Hatt-i humayun
Encyclopedia
Hatt-i humayun also known as hatt-i sharif (Turkish: hatt-ı şerîf), is the diplomatics
term for a document or handwritten note of an official nature by an Ottoman
Sultan
. The terms come from hatt (Arabic: handwriting, command), hümayun (imperial) and şerif (lofty, noble). These notes were written by the Sultan himself, although they could also be transcribed by a palace scribe. They were written usually in response to, and directly on, a document that was submitted to him by the Grand Vizier
or another officer of the Ottoman government. Thus, they could be approvals or denials
on a letter of petition
, acknowledgments of a report, grants of permission for a request, an annotation to a decree
, etc. Other types of hatt-ı hümayuns were written from scratch, rather than as a response. After the Tanzimat
(1856), the use of hatt-ı hümayuns on documents was replaced by the practice of irâde-i seniyye, in which the Sultan's spoken response was recorded on the document by his scribe.
There are nearly 100,000 hatt-ı hümayuns in the Ottoman archives. One of them is commonly known as the Hatt-ı Hümayun of 1856, or just "Hatt-i Humayun", although calling it the Reform Decree of 1856 (in Turkish Tanzimat Fermanı) is more accurate. This decree, which started the Tanzimat
reform, is so called because it carries a handwritten order by the Sultan to the Grand Vizier to properly execute his command.
The term "hatt-ı hümayun" can sometimes also be used in a literal sense, meaning a document handwritten by an Ottoman Sultan.
(Sadrazam), or in his absence, to his replacement (the Ka'immakâm
), or to another senior official such as the Grand Admiral (Kapudan-i Derya) or the Governor-general (Beylerbey
) of Rumeli. There were three types of hatt-ı hümayuns: 1) those addressed to a government post, 2) those "on the white" and 3) those on a document.
). The tughra and the notation could sometimes then be surrounded by a decorated frame. The note would emphasize a particular part of his edict, urging or ordering it to be followed without fault. These were called Hatt-ı Hümayunla Müveşşeh Ferman (ferman decorated with a hatt-ı hümayun) or Unvanına Hatt-ı Hümayun (hatt-ı hümayun to the title). The note might use a clichéd phrase like "to be done as required" (mûcebince amel oluna) or "my command is to carried out as required and no one is to interfere with its execution" (emrim mûcebince amel oluna, kimseye müdahale etmeyeler). Some edicts to the title would start with a note from the Sultan praising for the person(s) the edict was addressed to, in order to encourage or honor him. Rarely, there might be a threat such as "if you want to keep your head, carry out this order as required" (Başın gerek ise mûcebiyle amel oluna).
, an appointment letter or a letter to a foreign ruler.
There also exist hatt-ı hümayuns expressing the Sultan's opinions or even his feelings on certain matters. For example, after the successful defense of Mosul
against the forces of Nadir Shah, in 1743, the Sultan sent a hatt-ı hümayun to the governor Haj Husayn Pasha, which praised in verse the heroic exploits of the governor and the warriors of Mosul.
, or his deputy the kaymakam
(Kâ'immakâm Paşa), who would summarize a situation, and request the Sultan's will on the matter. Such documents were called telhis (summary) until the 19th century and takrir (suggestion) later on. The Sultan's handwritten response (his command or decision) would be called hatt-ı hümâyûn on telhis (or, hatt-ı hümâyûn on takrir). Other types of documents submitted to the Sultan were petitions (arzuhâl), sworn transcriptions of oral petitions (mahzar), reports from a higher to a lower office (şukka), religious reports by Qadi
s to higher offices (ilâm) and record books (tahrirat). These would be named hatt-ı hümâyûn on arz, etc. depending on the type of the document. The Sultan responded not only to documents submitted to him by his viziers but also to petitions (arzuhâl) submitted to him by the common people following the Friday prayer. Thus, hatt-ı hümayuns on documents were analogous to Papal rescripts
and rescript
s used in other imperial regimes.
