Statesman, scientist of politics and
law (b. 1855, Seydişehir / Konya - d. 18 March 1918, İstanbul). His full name
was İbnü'l - Emin Mahmud Es'ad Seydişehri. Certain resources indicate that
Es’ad Efendi was from Seydişehir in origin and was born in Sandıklı province in
Afyon. He is the son of Muhammed Emin Efendi of Çopuoğulları, who was also
known as Nâib (Islamic regent) Güzel Efendizâde. He received his primary
education in Seydişehir and Konya and later moved to İstanbul. For fifteen
years, he attended lectures given by Muslim preachers of the mosques,
especially by those of Elbasanlı Abdulkerim Efendi. He studied reason,
philosophy, Islamic theology, analyzing the Koran, canon law and canonical
jurisprudence methods. In 1881, he received his Madrasah (Muslim Theology
School) diploma on apparatus and advanced science. Later in the same year, he
was given the title titular professor, after passing the exam held by the
Science Council, which was established by the Sheikh-ul-Islam. He studied
mathematics, geometry, algebra, history, geography, physics, chemistry and
mechanics at the preparatory class for teachers at Military Training School and
gave lectures to the students of Madrasah at Fatih Mosque. He also took French
and painting lessons then he was fully accepted to Military School with help
from Edhem Paşa and on the decision of the Military Training Council, being the
first civilian to do so. He studied some branches of exact sciences at advanced
level. He passed an exam held in 1884 and received his Advanced Mathematics
Teaching diploma. On 18 June 1880, he enrolled in Istanbul University, Faculty
of Law and graduated with honors in 1886. He attended lectures on international
law given by Hasan Fehmi Paşa, jurisprudence by Münif Paşa and special state
law by Gabriel Norandunkyan Efendi.
In 1879, when he was 24, he was
appointed teacher of Ottoman language and Religious Instruction at Gülhane
Military High School, which was his first office. At the same time, he entered the
exam of the City Council and received his law license in
After he served in his post for ten
years successfully, he was appointed the legal adviser to the Treasury and
Finance Department in 1896. While he was serving in this post in İstanbul, he
met the famous writer Ahmet Mithat Efendi and in addition gave lectures on
general economics at the Faculty of Political Sciences. When Ali Şahbaz Efendi
passed away, he began to give lectures on international law, beginning in
When he was the Minister of Land
Registry, he pioneered the reformation of the legislation of land registry. In
1913, he was appointed the Chairman of the office of the Council of the State
Tanzimat. On 17 September 1915, he entered parliament as the minister of
Isparta, however, 17 days later, on 3 November 1915, he wanted to resign from
his parliamentary mandate and retire but his demand was rejected. During his
deputyship, he went on with his duties as professor and gave lectures on
international law and Islamic law at Law School. He was still a deputy when he
passed away on 18 March 1915. He had three sons and two daughters from his
marriage to Refiye Hanım in 1899. His daughters: Nezahat, Fatma; his sons:
Ahmet Ertuğrul, chief military judge; Ömer İsfendiyar, chief military judge;
Mehmet Korkut, chief military judge.
M. Esad Efendi received various ranks,
medals and degrees on various dates. In 1896, he received the rank of judge, in
1899 the rank of the judge of Mecca and Medina, in 1893 The Forth Rank Medal of
Âli Osmanî, in 1900 the Golden Merit Medal, in 1902 the First Degree Medal of
Ali Osmanî and many others.
WORKS (in the Julian calendar):
TEXT BOOK: İktisad (Economy, 1211, 1226), İtmâm-ı Temyiz (Completing the Selection, 1299), İlmu'l Arz ve'l Meâdin (Knowledge of Life on this World and the Life to Come, Kısm-ı Amelî, Practical Section- 1303), Tarih-i Sanayi (History of Industry, 1307), Tasnif-i Tabiî (Classification in the Nature, biology, 1311), Hukuk-ı Hususiye-i Düvel (Nations’ Law,
1312), Hukuk-u Düvel (International
Law, 4 volumes, 1326-1330), Tarih -i
İlm-i Hukuk (History of Science of Law, 1331).
RELIGIOUS
WORKS: Usûl-i Fıkıh (Methodology of Islamic Law, 1302), Ravzatu'l-Cennât fi Usûli'l İtikad (The Garden of Eden in
Different Religions, 1305), Telhis-i Usul-i Fıkıh (A Summary of the Methodology of Islamic Law, 1309), Din-i İslâm (Islam, 1314), Şeriat-ı
İslamiye ve Mister Carlyle (Canonical Law in Islam and Mr. Carlyle,
critique of the section entitled ‘Muhammed the Hero’ in Carlyle’s “Heros”,
1315), Usûl-u Hadis (Methodology of Hadis*, 1316), Taaddud-i Zevcât (Polygamy, with Fatma Aliye, daughter of Cevdet
Paşa, 1316), Ferâizu'l Ferâiz (Requirements Concerning
Heritage, 1326), Kitabü'n-Nikâh (Book of Marriage,
1328), Kitabü'n-Nikâh ve'l Talak (Book
of Marriage and Divorce, 1328), Tarih-i
Din-i İslâm (History of Islam, 3 volumes,1327-1342; new edition, 1995,
simplified and edited by Ahmet Lütfi Kazancı - Osman Kazancı, with a prologue
by Süleyman Uludağ), Tarih-i Edyân (History
of Religions, 1330), Müdafaa -
Misyonerlere Cevap (Defense – An Answer to Missionaries, 1331).
In addition, he translated many works.
REFERENCE: Ebu’lula Mardin / Huzur Dersleri (s. 338, 1966), Mücellidoğlu Ali Çankaya / Yeni Mülkiye Tarihi ve Mülkiyeliler (c. II, 1968), İrfan Ünver Nasrattınoğlu / Afyonkarahisarlı Şairler Yazarlar Hattatlar (1971), Mahmud Es’ad Efendi / Tarihi Dini İslâm (Süleyman Uludağ’ın önsözü, 1995), İhsan Işık / Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) - Ünlü Bilim Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 2, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).