[COLLABORATOR OR HERO: OTTOMAN ADMIRAL AGAINST TO RUSSIAN NAVY / BIOGRAPHY OF THE ADMIRALS] Harîta-i kapudânân-i deryâ. [i.e. The chart of the admirals]

RAMIZPASAZÂDE MEHMED IZZET, (?-1853), Ceridehâne Printinghouse, Kostantiniyye [Constantinople - Istanbul], [AH 1285] = 1868.

Contemporary quarter leather bdg. Rebacked boards. Foolscap 8vo. (18 x 12 cm). In Ottoman script (Old Turkish with Arabic letters). 220 p.

Rare early book of the concise biographies of 137 people who served as admirals in the Ottoman Empire between 1352 and 1853, written by Mehmed Izzet Pasha (d. 1853), son of Turkish admiral Abdullah Râmiz Pasha (d. 1813).

Katip Çelebi’s book titled “Kesf ez-Zünûn” is one of the most important sources of the author. The reason why the author allocates 1-5 pages for each admiral, but 90 pages (pp. 110-200) for his father, is that his father is called a traitor by some circles. To correct this understanding, he wanted to write an accurate biography of his father.

Abdullah Ramiz Pasha (1768-1813) was originally from Crimea, and he traveled together with his family to Istanbul, where he served as a government officer in various departments ultimately, he was promoted to the chief admiral. Later, he was exiled due to some of his controversial political activities and then he was forced to escape to Russia because of the possibility that he could be murdered. Having stayed in Russia for a short period of time, he travelled to his birthplace Crimea, and he made renovations to charity buildings inherited by his grandfathers. Abdullah Ramiz Pasha was given a secret sentence of death. Nevertheless, he was given a permission to return to the country as Belgrade's guardian; however, he was ambushed and murdered on his way. Ramiz Pasha had also allocated a little spare time for literary activities despite his fast and turbulent life. Based on our current knowledge, he left behind his poems and letters that were collected and published by his son, Mehmed Izzet.

Ceridehâne Printing House was founded to publish Ceride-i Havâdîs [i.e., The Journal of News], which was the first semi-official newspaper in the Ottoman Empire. This journal was published from 1840 to 1877 and was founded by William Nosworthy Churchill (1796-1846), a British-born journalist who moved to Turkey aged 19. He was the cause of a diplomatic incident that resulted in the temporary severance of diplomatic relations between Britain and the Ottoman Empire.

Babinger p. 323/2.; Özege 6951.; Library of Congress. Karl Süssheim Collection, no. 1336., OCLC 11810438, 880485954.

Provenance: Ali Çubuk (?-2020) Collection includes mostly rare navigation and important books, manuscripts, historical documents, maps, and portolans.