When the sultan went in contact with the public for Friday prayer or other occasions, people would hand in petitions addressed to him. These were later discussed and decided upon by the council of viziers. They would then prepare a summary of all petitions and the action decided upon for each one. The sultan would write on the same sheet "I have been informed" (manzurum olmuştur) multiple times, followed by the item number that he is referring to. When palace bureaucracy was reorganized after the Tanzimat reforms
, the Sultan's decision came to be written directly by the Chief Scribe at the bottom of the summary document, and only once for all petitions.
(telhis) as an attachment. In some cases, rather than prepare a separate summary document, the Grand Vizier or his deputy would write his summary and views diagonally, on the top or bottom margins of the document coming from lower functionaries (see an example in the first figure above). Such annotations on a written document were called derkenar. Sometimes the Grand Vizier would append his cover page on top of a proposal coming from a lower-level functionary like the Treasurer (Defterdar
) or the Minister of Defence (Serasker
), introducing it as, for example, "this is the proposal of the Defterdar". In such cases the Sultan would write his hatt-ı hümayun on the cover page. In other cases the Grand Vizier would summarize the matter directly in the margin of the document submitted by the lower functionary and the Sultan would write on the same page as well. Sometimes the Sultan would write his decision on a fresh piece of paper attached to the submitted document.
In most cases hatt-i humayuns were written by the Sultan himself although there exist some that were penned by the chief scribe or another functionary. Important hatt-i humayuns on the white were sometimes drafted by the head of diplomatic correspondence (Reis-ül Kuttab) or the Secretary of Navy (Kapudan Paşa). In some cases, there were notations as to who prepared the draft of the document that was then re-written by the Sultan.
Hatt-ı hümayuns usually were not dated, although some, concerning withdrawal of money from the treasury, did carry dates. Most late-period hatt-i hümayuns and irades had dates. Abdulhamid I was especially inclined to date his hatt-i hümayuns. His Grand Vizier Koca Yusuf Pasha
, later suggested his successor Selim III
that hatt-i hümayuns be dated so that he could follow up whether his orders were carried out. However, this suggestion was not adopted. Abdulhamid II used signatures toward the latter parts of his reign.
that is understandable (orally) even today and has changed little over the centuries. Many were short comments such as "I gave" (verdim), "be it given" (verilsin), "will not happen" (olmaz), "be it written" (yazılsın), "is clear/is clear to me" (malûm oldu / malûmum olmuştur), "provide it" (tedârik edesin), "it has come to my sight" (manzûrum oldu / manzûrum olmuştur), "be it answered" (cevap verile), "record it" (mukayyet olasın), "be it supplied" (tedârik görülsün), "be they without need" (“berhûrdâr olsunlar”).
Some Sultans would also write longer comments starting with "It has become my knowledge" (Malûmum oldu), and continue with an introduction on the topic, then give their opinion such as "this report's/petition's/record's/etc. appearance and meaning has become my imperial knowledge"("... işbu takrîrin/telhîsin/şukkanın/kaimenin manzûr ve me'azi ma'lûm-ı hümayûnum olmuşdur"). Some common phrases in hatt-ı hümayuns are "according to this report..." (işbu telhisin mûcebince), "the matter is clear" (cümlesi malumdur), "I permit" (izin verdim), "I give, according to the provided facts" (vech-i meşruh üzere verdim).
Hatt-ı hümayuns to the position often had clichéd expressions such as "To be done as required" (Mûcebince amel oluna) or "To be done as required, not to be contravened" (Mûcebince amel ve hilâfından hazer oluna).
Hatt-ı hümayuns on the white were more elaborate and some could even have been drafted by a scribe before being penned by the Sultan. They often started by addressing the recipient. The Sultan would refer to his Grand Vizier as "My Vizier", or if his Grand Vizier was away at war, would refer to his deputy as "Ka'immakâm
Paşa". Those written to other officials would often start with an expression like "You who are my Vizier of Rumeli, Mehmed Pasha" ("Sen ki Rumili vezîrim Mehmed Paşa'sın"). The head of religious affairs (Şeyhülislam
) or the Sultan's personal tutor would be addressed simply and respectfully. In cases where the hatt-ı hümayun was to be delivered ceremoniously, with an imperial sword and a cloak, as in an appointment to a high rank, there would be a flowery salutation such as "after I have honored you with my glorious greeting you should know that..." (seni selâm-ı şâhanemle teşrif eylediğimden sonra malumun ola ki...). Correspondence to a military commander could have a lengthy and ornate salutation or just address him by his title. A note without an address was meant for the Grand Vizier or his deputy.
