. In this study, a general introduction of Ramazân-zâde Nişâncı Mehmed Paşa and his Târih-i Nişâncı Paşa was given, aiming to reveal author and the identification of his writing. The basic sources of the research are comprised of manuscripts provided from the domestic and international collections.