Abdullah Cevdet

Translator, Writer, Poet

Birth
09 September, 1869
Death
28 November, 1932
Education
Military School of Medicine
Horoscope
Other Names
Bir Kürd, Cevdet, Hacı Şakir, İbn-i Ömer Cevdet, Karlıdağ

Writer and translator (b. 9 September 1869, Arapkir / Malatya - d. 28 November 1932, İstanbul). He used the pen names Bir Kürd, Cevdet, Hacı Şakir, İbn-i Ömer Cevdet and Karlıdağ. He completed his primary and secondary education in Elaziz. He studied at İstanbul School of Medicine and the School of Politics. He graduated from the Military School of Medicine. Because of secret organization activities he carried out against Abdülhamit, he was exiled to the Western Tripoli Central Hospital. After a few months, when he learnt that he would be exiled to Fizan, he fled to Europe via Tunisia (1897). He took part in the activities of the Young Turks in Geneva. He published the newspaper Osmanlı with İshak Sukuti. However, it was claimed that he received money from Abdülhamit in return for informing on the Young Turks by sending secret messages to Abdülhamit.

When he started to work against Abdülhamit again after his service as a doctor at the embassy in Vienna, a decision of arrest was taken in his absence. He went to Geneva in 1903 and he published the İçtihad journal there (1908). After he was deported from Switzerland, he wanted to continue publishing his journal in Cairo. He couldn’t achieve this, and returned to İstanbul in 1911. He translated into Turkish the work Tarih-i İslâmiyet (The History of Islam), which was written in opposition to Islam by Oriantalist Dozy. The preface he wrote in this book caused a negative reaction and the book was banned. The İçtihad journal was closed many times, but its publication continued under different names.

He was charged with vituperating the prophet in an article about Bahaism at the time when Damat Ferit was grand vizier. Abdullah Cevdet wrote poems, but he was renowned for his prose and translations. He played an effective role in the development of nationalism in Turkey with his translations from the famous nationalist Gustave Le Bon. But his support of the Friends of England Society was considered an indication of his political inconsistency. His intellectual battle with Süleyman Nazif and tales about this topic are famous.

WORKS:

THOUGHT: Fizyolocya-i Tefekkür (Physiology of Opinion, 1892), Fünûn ve Felsefe (Science and Philosophy, 1897-1906), Mahkeme-i Kübra (Grand Court, 1907), Yaşamak Korkusu (Fear of Living, 1911), Haddi Te'dib (Punishment for Breeding, Paris 1903, İstanbul 1912), Dimağ ve Melahat-i Akliye'nin Fizyolocya ve Hıfzıssıhhası (Health and Physiology of Conscience and Good Mentality, 1917), Cihanı İslâma Dair Bir Nazar-ı Tarihî ve Felsefî (Philosophy and Historical Opinion Relating to World Islam, 1922).

POETRY: Hiç (Nothing, 1890), Türbe-i Masumiyet (The Shrine of Innocence, 1890), Tulûat (Improvisation, 1891), Lahdi Masumiyet (Grave of Innocence, 1896), Kahriyat (Deep Sorrow, 1897), Gizli Figanlar (Secret Screams, 1906), Karlı Dağdan Ses (Voice from a Snowy Mountain, 1931), Düşünen Musiki (Thinking Music, 1931).

In addition, he translated works of writers such as G. Le Bon, Dozy, Shakespeare, Omar Hayyam and Mevlânâ.

REFERENCE: Şerif Mardin / Jöntürkün Siyasi Fikirleri: 1895-1908 (1964), Hilmi Ziya Ülken / Çağdaş Türk Düşüncesi Tarihi (s. 387-405, 1966), Şükrü Hanioğlu / Doktor Abdullah Cevdet ve Dönemi (1981) - TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (c. 1, 1988), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) - Ünlü Fikir ve Kültür Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 3, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), İbnülemin Mahmud Kemal İnal / Son Asır Türk Şairleri (c. I, 1999), Hüseyin Akar / Dersim’den Portreler, 1999), Abdülhay Sâdık / Abdullah Cevdet ve Dilmestî-i Mevlânâ’sı (Özlenen Fark, sayı: 53, 2000), Cemil Meriç / “İrfan’a Kaçış” (Bu Ülke, 2004).

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