to Evrenos Bey
in 1386, commending him for his conquests and giving him advice on how to administer people. Until the reign of Murad III
, Viziers used to present matters orally to the Sultans, who would then give their consent or denial, also orally. While hatt-ı hümayuns were very rare until then, they proliferated afterward, especially during the reigns of Sultans such as Abdülhamid I, Selim III
and Mahmud II
, who wanted to increase their control and be informed of everything.
The content of hatt-ı hümayuns tends to reflect the power struggle that existed between the Sultan and his council of viziers (the Divan
). The process of using the hatt-ı hümayun to authorize the actions of the Grand Vizier came into existence in the reign of Murad III. This led to a loss of authority and independence in the Grand Vizier while other palace people such as the Master of the Harem
(Harem Ağası) or concubines (cariye) who had greater access to the Sultan gained in influence. By giving detailed instructions or advice, the Sultans reduced the role of the Grands Vizier to be just a supervisor to the execution of his commands. This situation appears to have created some backlash, as during most of the 17th century there were attempts to return to Grand Viziers prestige and the power of "supreme proxy" (vekil-i mutlak) and over time hatt-ı hümayuns returned to their former simplicity. However, in the 18th century, Selim III
became concerned by the over-centralization of the bureaucracy and its general inefficacy. He created consulting bodies (meclis-i meşveret) to share some of the authority with him and the Grand Vizier. He would give detailed answers on hatt-ı hümayuns to questions asked of him and would make inquiries as to whether his decisions were followed. The hatt-ı hümayun became Selim III's tool to ensure rapid and precise execution of his decisions.
During the reign of Mahmud II, in the early 1830s, the practice of writing on the memoranda of the Grand vizier was replaced by the Chief Scribe of the Imperial Office (Mâbeyn-i Hümâyun Başkatibi) recording the Sultan's decision. After the Tanzimat
, the government bureaucracy was streamlined. For most common communications, the imperial scribe (Serkâtib-i şehriyârî) began to record the spoken will (irâde) of the Sultan and thus the irâde (also called irâde-i seniyye, i.e., "supreme will", or irâde-i şâhâne, i.e., "glorious will") replaced the hatt-ı hümayun. The use of hatt-ı hümayuns on the white between the Sultan and the Grand Vizier continued on for matters of great importance such as high level appointments or promotions. Infrequently, the grand Vizier and the Sultan wrote to each other directly as well.
The large number of documents that required the Sultan's decision through either a hatt-ı hümayun or an irade-i senniye is considered to be an indication of how centralized the Ottoman government was. Abdülhamid I has written himself in one of his hatt-ı hümayuns "I have no time that my pen leaves my hand, with God's resolve it does not.
The early hatt-ı hümayuns were written in the calligraphic styles
of tâlik, tâlik kırması (a variant of tâlik), nesih
and riq’a
. After Mahmud II
, they were only written in riq’a. Ahmed III
and Mahmud II
were skilled penmen and their hatt-ı hümayuns are notable for their long and elaborate annotations on official documents. In contrast, Sultans who accessed the throne at an early age, such as Murad V
and Mehmed IV
display poor spelling and calligraphy.
has a special section of "cut-out hatt-ı hümayuns".
of the Turkish Prime Minister (Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivleri, or BOA in short) in Istanbul, and they number 95,134. Most hatt-ı hümayuns are stored at the BOA and in the Topkapı Museum Archive. The BOA contains 58,000 hatt-ı hümayuns.
Because the hatt-ı hümayuns were originally not organized systematically, historians in the 19th and early 20th century came up with several catalogs of hatt-ı hümayuns based on different organizing principles. These historic catalogs are still in use by historians at the BOA:
Hatt-ı Hümâyûn Tasnifi is the catalog of the hatt-ı hümayuns belonging to the Âmedi Kalemi. It consists of 31 volumes listing 62,312 documents, with their short summaries. This catalog lists documents from 1730 to 1839 but covers primarily those from the reigns of Selim III and Mahmud II within this period.
