Theologian and scholar of history (b.
15 March 1918, Yenice village / Gelendost / Isparta - d. 17 November 1999,
Ankara). He attended Yeniceköy Primary School (1931), Ankara Gazi High School
(1936) and graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Language History and
Geography (1940). In the same year, he entered the faculty that he graduated
from as Professor Fuat Köprülü’s assistant and two years later he completed his
PhD. After his military service he was not able to return to the same institution
due to the law of the time and he was appointed to Ankara University as a
library specialist. One year later he became the Head of Ankara University,
Faculty of Law Library. When the Faculty of Theology was established in 1949,
he entered as an assistant. He became assistant professor (1953) and professor
(1960) here. In the same year he was selected as the Dean of the Faculty of
Theology and when he had completed his first tenure, he was selected again for
two years. In addition to serving as dean, he worked as the Vice Rector at
Ankara University for about nine months. He also served as the President in the
Chairs of Islamic History, Religious Sects, Islamic Law and Turk Islamic
Literature. (1960-79)
Çağatay also served as Rector of Konya
Selçuk University between the years 1979-81. After working at the Ankara
Faculty of Theology for a while, he was transferred to the Institute of Higher
Education. He was invited to New York Columbia University where he gave
lectures to PhD classes in the 1966-67 academic semester.
His articles were published in various
newspapers and reviews especially in DTCF,
Tarih Vesikaları, A.Ü. Hukuk Fakültesi, A.Ü.İlahiyat Fakültesi. He wrote entries for İslâm Ansiklopedisi (Islamic
Encyclopedia) and Türk-İslâm
Ansiklopedisi (Turk-Islam Encyclopedia). Some of his articles were
published in some collaborative books. He held conferences in Germany, France,
the United States, Pakistan, India etc. and presented papers at scientific conferences.
He also gave lectures as a guest professor in these countries. His grave is in
the village where he was born. Çağatay, who spoke Arabic, Persian, English and
French, was married with four children.
WORKS:
RESEARCH-STUDY: Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nda Reâyadan Alınan
Vergi ve Resimler (Taxes and Fees taken from the Public in Ottoman Empire,
1947), İslâmdan Önce Arap Tarihi ve
Cahiliye Çağı (Arabic History
Before Islam and the Age of Ignorance, 1957), İslâm Mezhepleri Tarihi (History of Islamic Sects, with İ. A.
Çubukçu, 1965), Türkiye'de Gerici
Eylemler (Resistance Against Modernity in Turkey, 1982), 100 Soruda İslâm Tarihi (Islamic History
in 100 question, 1972), Bir Türk Kurumu
Olan Ahilik (A Turkish Organization: Akhism, 1974), Güncel Konular Üzerinle Makaleler (Articles on Contemporary Topics,
1994).
In addition to these, he did
translations.
