Revnak-i Gülşen (analysis-text-translation-index)

Agriculture, as one of the oldest endeavors in human history, has been passed down through generations via oral and written culture. Felahat-names, one of the significant sources of this heritage, are works that encompass all stages of agriculture from beginning to end, presenting agricultural knowledge and practices in a systematic manner. These texts within the agricultural literature of the Classical Ottoman Period are of great importance as they reflect the linguistic characteristics, agricultural terminology, and scientific understanding of the period. Among these texts, most of which were brought into Turkish through translation, the number of original Turkish copyrighted works is limited. This study focuses on a garden agriculture text titled Revnak-ı Gülşen, which is one of these limited copyrighted works and is written in a mixed verse-prose (manzum-mensur) form. Among the four identified copies of the work—located in the Süleymaniye Library, Istanbul Millet Library, Topkapı Palace Library, and Berlin Library—the Berlin manuscript was taken as the basis for this study. The work consists of four chapters: The first chapter examines soil types and the fundamental differences between them, taking into account the characteristics of the four seasons. The second chapter discusses factors such as the correct timing, location, and depth for planting saplings and seeds, detailing the basic rules for growing healthy and productive trees. The third chapter is dedicated to pruning, grafting, and binding processes, which are vital for tree care. In the fourth chapter, the diagnosis and treatment methods of diseases seen in trees and plants are explained, along with ways to combat pests, establishing the principles of healthy growth. With its rich vocabulary, this work serves as a multidimensional source documenting the human-nature relationship of the period through terms related to gardening, plant names, seasons, colors, and astronomy. This study, which includes text transcription, linguistic analysis, an index, and a bibliography, aims to bring the agricultural culture and production processes of the Classical Ottoman Period into the scientific world.