Ali Emiri Tasnifi is chronological catalog on 181,239 documents is organized according to the periods of sovereignty of Sultans, from the foundation of the Ottoman state to the Abdülmecid period. Along with hatt-ı hümayuns, it includes documents on foreign relations.
İbnülemin Tasnifi is a catalog created by a committee led by historian İbnülemin Mahmud Kemal. It covers the period of 1290-1873. Along with 329 hatt-ı hümayuns, it lists documents of various other types on palace correspondence, private correspondence, appointments, land grants (timar
and zeamet
), charitable endowments (vakıf), etc.
Muallim Cevdet Tasnifi catalogs 216,572 documents in 34 volumes, organized by topics that include local governments, provincial administration, vakıf and internal security.
Although there exist thousands of hatt-ı hümayuns, the Imperial Reform Edict (or Islâhat Fermânı) of 1856 is so well known as to be called simply "Hatt-i Hümayun" in most history texts. The decree from Sultan Abdülmecid I
promised equality in education, government appointments, and administration of justice to all, regardless of creed. In Düstur, the Ottoman code of laws, the text of this ferman is introduced as "a copy of the supreme ferman written to the Grand Vizier, perfected by decoration above with a hatt-ı hümayun." So, technically this edict was a hatt-ı hümayun to the rank.
Another name used in some sources for the Reform Decree of 1856, is "The Rescript of Reform". Here, the word 'rescript' is used to sense of "edict, decree", not "reply to a query or other document."
The Hatt-ı Hümayun of 1856 was an extension of another important edict of reform, the Hatt-i Sharif of Gülhane
of 1839, and part of the Tanzimat
reforms. That document is also generally referred to as the Hatt-i Sharif, although there are many other hatt-i sharifs, a term that is synonymous with hatt-ı hümayun.
has written a masnavi
of 22 couplets describing the calligraphy
of Sultan Murad IV
, called Der-Vasf-ı Hatt-ı Humayun-ı Sultan Murad Han. The whole poem is a compliment to the writings of the Sultan.
Diplomatics
Diplomatics , or Diplomatic , is the study that revolves around documentation. It is a study that focuses on the analysis of document creation, its inner constitutions and form, the means of transmitting information, and the relationship documented facts have with their creator...
term for a document or handwritten note of an official nature by an 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...
Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
. The terms come from hatt (Arabic: handwriting, command), hümayun (imperial) and şerif (lofty, noble). These notes were written by the Sultan himself, although they could also be transcribed by a palace scribe. They were written usually in response to, and directly on, a document that was submitted to him by the Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
or another officer of the Ottoman government. Thus, they could be approvals or denials
Denial of request
Denial of request is the refusal of one party to grant the request of another. Some acts that can be considered denial may include the refusal of a person or a group of people representing a company, organization, or government agency to provide what a client or one seeking to be a client has...
on a letter of petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
, acknowledgments of a report, grants of permission for a request, an annotation to a decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
, etc. Other types of hatt-ı hümayuns were written from scratch, rather than as a response. After the Tanzimat
Tanzimat
The Tanzimât , meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimât reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against...
(1856), the use of hatt-ı hümayuns on documents was replaced by the practice of irâde-i seniyye, in which the Sultan's spoken response was recorded on the document by his scribe.
There are nearly 100,000 hatt-ı hümayuns in the Ottoman archives. One of them is commonly known as the Hatt-ı Hümayun of 1856, or just "Hatt-i Humayun", although calling it the Reform Decree of 1856 (in Turkish Tanzimat Fermanı) is more accurate. This decree, which started the Tanzimat
Tanzimat
The Tanzimât , meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimât reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against...
reform, is so called because it carries a handwritten order by the Sultan to the Grand Vizier to properly execute his command.
The term "hatt-ı hümayun" can sometimes also be used in a literal sense, meaning a document handwritten by an Ottoman Sultan.
