The transition from biographical memoirs to the historiography of literture and tarih-i edebiyat-i osmaniye of Abdulhalim Memduh

The biographical memoirs called Şuara are among the sources of first degree in classical Turkish literature. The biographical memoirs in which the Divan poets are presented left their places to historiography of literature with the decline of biographical memoir writing tradition.On the other hand, the literature history is a branch of science which researchs literature with regards to its development, the phases of this development, the reasons and the results of all these. In this work, the division between the historiograhy of literature and the biographical memoir writing tradition and the transition from one to the other are put forward while examining Tarih-i Edebiyat-i Osmaniye of Abdülhalim Memduh which is the first work in literature history.Tarih-i Edebiyat-ı Osmaniye published in 1888 includes information about the literature of its era and the literature of the earlier times. This work of art, which bears the narration characteristics of a biographical memoir, does not give enough place to a great many of the names, the Works of whose reflect the features of the era in which they are written and the earlier periods. Thus, it can be said that this work remains as an essay on the historiograhy of literature. This examination is divided into four parts. In the first chapter, the concept of biographical memoir, Works on this genre, and our biographicak memoir writing tradition are included. In this chapter, the beginning and the developmentof the biographical memoir writing tradition and the examples of this tradition are dealt with. Besides, a list of biographical memoirs according to centuries is attached. In the second chapter, the concept of literature history, style in literature history and our literature is examined. Biographical memoir writing approach and historiograhy of literature are compared with each other in this chapter iğn which these concepts are handled with their basic characteristics. In the third chapter, the core of our study, is alloted to Tarih-i Edebiyat-i Osmaniye. In this chapter of our study, this work is analyzed with regards to its form and content. It is also examined from the perspective of biographical memoir writing and the historiography of literature. As a result of this examination, the lacking points of Tarih-i Edebiyat-i Osmaniye in its style and characterstics of the biographical memoir writing tradition are pointed together with its importance of being the first example of our historiography of literature. The last chapter includes the transcription of the text. While preparing the text with transcription , the original Arabian and Persian words are used. In addition to being devoted to spelling rules of the period in which Tarih-i Edebiyat-i Osmaniye is written, contemporary Turkish dictation is based when Turkish words and suffixes are used to make this work be understood more clearly. A facsimile of the text and a names, Works and places index has been included in section for a convenient use of our study. With this work, the similar and different aspects of the biographical memoir writing tradition and the historiography of literature are determined while Tarih-i Edebiyat-i Osmaniye which is an example of transition period is taken as centre. Keywords: Biographical Memoir, Literature History, Abdulhalim Memduh, Tarih-i Edebiyatı-ı Osmaniyye