Bibliography 2: #BIB39653

Key	BIB39653
Reference type	Journal Article
Title	Mehmed Şemseddİn Paşa’nin (1855-1917) Şahsİ Kütüphanesİ ve Bahâî Kİtaplari = Personal Library of Mehmed Şemseddİn Pasha (1855-1917) and Bahaİ Books
Journal	Mutad : Marmara University Journal of Turkology
Translated title	The Personal Library of Mehmed Shamsuddin Pasha (1855-1917) and His Bahá'í Books
Author	Yurt, Vedat
Year	2024
Date	2024
Issue	2
Volume	11
Abstract	Books represent one of the most profound human endeavors: the pursuit of scientific knowledge and intellectual reflection. At the same time, they hold the unique imprints of personal memory. For book owners, it is deeply painful when their collections fall into the hands of those who do not appreciate their value. This sentiment applies to the library of Mehmed Şemseddin Pasha as well. Following his death, his son, Orhan Şemseddin Bey, inherited the library but later sold its collection. The invaluable books, painstakingly gathered over a lifetime, were subsequently mishandled and lost to neglect. Şemseddin Pasha’s library was remarkable not only for the sheer number of books but also for their intrinsic value. According to Orhan Şemseddin Bey, the library contained approximately three thousand manuscripts and printed volumes, representing what remained after Orhan Bey had sold some of the collection to cover essential needs. Although it is impossible to determine exactly how many books were sold prior to this, it is clear that the works in question were valuable and rare. Even after parting with a portion of the collection, the high price set for the remaining books indicates that the library remained a rich repository of knowledge. The library housed works in Arabic, Persian, and French, reflecting a blend of cultures from Iran, India, Egypt, and Europe. The richness of the Sufi Literature and Literary collections highlights Şemseddin Pasha’s primary intellectual interests. The mathematics section, which included seminal works by renowned authors, reveals that his interest in the field extended beyond his formal education and teaching career. Notably, the collection also included around two hundred medical works, suggesting an overlooked dimension of Şemseddin Pasha’s intellectual pursuits. While he primarily focused on religious sciences, he remained engaged with the natural sciences as well. A small portion of the books we were able to access at the Millet Manuscript Library, which clearly belonged to Şemseddin Pasha’s collection, consists of works by renowned scholars and Sufi masters such as Feridüddin Attar, Nasirüddin Tusi, Şemseddin Amuli, Abdurrahman Cami, and İmam-ı Rabbani. Although these volumes represent only a fraction of his Sufi Literature collection, they provide valuable insights into Pasha’s intellectual pursuits and spiritual inclinations, reflecting both his scholarly interests and his Sufi identity. Although there is no seal or ownership record explicitly linking them to Şemseddin Pasha, it is believed that the books categorized under the title 'Babi and Bahai Books' in the Ali Emiri Arabi collection of the Millet Manuscripts Library once belonged to him. Various sources mention that Şemseddin Pasha acquired and studied Bahai texts during his assignment in Tehran, and that these books were sold to the Millet Manuscripts Library by his heirs. This possibility is further supported by a letter from Orhan Şemseddin Bey, which strengthens this possibility. The collection includes works by the founders of Babism and Bahaism, such as Bab Mirza Ali Muhammed and Bahaullah Mirza Hussein, and is exceptionally rich—unlikely to be found in any other library. These books would have typically been owned only by followers of Babism, even within Iran, making them nearly impossible to acquire. The absence of ownership records might be due to the controversial status of both movements in the Islamic world, potentially serving as a precaution to avoid misinterpretation. Şemseddin Pasha may have obtained these books as part of an official investigation required by his diplomatic role in Iran, or out of intellectual curiosity fueled by his confidence in religious scholarship. These volumes are now considered primary sources for the study of Babism and Bahai thought. Based on these considerations, it can be suggested that a library inventory is a valuable tool for biographical analysis, as a person’s collection of books is often closely tied to their mindset. The findings on Şemseddin Pasha’s library align with his intellectual and spiritual outlook, particularly his Sufi inclinations. However, the presence of Babi and Bahai texts in his collection suggests that the relationship between a person’s books and their worldview is neither straightforward nor causal, and should be critically evaluated. These books do not necessarily indicate any personal interest or sympathy on Pasha’s part toward Babism or Bahaism. In fact, aside from the absence of evidence to support such a claim, there are testimonies to the contrary. In our view, Şemseddin Pasha had no connection to these religious movements. Establishing a direct link between a person and the books they own can lead to misleading conclusions, especially when those books may have been acquired out of intellectual curiosity or scholarly interest. It is also important to consider annotations, postscripts, and other markings in these materials when analyzing the connection between a library’s contents and its owner’s mindset, as they can be just as valuable as the sheer number of books in the collection.
Language	Turkish
Keywords	SHAMSUDDIN PASHA, MEHMED (ŞEMSEDDİN PAŞA, MEHMED); LIBRARY; BIOGRAPHY; INTERESTS
Pages	606–639
File attachments	internal-pdf://2313353883/Yurt - Mehmed Shemdeddin Pasha - Mutad 11.2 20.pdf

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