[TURKISH LEARNING GUIDE WRITTEN FOR THE NEPHEW (PRINCE) OF THE VOIVODE OF WALLACHIA] بنام حواريون بروج فنون / Benâm-i havâriyyûn bürûc-i fünûn [i.e., In the name of the apostles, the ascent of the sciences]

KÂNÎ, EBÛ BEKÎR (1712-1791).

[Matbaa-i Âmîre], [Istanbul], AH 1273 [CE 1857].

Contemporary cloth bdg. with marbled boards. Cr. 8vo. (20 x 14 cm). In Ottoman script (Old Turkish with Arabic script). 95 p. Text blocks are slightly toned. Else, a very good copy. Two contemporary inscriptions on the recto of the title page: "Degirmen Camii Imami Ahmed Efendi’nin hediyesidir, 25 Haziran 1337 [CE 8 Temmuz 1921], Cumartesi" [i.e., "It is a gift from Ahmed Efendi, the imam of the Değirmen Mosque, dated 25 June 1337 [CE 8 July 1921], Saturday".]; and "15 Subat 1979, Ist., Kadiköy Iskele, S.B., 10.- Cami işportacısı Durmuş Efendiden” [i.e., "15 February 1979, Istanbul, Kadıköy Ferry Terminal, S.B., 10.- from Durmuş Efendi, a mosque hawker".].

The uncommon first edition of a Turkish language teaching guide by Tokatlı Kânî Efendi, who served for many years as a court clerk and dragoman in Romania and maintained close relations with the local ruler. The work was composed at the request of the Wallachian voivode Iskerletzâde Kostantin, apparently identifiable with Scarlat Grigorie Ghica (1715-1766), to enable his nephew, Aleksandr, likely Alexandru Scarlat Ghica (d. after 1768), who later succeeded him as Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia (December 1766-October 1768), to acquire practical Turkish.

In the Sebeb-i telîf (statement of purpose), the author explicitly states that the work was written to assist Aleksandr in learning Turkish. In this respect, the book may be regarded as a guide to learning Turkish for foreigners. It consists of twelve chapters. Written in the form of dialogues employing a question-and-answer method, the chapters are titled sequentially from Makâle-i Evvel (First Treatise) to Makâle-i Isnâ-'Aser (Twelfth Treatise). Thematically, the chapters address topics such as dream interpretation, generosity, Islamic motifs, rules of etiquette, the importance of eloquence, moral values, and various virtues and counsels pertaining to being a good ruler and a virtuous human being. In terms of language and style, the work is enriched by the inclusion of proverbs, idioms, couplets, and quotations from hadiths and Qur'anic verses, which lend narrative depth and rhetorical variety.

In the twelfth and final chapter, the narrative centres on Bâzergânzâde, a merchant who arrives in Jeddah by disembarking from a ship together with a cavalryman, and the theme of concealing one's secrets from companions and even from one's own servant is explored. Bâzergânzâde explains that his success in trade derives from prudence and the careful safeguarding of secrets, offering the counsel that "if a clever merchant examines the goods by properly assessing their value, he will not obtain them at the cheapest price". The story portrays Bâzergânzâde as a remarkably intelligent and enviable merchant, vividly describing (through ornate and fluent prose) the ingenious and admirable stratagems he employs in buying and selling goods.

Provenance: Ahmed Efendi, the imam of the Değirmen Mosque, until 25 June 1337 [CE 8 July 1921]. - Special collection of S.B., bought from Durmuş Efendi, a mosque hawker in Istanbul, Kadıköy Ferry Terminal on 15 February 1979. - From the collection of G. K. in 2025.

Özege 1833.; TBTK 2973, 6118.; As of January 2026, OCLC shows twelve institutional copies worldwide (682469549 & 232001610).