A new perception of Rome, Byzantium and Constantinople in Hezarfen Huseyin’s universal history

Abstract

In this thesis I shall specifically examine the parts in Hezarfen Hüseyin’s universal history, about Rome and Byzantium. Hezarfen Hüseyin (d.1691) was one of the prominent new intellectuals of the seventeenth century. He ventured to write his universal history and prepared many works ranging from medicine books to dictionaries and encyclopedias. While investigating what kind of a perspective Hezarfen offered for world history in his universal history, dedicated to Mehmet IV, and what kind of a historical heritage he drew upon, we can also grasp the intellectual world of his circle. Thus knowing the way an Ottoman intellectual with a wide range of interests conceived world history in this age of crisis and transformation will help us to understand the fundamental dynamics of Ottoman intellectual life in the second half of the seventeenth century. My primary aim will be to show why Hezarfen followed a different way from previous traditions and narratives when constructing his narrative. Secondly, I shall examine the cultural environment in which Hezarfen lived as well as the intellectual trends of that period. This will help us understand the factors that affected Hezarfen’s narration. In this way we shall see what kind of factors influenced an Ottoman intellectual writing the history of a different culture and world.