Signs of sultanate in the miniature paintings of Arifî's Süleymannâme

Sultanate is a form of sovereignty that regulates various political and social formations existing in the structure of the state. In the Ottoman perspective of sultanate regarding the characteristics of authority, power relations were defined by signs. Characteristics that distinguish the sultan from the others, regulations of hierarchy and order, in other words all components that make the sultan unique, transform into signs of the sultan and the sultanate. New Ottoman perspective of sultanate in the mid of Sultan Süleyman the Lawgiver?s reign (1520-1566) was emerged by the transformation in the political structure. Universal ideals in the first thirty years period were replaced with the initiatives in legitimating imperial structure. Remarkable transformation in the perspective of sultanate influenced the artistic production with privileged principles and forms. At this point, it is significant that Sultan Süleyman appointed a post of ?sehnameci? in 1550?s to write a history of Ottoman dynasty. The subject of this thesis ?Süleymannâme? is the fifth volume of ?Sahnâme-i Al-i Osman?, which was written by the first sehnameci Fethullah Arif Çelebi (Arifî). Dramatic events between 1520 and 1555 of Sultan Süleyman?s reign were narrated chronologically. There are sixty nine miniature paintings in the Süleymannâme that depict signs of sultanate. In this respect, this thesis deals with signs of sultanate in the miniature paintings of Süleymannâme, and it is consisted of three chapters. First Chapter introduces the signs of the sultan, and it deals with the relation between the perspective of sultanate in the reign of Sultan Süleyman and the artistic production of the period. Second Chapter begins with the introduction of the manuscript. Afterwards, under four different headings, miniature paintings are evaluated according to their subjects. These heading are ?Accession to the Throne?, Reception of Foreign Ambassadors?, ?Hunting?, ?War and Siege?. Considering all the miniature paintings in the Süleymannâme, scenes that depict palace, throne and royal tent are examined. ?Palace?, ?throne?, and ?royal tent? are examined as signs of sultanate under different headings. And finally Third Chapter is about the applied works related with the subject of this thesis.