Nuhbet üt-tevarih ve'l-ahbar - نخبة التواريخ والاخبار

This volume contains a general history from the birth of the Prophet Muhammad صلعم, to 1028 AH (1618-19 CE), including a full account of the Ottoman dynasty, by Mehmet İbn-i Mehmet. The author, who describes himself in the preface as one of the secretaries of the imperial Divan, says that he compiled this work from some standard histories in Arabic and Persian, which he does not name, and that he dedicated it to the reigning Sultan Osman Han. The date of composition, 1028 AH (1618-19 CE), is expressly stated at the close of the chapter relating to the governors of Egypt (f 105r). Haji Khalfa calls the author Mehmet İbn-i Mehmet el-Edirnevi, adding that he dedicaeted his work to the Sultan Osman in 1030 AH (1620-21 CE), and that he died in 1050 AH (1640-41 CE). He states also that, on examining an autograph copy of the work, left with him by the author, he found it to be simply translated from the history of al-Jannabī, with many omissions and a few additions, and that he did not admire that proceeding (meaning evidently the neglect of acknowledgement of the writer's indebtedness to al-Jannabī). There are two editions of the Nuhbet üt-Tevarih. The first was dedicated to Osman II (1026-31 AH/1617-23 CE), while the second, much enlarged, was dedicated to Murad IV (1032-49 AH/1622-40 CE). The present copy contains the first edition and concludes with the death of Sultan Ahmet on 23 Zulkade 1026 AH (25 November 1617 CE). The contents of this version are as follows: Preface (f 10v); Muhammad صلعم and the early Hulufe down to ᶜAbdallah bin Zubayr (f 12r); the ten Ashab called Mubashsharah (f 24v); the twelve Imams (f 26r); the Umayyads (f 27r); the Abbasids (f 28v); the Umayyads of Spain (f 34v); the Banī Aghlab (f 36r); Ṣaffarīs (f 38r); Sāmānīs (f 39r); Āl-i Buwayh (f 41r); Āl-i Subuktigīn (f 44r); Ghūris (f 46v); Khwārezmshāhīs (f 48r); Seljuks of Iran (f 50r); Seljuks of Kerman (f 53r); Seljuks of Rum (f 54r); Melāḥidah (f 56v);. Atabeys of Mosul (f 57v); Atabeys of Fars (f 59r); Atabeys of Azerbaijan (f 60r); Atabeys of Lur Buzurg (f 61r); Atabeys of Lur Kuçuk (f 62v);. Āl-i Genghis Khan (f 65r); Chupanis (f 68v); Injuis (f 69v); Āl-i Muzaffer (f 70v); Ilkanids (f 72r); Kerts (f 73r); Serbedars (f 74r);. Timur and his sons (f 75r); descendants of Jihangir (f 75v); descendants of Ömer Şeyh (f 76r); descendants of Miran Shah (f 77r); and descendants of Shahrukh (f 78r); . Qaraqoyunlular (f 79v); Aq-qoyunlular (f 81r); Safevis (Sufi-bechegans) (f 83r); Uzbeks (f 85r); . Governors of Egypt under the Rashidin, Umayyads and Abbasids (f 86v); Banī Ṭūlūn (f 90v); Ikhshīdīs (f 92v); Fatimids (f 93v); Kurds (Ayyubids) (f 95r); Mamluks (f 96r); Circassians (f 98r); Governors of the Ottomans, from the conquest to 1028 AH (1618-19 CE) (99v);. The Sultans of the Ottoman dynasty (f 105v); Osman (f 106v); Orhan (f 109v); Murad (f 114r); Bayezit (f 119v); Mehmet (f 129r); Murad II (f 131v); Mehmet II (f 141v); Bayezit II (f 156v); Selim (f 168r); Süleyman (f 182r); Selim II (f 220v); Murad III (f 237r); Mehmet III (f 270v); Ahmet (f 314r). . Genealogical tables are prefixed to the accounts of the various dynasties.. At the beginning of the volume are found six takriz or eulogies on the work signed by some great dignitaries of the period, including Hüseyin İbn-i Mehmet Ahizade (afterwards Mufti, 1041-43 AH/1631-32 CE); Yahya (Mufti, 1031-32 AH/1621-23 CE); Şeyh Abdülmecit Sivasi, preacher in Sultanahmet Camii; Mehmet Yahya, late Kazıasker of Anatolia; Mehmet İbn-i Abdulgani, late Kazıasker of Rumelia (resigned 1029 AH/1619-20 CE); Kemaluddin İbn-i Mehmet, late Kazıasker of Rumelia (died 1030 AH/1620-21 CE). The next two pages (ff 6v-7r) contain a tabulated index of the contents in the same handwriting as the text. The manuscript was likely copied in the 17th century CE.

Unrestricted

Acquired from R. C. Renouard.

See Rieu, Catalogue of the Turkish Manuscripts in the British Museum, pp. 30-32.

Another copy can be found at Or 7473. For more details on the origins of the text, see Haji Khalfa, VI, p. 315. For more information on the various editions of the text, see Hammer, Geschichte des Osmanlichen Reiches I, p. xxxii. The contents of the first edition are stated in the same source, IX, p. 181. The first volume of the second edition is analyzed by Hammer, Handschriften, no. 170; and by Tornberg, Uppsala Catalogue, no. 253.