Kanuni'nin Koca Nişancı'sı: Kanuni Sultan Süleyman devrinde (1520-1566) celalzade; Mustafa Çelebi, bürokrasi ve kanun

This dissertation analyzes the development of Ottoman administration and itsconsequences in political reasoning under the reign of Sultan Süleyman in the lightof career and works of nişancı Celālzāde Mustafa Çelebi. It shows that Ottomanbureaucracy did not only provide the tools for an effective administration of the state,but it also played an important role in the production of genuine Ottoman politicalunderstanding. It investigates expansion of Ottoman bureaucracy at the beginning ofSüleyman?s reign and its effects on the development of a new political discourse withits emphasis on justice and kanun. It shows bureaucrats? (kalemiyye) perception ofOttoman rule and its articulation in the works composed by members of bureaucracyon history and politics.Celālzāde Mustafa was a model bureaucrat, prose stylist and historian for late16th century Ottoman literati, who served in the Ottoman chancery as a divan scribe(1517-1525), as reisülküttab (1525-1534) and nişancı (1534-1556, 1566-7). Hecontributed to the formation of a genuine Ottoman political reasoning with his workson history and ethics, as well as with his service in the chancery which undertook thecodification of Ottoman laws, kanun. He was an influential bureaucrat and his viewswere representative for the members of Ottoman bureaucracy. A study of his life andworks will reveal the struggle between different branches of Ottoman administrationand the role of bureaucrats in the formation of genuine political literature whichemphasized on kanun for the legitimacy of Ottoman rule.Key words: Ottoman bureaucracy, chancery, Celālzāde Mustafa, 16th centuryOttoman historiography, kanun, nişancı.