Syed Tanvir Wasti

The Indian Red Crescent Mission to the Balkan Wars

Indian Muslim political development during the early years of the twentieth century contained a significant pan-Islamic component of solidarity, especially with the peoples of the beleaguered Ottoman Empire. Although this sentiment was later to be channelled into organized internal political activity such as the foundation of the Muslim League, it had its beginnings in various agitations such as the Khilafat Movement. The Indian Red Crescent Mission to Turkey may be said to have provided the initial mise-en-scène for the expression of political sympathy towards Turkey and the generation of a local freedom movement among the Muslims of India.

The 1912-13 Balkan Wars and the Siege of Edirne

Depending on the angle of view, the first and second Balkan wars of 1912– 13 have been considered either as the culmination of a freedom struggle for the Christian nations of south-eastern Europe or as a final crusade against the fading Ottoman empire or, more neutrally, as the sparring prelude to the First World War. The sequence of events in the two Balkan wars may be followed from the several sources that are available. The unprovoked Italian attack on the North African Ottoman province of Western Tripoli in 1911 encouraged the member states of the newly formed Balkan league (Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Greece) to conclude that the time was ripe for a similar onslaught against the Turks, forcing the latter into concluding a hasty peace with the Italians. On 9 October 1912, a day after Montenegro declared war on the Ottomans, according to Miller, ‘Prince Peter fired the first shot in the most important conflict waged in the Balkans since the Turkish conquest’. It is to be noted that the first crossing of the Ottoman Turks into the Balkans as a prelude to conquest had taken place as far back as 1354 AD. Within a few days of this princely first shot, the other three states of the Balkan league were also at war with Turkey, which had been caught dangerously unguarded and unprepared for such a huge conflict. By the end of November 1912, less than two months later, Ottoman Turkey had lost several battles in the Balkans, as a result of which most major cities changed hands. In the words of Armstrong:

Said Halim Pasha – Philosopher Prince

More than 85 years have elapsed since Prince Said Halim Pasha was assassinated in Rome – time enough for a proper appraisal of his life and legacy. Not surprisingly, there has been, in Turkey and elsewhere, a revival of interest in Said Halim Pasha and his writings. For most students of Ottoman history, Said Halim Pasha fitfully and fretfully occupies the stage as Sadrazam at a time when real power was being wielded by the triumvirate of Talât, Enver and Cemal Pashas. Said Halim was not among the ‘seven’ leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) who stole out of Istanbul harbour on the fateful night of 3 November 1918 in a German submarine. However, there is much more to Said Halim Pasha than the many ministerial positions occupied by him, including that of Hariciye Nazırı, in the highest echelons of the Ottoman administration during the years of the First World War. Said Halim was a prince of the Egyptian royal family, as well as a thoughtful writer and scholar on topics that continue to agitate the Middle East, an area where the division of the Ottoman spoils is still far from complete. At a time when the nationalisms of different non-Muslim groups – as well as some Muslim groups – were tearing the Empire apart at its seams, Said Halim took a long, hard look at the roots of his civilization and sought refuge in the supra-national appeal of Islam. Almost a century later, the works of Said Halim strike one as relevant and contemporary in scope and content. It is therefore instructive to follow the vicissitudes of Said Halim Pasha in the corridors of power in Istanbul. Mehmed Said Halim Pasha was the son of Prince Mehmed Abdül Halim Pasha, and he was therefore the grandson of Mehmed Ali Pasha of Egypt (more commonly known as Muhammad Ali Pasha, Governor and later Khedive of Egypt). Mehmed Ali had been born in Kavala in 1769 where his father was the warden of the local castle. He enlisted in the Ottoman army and arrived in Egypt in 1799. He rose rapidly, achieving pronounced military successes until, in 1805, he was appointed Vali of Egypt with the rank of Minister. Mehmed Ali used his powerful position as Pasha of Egypt to play hot and cold with the Ottoman sovereign Mahmud II at a very critical time. Mahmud was caught between modernizing the institutions of the empire begun by Selim III and facing a host of external threats from the Greeks, Russians and finally the French, who conquered Algeria in 1830. Earlier, the Wahhabi revolt in the Najd diverted the sultan’s attention and he had deputed Mehmed Ali Pasha to suppress it. Mehmed Ali Pasha and his son Ahmed Tosun Pasha successfully brought the revolt to an end between 1812 and 1814. Furthermore, Mehmed Ali Pasha also helped the sultan to keep the Greek revolt in check and had the island of Crete added to his sphere of influence as Pasha of Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 44, No. 1, 85 – 104, January 2008

Amir Shakib Arslan and the CUP Triumvirate

Amir Shakib Arslan was a Druze aristocrat and one of many loyal non-Turkish Ottomans who were in the forefront of the political and cultural scene in the final years of the Ottoman empire. As a poet, author, journalist and Ottoman deputy, he chronicled the political events of the time in which he took part. Amir Shakib Arslan had friendly personal relations with the triumvirate of Talât, Enver and Cemal pashas. As such, he was able to penetrate into the inner circles of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) and offer support as well as salutary advice.

