Abdülhak Hâmid
Encyclopedia
Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan was an early 20th century Turkish
playwright
and poet
. He was one of the leading lights of the Turkish Romantic period. He is known in Turkish literature
as "Şair-i Azam" (The Grand Poet) and "Dahi-i Azam" (The Grand Genius).
and a poet, and son of ambassador and famous historian Hayrullah Efendi. Was born in Istanbul
and his mother was from Circassian orign. Abdulhak Hamid, while attending the secondary school, had taken private lessons from Yanyalı Tahsin Hoca and Edremitli Bahaddin Hoca. By August 1863, he went to Paris
, France
with his brother Nasuhi, the workplace of his father. He continued his education there for one and half years. After he returned to Istanbul
, he enrolled a French education school and worked in a translation office to advance his French. One year later, he followed his father, who was appointed to the Ottoman
Embassy in Tehran
, Iran
. He studied there Persian language
for more than one year. Following his father's death in 1867, he returned to Istanbul and entered governmental services.
Entered the service of foreign affairs, he was appointed 1876 to the Ottoman Embassy in Paris, where he had to opportunity to learn the French literature
.
In 1878, his first brush with controversy occurred on the publishing of his play Nesteren in Paris
. It depicted a rebellion against a tyrannical ruler, and the actual ruler of Turkey at that time, Sultan Abdul Hamid II
was so upset by it that he had the playwright fired from his government job.
He was appointed in 1881 to Poti
, Georgia
, in 1882 to Volos
, Greece
and in 1883 to Bombay, India
. Due to illness of his wife, the family left India in 1885. On their way to Istanbul, his wife Fatma died in Beirut
, then in the Ottoman Empire
. She was buried there that inspired him to write his poem Makber (The Grave), which later became very popular.
Because of his work "Zeynep", he was suspended of service at the Embassy in London
and forced to return home. Only after his promise not to write any more, he was allowed to return his post in London. He made his second marriage with a British
woman Nelly. After two service years in The Hague
in the Netherlands
, he was appointed back to London. Abdülhak Hamid returned to Turkey in 1900 due to illness of his wife. In 1906, he was sent to the Embassy in Brussels
, Belgium
. He lost his wife Nelly in 1911, and made later his third marriage with the Belgian Lucienne.
Abdülhak Hamid had to return to Turkey after his deposing by the cabinet during the Balkan Wars
. He spent a short time in Vienna
, Austria
after the World War I
and returned home with the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923. He entered politics and was elected into the parliament as deputy of Istanbul in 1928, a post he kept until his death.
Abdülhak Hamid Tarhan died on April 12, 1937 and was laid to rest in the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery
in Istanbul.
İnci Enginün translated his plays into modern Turkish, published in seven volumes (1998-2002).
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...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He was one of the leading lights of the Turkish Romantic period. He is known in Turkish literature
Turkish literature
Turkish literature comprises both oral compositions and written texts in the Turkish language, either in its Ottoman form or in less exclusively literary forms, such as that spoken in the Republic of Turkey today...
as "Şair-i Azam" (The Grand Poet) and "Dahi-i Azam" (The Grand Genius).
Early years
He is the grandson of Abdulhak Molla, a physician at the court of Sultan Abdul Hamid IIAbdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
and a poet, and son of ambassador and famous historian Hayrullah Efendi. Was born in 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...
and his mother was from Circassian orign. Abdulhak Hamid, while attending the secondary school, had taken private lessons from Yanyalı Tahsin Hoca and Edremitli Bahaddin Hoca. By August 1863, he went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with his brother Nasuhi, the workplace of his father. He continued his education there for one and half years. After he returned to 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...
, he enrolled a French education school and worked in a translation office to advance his French. One year later, he followed his father, who was appointed to the Ottoman
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...
Embassy in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. He studied there Persian language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
for more than one year. Following his father's death in 1867, he returned to Istanbul and entered governmental services.
Professional life
After he came in contact with prominent literary personalities, Abdülhak Hamid wrote his first prose Macera-yı Aşk (Love Affair) depicting his memoirs in Tehran. In 1871, he married Fatma.Entered the service of foreign affairs, he was appointed 1876 to the Ottoman Embassy in Paris, where he had to opportunity to learn the French literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
.
In 1878, his first brush with controversy occurred on the publishing of his play Nesteren in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It depicted a rebellion against a tyrannical ruler, and the actual ruler of Turkey at that time, Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
was so upset by it that he had the playwright fired from his government job.
