Abstract:

Ebu'l-Abbas Shihâbüddîn Ahmed b. Ali al-Qalqashandi's (d. 821/1418) one of the important figures of VIIIth/ XVth century Islamic World was a scholar and a clerk. In addition to teaching at the madrasah, he made researches on history, geography, law, literature, epigraphs, natural sciences and Arab tribes. The most voluminous work of al-Qalqashandi, who died on 10 Cemâziyelâhir 821/15 July 1418, is Subh al-A'shā fî Sinâ'ati'l-İnshā. This book is generally about the bureaucratic method in Muslim states. In this context, encyclopedic information about the equipment that the clerks, the practitioners of the art of composition, should have in order to grow up in the best way. There are titles put on many subjects such as history, geography, literature, epigraphy, customs and traditions in this book, for the benefit of the clerks. Subhu'l- A'shā has began to receive the attention it deserved since XIXth Century. Studies have been done on it by Western experts and publications have been made on its content. In addition, some parts have been translated into various languages. The reason why we want to dwell on this paper is firstly to give detailed information about the content of the book and secondly evaluate the information about Ottoman history in it. Considering that Ṣubḥu'l-aʿşâ was written in a period when Ottoman historiography was not fully developed, it is seen that the evaluations are theoretically important. Thus, clues about how the first developmental phase of the Ottoman state was seen and perceived in the view of the Mamluks, the most powerful Islamic state of the period, will be caught.

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