Ibrahim Peçevi
Encyclopedia
İbrahim Peçevi or Peçuyli İbrahim Efendi (1572–1650) (Ottoman Turkish
: پچوى إبراهىم افندى ) was a Turkish
historian
(chronicler) of the Ottoman Empire
. He was born in Pécs
, Ottoman Empire
(today Hungary
), hence his name, Peçevi ("from Pécs"). His mother was of Sokollu (Sokolović
) Bosnian
family. The name of his father is unknown. His paternal great-grandfather was a Turkish
sipahi
called Kara Davut Agha who was at the service of Mehmed II
.
He was a provincial official in many places and became a historian after his retirement in 1641. He spoke Turkish and Bosnian very well. The year of his death is not known. According to Katip Çelebi, he died in the Islamic year of 1061 (1650 AD). But some historians think he died before 1649.
Peçevi Efendi is famous for his two-volume book Tarih-i Peçevi ("Pecevi's History") of the history of the Ottoman Empire, the main reference for the period 1520–1640. The information about older events Peçevi took from previous works and narrations of veterans. His times are described firsthand and from tales of witnesses. Peçevi carefully references all quotations. Peçevi also was one of the first Ottoman historians who used European written sources; he makes references, e.g., to Hungarian historians.
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
: پچوى إبراهىم افندى ) was a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
(chronicler) of 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...
. He was born in Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
, 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...
(today Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
), hence his name, Peçevi ("from Pécs"). His mother was of Sokollu (Sokolović
Sokolovic
Sokolović is mostly a Bosniak surname, found among Serbs. It derives from the word sokol meaning "falcon" and literally means "descendant of falcon"....
) Bosnian
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
family. The name of his father is unknown. His paternal great-grandfather was a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
sipahi
Sipahi
Sipahi was the name of several Ottoman cavalry corps...
called Kara Davut Agha who was at the service of Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
.
He was a provincial official in many places and became a historian after his retirement in 1641. He spoke Turkish and Bosnian very well. The year of his death is not known. According to Katip Çelebi, he died in the Islamic year of 1061 (1650 AD). But some historians think he died before 1649.
Peçevi Efendi is famous for his two-volume book Tarih-i Peçevi ("Pecevi's History") of the history of the Ottoman Empire, the main reference for the period 1520–1640. The information about older events Peçevi took from previous works and narrations of veterans. His times are described firsthand and from tales of witnesses. Peçevi carefully references all quotations. Peçevi also was one of the first Ottoman historians who used European written sources; he makes references, e.g., to Hungarian historians.