He was appointed in 1881 to Poti
Poti
Poti is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near the site of the ancient Greek colony of Phasis, the city has become a major port city and industrial center since the early 20th century. It is also...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, in 1882 to Volos
Volos
Volos is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 326 km north of Athens and 215 km south of Thessaloniki...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and in 1883 to Bombay, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Due to illness of his wife, the family left India in 1885. On their way to Istanbul, his wife Fatma died in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, then 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...
. She was buried there that inspired him to write his poem Makber (The Grave), which later became very popular.
Because of his work "Zeynep", he was suspended of service at the Embassy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and forced to return home. Only after his promise not to write any more, he was allowed to return his post in London. He made his second marriage with a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
woman Nelly. After two service years in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, he was appointed back to London. Abdülhak Hamid returned to Turkey in 1900 due to illness of his wife. In 1906, he was sent to the Embassy in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. He lost his wife Nelly in 1911, and made later his third marriage with the Belgian Lucienne.
Abdülhak Hamid had to return to Turkey after his deposing by the cabinet during the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
. He spent a short time in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
after the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and returned home with the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923. He entered politics and was elected into the parliament as deputy of Istanbul in 1928, a post he kept until his death.
Abdülhak Hamid Tarhan died on April 12, 1937 and was laid to rest in the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery
Zincirlikuyu Cemetery
The Zincirlikuyu Cemetery is a modern burial ground at the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the Metropolitan Municipality. Many prominent figures from the world of politics, business, sports and arts rest here....
in Istanbul.
Poetry
- Sahra (The Desert, 1879)
- Makber (The Grave, 1885)
- Ölü (The Corpse, 1885)
- Hacle (1886)
- Bunlar Odur (These are Her, 1885)
- Divaneliklerim Yahut Belde (My Madness or the Town, 1885)
- Bir Sefirenin Hasbihali (Chat With an Ambassadress, 1886)
- Bala’dan Bir Ses (A Voice from Bala, 1912)
- Validem (My Mother, 1913)
- İlham-ı Vatan (Inspiration of the Motherland, 1916)
- Tayflar Geçidi (The Parade of Spectrums, 1917)
- Ruhlar (The Spirits, 1922)
- Garam (My Passion, 1923).
Plays
- Macera-yı Aşk (Love Affair, prose, 1873; in verse, 1910)
- Sabr-u Sebat (Perseverance in Patience, 1875, staged at İstanbul City Theatres in 1961)
- İçli Kız (The Oversensitive Girl, 1875)
- Duhter-i Hindu (The Girl of India, 1876)
- Nazife (Nazife, 1876, together with Abdüllahü’s-Sağir, 1917)
- Nesteren (Dog Rose, 1878)
- Tarık Yahut Endülüs’ün Fethi (Tarık Or The Conquest Of Spain, 1879, simplified by Sadi Irmak and Behçet Kemal Çağlar, staged at İstanbul City Theatres, 1962)
- Tezer Yahut Abdurrahman-ı Salis (Tezer or Abdurrahman III., 1880)
- Eşber (Eşber, 1880)
- Zeynep (Zeynep, 1908)
- İlhan (İlhan, 1913)
- Liberte (Freedom, 1913)
- Finten (Finten, 1916)
- İbn-i Musa Yahut Zadülcemal (İbn-i Musa or Zadülcemal, 1917)
- Sardanapal (Sardanapal, 1917)
- Abdüllahi’s Sağir (Little Abdullah, 1917)
- Yadigar-ı Harb (The Souvenir of The War, 1917)
- Hakan (1935)
- Cünun-ı Aşk (Insanity Of Love, serial, not published, 1917)
- Kanuni’nin Vicdan Azabı (Remorse of Suleyman The Magnificent, 1937, not published).
İnci Enginün translated his plays into modern Turkish, published in seven volumes (1998-2002).
Other works
- Mektuplar (Letters, collected by Süleyman NazifSüleyman NazifSüleyman Nazif was an eminent Ottoman Turkish poet. He mastered Arabic, Persian, and French languages and worked as a civil servant during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II...
, two volumes, 1916) - Hatırat (Memories, serials in the newspapers İkdam and Vakit, 1924-25)
- Yusuf Mardin wrote about the years Abdülhak Hamid spent in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in a novel and published it under the name of Abdülhak Hamid’in Londrası (Abdülhak Hamid’s London)