Müneccimbaşı

Müneccimbaşı (Ahmed Dede Efendi) was an Ottoman scholar and historian who lived in the 17th century. He took his name from the position of müneccimbaşı (chief astrologer) which he held for many years in the Ottoman palace, and gained his true fame with the general history Câmiü’d-düvel, which he wrote in Arabic.

Life and Career

Müneccimbaşı, who began his academic and educational life at the Selanik Mevlevîhane, then went to İstanbul and studied Islamic sciences as well as medicine and natural sciences. The author, who came to İstanbul at a young age, became müneccimbaşı in 1668 and continued this duty for many years (Cilt 1, s. 103; Cilt 4, s. 49). Ahmed Dede Efendi, known for his closeness to IV. Mehmed Han, went to Mısır and Hicaz after the sultan's dethronement, became a Mevlevî sheikh in Mekke, and passed away there in 1702 (Cilt 4, s. 49).

Câmiü’d-düvel

In addition to his position as müneccimbaşı, the author, who also penned works in various fields, gained his true fame with his Arabic general history titled Câmi‘ü’d-düvel. This work, written at the command of Kara Mustafa Paşa and known by the names Câmiü’d-düvel, Sahâif’ül-Ahbâr fî Vekayi’ül-A‘sâr, and Tarih-i Müneccimbaşı, covers events from creation up to the year 1081/1670; the last part of the work is dedicated to Ottoman history (Cilt 1, s. 103; Cilt 4, s. 49). In the work, which is stated in its introduction to have been written using seventy-two sources, the history of states from the Hijra onwards is discussed under separate headings (Cilt 1, s. 103).

Its Value for Kurdish History

The work's value regarding Kurdish history comes from its transmission of certain information also found in other chronicles. Müneccimbaşı mentions the taking of Divriği from the Kurds by I. Bayezid; the services of İdris-i Bitlisi, who lived during the reign of I. Selim, in connecting Kurdish provinces to the Ottoman Empire; and the grants given by I. Selim to Kurdish beys who pledged allegiance to the Ottomans (Cilt 4, s. 49).

A Source for the Shaddadids

Since states are discussed under separate headings in Câmiü’d-düvel, a separate heading is also dedicated to the Shaddadids. Although the work was written at a considerably later date than the period when the Shaddadids ruled, it is considered one of the most important sources for the history of this dynasty (Cilt 1, s. 103). The main reason for this is that the author transmitted a part of the work titled Târîhu Bâbi’l-Ebvâb ve Şirvan ve Arrân, which is now lost. Only the part of this source that "describes the conditions of the kings of Bâbü’l-Ebvâb, Şirvân, Arrân, and Azerbaycan" has survived to the present day thanks to Müneccimbaşı's transmission (Cilt 1, s. 105).

The aforementioned transmission holds the characteristic of being the only source providing comprehensive information on the history of the Shaddadid State. In Târîhu Bâbi’l-Ebvâb, where the Ganja branch of the Shaddadids is narrated within the context of Müneccimbaşı's transmissions, the lineage of the dynasty is clarified; events from Muhammed b. Shaddad's settlement in Dvin (340/951) until the Seljuk Emir Savtegin's capture of Ganja in 468/1075-1076 are recounted chronologically. This section contains original information, particularly regarding the Shaddadids' emergence on the historical stage and the end of the Ganja Shaddadids, which is not found in any other source (Cilt 1, s. 105).