Statesman
and historian (b. 1603, Urgench / Uzbekistan – d. 1663, Khiva /
Uzbekistan). He was descended from the family of Genghis Khan. He worked in
state administration when his father, Khan Adap Muhammed, was still alive. He
supported his father in the wars against his uncles, but when defeated he took
asylum with Khan İmam Kuli in Bukhara. He lived in Ürgenç for a time when his
elder brother İsfendiyar became the Khan of Haresm. Afterwards he came into
conflict with his brother and defeated him. He ruled in Hive in 1644, which he
had seized once before but had to leave, and continued to rule this city as
khan until his death. He fought the Bukhara Khans, Safavids and Russians
frequently. During his time in Iran, he improved his Persian and
Arabic that he had started to learn in his youth. Two important works of his in
Çağatay Turkish remain. In Şecere-i Terakime (The Origin of
the Turkmen) he gives information about the history of Turkmen and in his other
book Şecere-i Turki (The Origin of the Turks) he narrates
Turkish Mongol history from the beginning of the 15th century
to 1663. After his death, Şecere-i Türki -which in places
carries the characteristics of an epic- was completed by his son and has been
translated into many languages. It was published in Kazan in 1905 and was
serialized in the newspaper Tasvir-i Efkâr by Ahmet Vefik
Paşa in 1864. Şecere-i Terakime was published in 1937 by the
Turkish Language Association and in the 1001 Fundamental Works Series published
by the newspaper Tercüman in 1974.
REFERENCE: İbrahim
Alaeddin Gövsa / Türk Meşhurları (1946), Mustafa Kafalı / Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı
İslâm Ansiklopedisi (c. 10, 1994), Büyük Larousse Sözlük ve Ansiklopedisi
(1968-72), Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (18. bas. 1999),
Şükran Yurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (6. bas. 1999), İhsan Işık /
Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi
(2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).
