Mehmet Cemaleddin Efendi
Encyclopedia
Mehmet Cemaleddin Efendi (1848–1917) was a senior judge
of the Ottoman Empire
.
His father, Sheikh Yusufzâde Hâlid Efendi, was a member of the judiciary and served as Kazasker and as a minister. His mother was a member of the Kevabibiye family and a daughter of Mehmed Said Efendi.
Mehmet Cemaleddin was educated in Ottoman and Islamic law
, and served in the Ottoman judiciary as Kadi
(Chief Judge) of Istanbul
in 1884. He was appointed Chief Judge of Anatolia
(Anadolu Kazaskeri) in 1888 and Chief Judge of Rumelia
, the European parts of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans
, in 1890. On 4 September 1891, at the age of 43, he was appointed Şeyhülislam
, the Cabinet Minister in charge of religious and legal matters. He remained in this post for 16 years and 11 months, and was later reappointed on three other occasions for shorter periods, holding this post for a total of nearly 18 years, and becoming the second-longest holder of this post in Ottoman history, after Ali Zembilli Efendi. His son-in-law was the noted Turkish surgeon and mayor of Istanbul Prof. Cemil Topuzlu
, also known as Cemil Pasha, whose name was given to a major boulevard in Istanbul, "Cemil Topuzlu Caddesi".
An opponent of the pro-German and war-oriented policy of the Union and Progress Party, he was exiled to Egypt
in 1913, and died in Ramleh, Egypt, on 5 April 1917, at the age of 79. When his body was brought to Istanbul, it lay in state at the Topkapı Palace
, and he is now buried at the Edirnekapi Shehitlik Cemetery in Istanbul. His memoirs were first published in Istanbul in 1920, and then edited by Selim Kutsan and re-published in modern Turkish under the title Siyasi Hatiralarim (My Political Memoirs), by the publisher Nehir Yayinlari (Istanbul) in 1990.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
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...
.
His father, Sheikh Yusufzâde Hâlid Efendi, was a member of the judiciary and served as Kazasker and as a minister. His mother was a member of the Kevabibiye family and a daughter of Mehmed Said Efendi.
Mehmet Cemaleddin was educated in Ottoman and Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, and served in the Ottoman judiciary as Kadi
Kadi
Kadi may refer to:*Kadi, Gujarat, a city and municipality in Mehsana district, Gujarat, India*Kadhi, an Indian dish*Kadı, an official in the Ottoman empire*Qadi or kadi, Islamic judge*Al-Qadi, an Arabic surname*Quadi, an ancient Germanic tribe...
(Chief Judge) of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in 1884. He was appointed Chief Judge of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
(Anadolu Kazaskeri) in 1888 and Chief Judge of Rumelia
Rumelia
Rumelia was an historical region comprising the territories of the Ottoman Empire in Europe...
, the European parts of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, in 1890. On 4 September 1891, at the age of 43, he was appointed Şeyhülislam
Sheikh ul-Islam
Shaykh al-Islām is a title of superior authority in the issues of Islam....
, the Cabinet Minister in charge of religious and legal matters. He remained in this post for 16 years and 11 months, and was later reappointed on three other occasions for shorter periods, holding this post for a total of nearly 18 years, and becoming the second-longest holder of this post in Ottoman history, after Ali Zembilli Efendi. His son-in-law was the noted Turkish surgeon and mayor of Istanbul Prof. Cemil Topuzlu
Cemil Topuzlu
Professor Cemil Topuzlu , also known as Cemil Pasha, was a leading surgeon in Turkey who was internationally recognized for his pioneering work in several areas, including open chest cardiac massage, and described in several papers published in Ottoman Turkish, French and German.On 27 August 1903,...
, also known as Cemil Pasha, whose name was given to a major boulevard in Istanbul, "Cemil Topuzlu Caddesi".
An opponent of the pro-German and war-oriented policy of the Union and Progress Party, he was exiled to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1913, and died in Ramleh, Egypt, on 5 April 1917, at the age of 79. When his body was brought to Istanbul, it lay in state at the Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
, and he is now buried at the Edirnekapi Shehitlik Cemetery in Istanbul. His memoirs were first published in Istanbul in 1920, and then edited by Selim Kutsan and re-published in modern Turkish under the title Siyasi Hatiralarim (My Political Memoirs), by the publisher Nehir Yayinlari (Istanbul) in 1990.
Selected bibliography
- Cemaleddin Efendi "Siyasi Hatiralarim" from the Ottoman Turkish original, "Hatirat-i Siyasisi", Istanbul 1920, Selim Kutsan (ed.), Publisher, Nehir Yayinlari: 43, Hatiralarla Yakin Tarih Dizisi: 4, Istanbul, 1990.