The Review and Translation of the Autobiographic Section of Sheikh Alî al-Bistâmî Musannifak’s Work Named “Tuhfa-i Mahmûdî/Tuhfa al-Vuzara”: A Classical Resume Sample

Sheikh Alî al-Bistâmî Musannifak (d. 875/1470), one of the outstanding scholars of his century, spent part of his maturity period in Khorasan after his childhood and youth. Later, he migrated to the land of Rum (Anatolia) and held scientific, military and administrative duties. Musannifak, who came to the Ottoman world at the beginning of the Hijri 860’s, made an effort to introduce himself and established close relations with Grand Vizier Mahmûd Pasha (d. 878/1474). The author dedicated his work Tuhfa-i Mahmûdî/Tuhfa al-vuzara, a work of political advice, to Mahmûd Pasha. This Persian work, completed in Edirne on Thursday, 12 Cemaziyelevvel 861/7 April 1457, is the first work the author wrote when he came to the Ottoman world. The author, who was in search of patronage and seems to have been trying to show off his career, also talked about his family, teachers, ijazets, journeys and books in the eighth chapter of the work consisting of ten chapters. This part, which includes Musannifak’s autobiography, is an interesting example of a biography from the classical period. The section, which can be viewed as analogous to a CV presentation to the prospective employer in today’s terms, has not been the subject of significant scholarly work. In our article, the relevant material has been corrected, translated, and examined from different perspectives.