Historians of the Ottoman Empire
Encyclopedia
Historians of the Ottoman Empire is a project intending to produce a ‘Bio-bibliographical Reference Work for Ottoman literature’, covering all Ottoman
works. The editorial committee consists of Hakan Karateke and Cornell Fleischer
from the University of Chicago
, and Cemal Kafadar
form Harvard University
. In the course of 2003 an international advisory board, constituting fifteen recognized scholars in the field, was established.
’s Die Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen und ihre Werke. The main weakness in Babinger’s work was, as its reviewers noted, that he could not make use of the Istanbul manuscript libraries adequately simply because, although he had access to the printed catalogues of the libraries, he did not have the opportunity to see the manuscripts. Babinger was also criticized for the method he used in selecting the authors. Although the title of his book refers to “Ottoman History Writers” (Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen), he added to the mix geographers, compilers of biographical dictionaries and others who did not compose a historical work in the strictest sense. Historians of the Ottoman Empire covers the individuals having lived in the Ottoman Empire
and having written narrative works that consciously include a significant “historical” content, regardless of the language in which those texts were composed. This includes chroniclers, of course, but also the authors of such works as biographical material (literary, hagiographic, etc.), geographies, military narratives (gazavatnames, fethnames) etc.
.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
works. The editorial committee consists of Hakan Karateke and Cornell Fleischer
Cornell Fleischer
Cornell Fleischer is the Kanuni Suleyman Professor of Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies at the University of Chicago.Dr. Fleischer received his PhD from Princeton University in 1982. After leaving Princeton, Dr. Fleischer held teaching posts at Washington University in St. Louis and the Ohio...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and Cemal Kafadar
Cemal Kafadar
Cemal Kafadar is the Vehbi Koç Professor of Turkish Studies at Harvard University.Dr. Kafadar received his PhD from the McGill University Institute of Islamic Studies in 1987 and taught for two years in Princeton's Near Eastern studies department before coming to Harvard. Dr...
form Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. In the course of 2003 an international advisory board, constituting fifteen recognized scholars in the field, was established.
Objective
Historians of the Ottoman Empire aims to become a reference work that will constitute an updated and improved version of Franz BabingerFranz Babinger
Franz Babinger was a pioneering historian of the Ottoman Empire, best known for his authoritative biography of the great Ottoman emperor Mehmed II known as the Conqueror, originally published as Mehmed der Eroberer und seine Zeit...
’s Die Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen und ihre Werke. The main weakness in Babinger’s work was, as its reviewers noted, that he could not make use of the Istanbul manuscript libraries adequately simply because, although he had access to the printed catalogues of the libraries, he did not have the opportunity to see the manuscripts. Babinger was also criticized for the method he used in selecting the authors. Although the title of his book refers to “Ottoman History Writers” (Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen), he added to the mix geographers, compilers of biographical dictionaries and others who did not compose a historical work in the strictest sense. Historians of the Ottoman Empire covers the individuals having lived in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and having written narrative works that consciously include a significant “historical” content, regardless of the language in which those texts were composed. This includes chroniclers, of course, but also the authors of such works as biographical material (literary, hagiographic, etc.), geographies, military narratives (gazavatnames, fethnames) etc.
Funding
Historians of the Ottoman Empire is made possible by a grant from the Packard Humanities InstitutePackard Humanities Institute
The Packard Humanities Institute is a non-profit foundation, established in 1987, and located in Los Altos, California, which funds projects in a wide range of conservation concerns in the fields of archaeology, music, film preservation, and historic conservation, plus Greek epigraphy , with an...
.