THE SEISMIC WELL-BEING OF BUILDINGS: DIAGNOSTICS AND REMEDIES

An overview of old as well as emerging problems and solutions in earthquake engineering with particular emphasis on the assessment and rehabilitation of seismically vulnerable buildings is presented. Earthquakes continue to result in vast loss of life and damage to property especially in populated urban areas. As a result, with an increase in both awareness and experience, traditional repair and strengthening techniques are giving way to more efficient methods applicable on a larger scale and with greater speed, in order to ensure that as many existing buildings as possible are retrofitted in advance of future earthquakes.

The Ottoman Ceremony of the Royal Purse

Unlike more utilitarian systems of government, empires possess a panoply of pomp and ceremony, and various observances, stemming often from simple events, which may crystallize over the centuries into highly meaningful and honoured traditions. The Ottoman Empire officially spanned a period of over 600 years and, spread as it was over the heartlands of Islam, possessed, adopted, created and celebrated, in addition to the religious festivals of the faith, more socially and politically oriented rites and usages as part of its paternalistic and generous approach towards its citizenry. Information on many of these ceremonies may be found in specialized sources on Ottoman history, such as Pakalın and Abdülaziz Bey. The weekly selâmlık ceremony, especially during the long reign of the sultan Abdülhamid II, used to attract crowds of guests as well as visitors from within Turkey and elsewhere. In the month of Ramadan, the ceremony of the Hırka – yı Saadet was a typical example of a devotional festival and this ceremony continues today. Among other feasts frequently referred to in Ottoman accounts may be included the Kılıç Alayı and also the Baklava Alayı. The Surre Alayı, which is the subject of the present article, was an annual colourful procession centred round the transportation of the surre – the large leather purse or pouch containing gifts of gold in coin and bullion from the Ottoman sultan to the Emirate of Mecca and, as such, was considered an important event in the official calendar. In addition to the gold, it was customary for the Sultan (and his household members) to send gifts such as handwritten copies of the Qur’an, silk carpets, furs and velvet, chandeliers, silverware, prayer beads, incense burners, articles of dress embroidered with pearls and precious stones and even parcels of comestibles. The surre caravan thus formed the official and most prominent component of the vast numbers of other caravans that transported pilgrims on the annual Hajj pilgrimage to the Hijaz. The Ottoman Sultan who, since 1517, also held the title of Caliph, sent the surre in his capacity as the Servitor of the Haremeyn. According to historical accounts, the tradition of sending the surre to Mecca and Medina commenced in Baghdad during the reign of the Abbasid Caliph Mehdi. Subsequent Caliphs continued with the practice, which was occasionally interrupted by war. In later years, the Fatimids and the Ayyubids also sent cash, presents and even loads of grain to the Hijaz as part of the surre. Turkish sultans began to send caravans carrying presents to the Hijaz starting with Çelebi Sultan Mehmet. Here it may also be mentioned that Farooqi has a comprehensive chapter mentioning the financial patronage accorded over centuries to the Sharifs of Mecca by Muslim Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 41, No. 2, 193 – 200, March 2005

Halil Kut – ‘the last Ottoman Pasha’

ABSTRACT The siege of British Indian forces by the Ottoman Army at Kut-al-Amara ın Iraq during the First World War, which ended on 29 April 1916 with the surrender of the garrison under the command of Major General Sir Charles Townshend, was an important mılıtary defeat for Great Britain. The article provides supplementary information on aspects of the 147 day long siege and surrender, based mainly on the memoirs of the Turkish General H. K. Pasha, whose forces took well over 10,000 British Indian officers and men into custody at Kut-al-Amara.

Three Ottoman Pashas at the Congress of Berlin, 1878

ABSTRACT In the weakened Ottoman Empire of the nineteenth century, revolts in the Balkans and subsequent Russian intervention led to the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 which resulted in a great loss of Ottoman territory and population in the European part of the Empire. After the ceasefire at Edirne in January 1878 and the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano in March 1878, the Congress of Berlin was convened in June 1878 in order to achieve a political settlement. High-level plenipotentiaries of the main European Powers took part in the deliberations. Against the backdrop of the Congress of Berlin, details are provided about the lives and careers of the members of the Ottoman Turkish delegation.

Ahmed İhsan and the ‘Wealth of the Sciences’

ABSTRACT In the past, weekly journals often served as the primary vehicle for the publication and dissemination of high-quality literature. Novels and plays were often serialized in such periodicals, which also featured items of poetry, essays and even political analysis. The Turkish weekly Servet-i Fünun [Wealth of the Sciences] which began publishing in 1891 and closed down in 1944 attracted contributions from the best Turkish writers of its time, and its very name became a banner for new currents in Turkish literature, whether poetry or prose. Part of its success was due to the single-minded labours of its founder and editor, Ahmed İhsan, a journalist and novelist of distinction. The article attempts to assign to the journal and its editor their proper place within the history of Turkish literary journalism.

On Charles Vernay and his ‘DIVAN’

Starting with the nineteenth century, European interest in the literature of the Middle East began to increase. Ottoman Turkish poetry, from territories that expanded into Europe, was an object of special study – as evidenced from the works of Sir William Jones, James Clarence Mangan and Elias John Wilkinson Gibb, on the one hand, and poets like Lord Byron and Thomas Moore, on the other hand. A young Frenchman, Charles Vernay, who had a gift for languages, taught himself Persian and Turkish and published a Divan – a collection of classical Oriental poetry – in Paris while still in his teens. The article traces the life and analyzes the Turkish poetry of Charles Vernay.