Types of hatt-ı hümayun
The hatt-ı hümayun would usually be written to the Grand VizierGrand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
(Sadrazam), or in his absence, to his replacement (the Ka'immakâm
Kaymakam
Qaim Maqam or Qaimaqam or Kaymakam is the title used for the governor of a provincial district in the Republic of Turkey, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and in Lebanon; additionally, it was a title used for roughly the same official position in the Ottoman...
), or to another senior official such as the Grand Admiral (Kapudan-i Derya) or the Governor-general (Beylerbey
Beylerbey
Beylerbey is the Ottoman and Safavid title used for the highest rank in the hierarchy of provincial administrators It is in western terms a Governor-general, with authority...
) of Rumeli. There were three types of hatt-ı hümayuns: 1) those addressed to a government post, 2) those "on the white" and 3) those on a document.
Hatt-ı hümayun to the post
Decrees (ferman) or titles of privilege (berat) were written by a scribe, but those written to certain officials and those that were particularly important were preceded by the Sultan's handwritten note beside his seal (tughraTughra
A tughra is a calligraphic monogram, seal or signature of an Ottoman sultan that was affixed to all official documents and correspondence. It was also carved on his seal and stamped on the coins minted during his reign...
). The tughra and the notation could sometimes then be surrounded by a decorated frame. The note would emphasize a particular part of his edict, urging or ordering it to be followed without fault. These were called Hatt-ı Hümayunla Müveşşeh Ferman (ferman decorated with a hatt-ı hümayun) or Unvanına Hatt-ı Hümayun (hatt-ı hümayun to the title). The note might use a clichéd phrase like "to be done as required" (mûcebince amel oluna) or "my command is to carried out as required and no one is to interfere with its execution" (emrim mûcebince amel oluna, kimseye müdahale etmeyeler). Some edicts to the title would start with a note from the Sultan praising for the person(s) the edict was addressed to, in order to encourage or honor him. Rarely, there might be a threat such as "if you want to keep your head, carry out this order as required" (Başın gerek ise mûcebiyle amel oluna).
Hatt-ı hümayun on the white
"Hatt-ı hümayun on the white" (beyaz üzerine hatt-ı hümâyun) were documents written from scratch (ex officio) rather than a notation on an existing document. They were so called because the edict was written on a clear page. They could be documents such as a command, an edictEdict
An edict is an announcement of a law, often associated with monarchism. The Pope and various micronational leaders are currently the only persons who still issue edicts.-Notable edicts:...
, an appointment letter or a letter to a foreign ruler.
There also exist hatt-ı hümayuns expressing the Sultan's opinions or even his feelings on certain matters. For example, after the successful defense of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
against the forces of Nadir Shah, in 1743, the Sultan sent a hatt-ı hümayun to the governor Haj Husayn Pasha, which praised in verse the heroic exploits of the governor and the warriors of Mosul.
Hatt-ı hümayun on a document
In normal bureaucratic procedure, a document would usually be submitted by the Grand VizierGrand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
, or his deputy the kaymakam
Kaymakam
Qaim Maqam or Qaimaqam or Kaymakam is the title used for the governor of a provincial district in the Republic of Turkey, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and in Lebanon; additionally, it was a title used for roughly the same official position in the Ottoman...
(Kâ'immakâm Paşa), who would summarize a situation, and request the Sultan's will on the matter. Such documents were called telhis (summary) until the 19th century and takrir (suggestion) later on. The Sultan's handwritten response (his command or decision) would be called hatt-ı hümâyûn on telhis (or, hatt-ı hümâyûn on takrir). Other types of documents submitted to the Sultan were petitions (arzuhâl), sworn transcriptions of oral petitions (mahzar), reports from a higher to a lower office (şukka), religious reports by Qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
s to higher offices (ilâm) and record books (tahrirat). These would be named hatt-ı hümâyûn on arz, etc. depending on the type of the document. The Sultan responded not only to documents submitted to him by his viziers but also to petitions (arzuhâl) submitted to him by the common people following the Friday prayer. Thus, hatt-ı hümayuns on documents were analogous to Papal rescripts
Papal rescripts
Papal Rescripts are responses of the pope or a Sacred Congregation, in writing, to queries or petitions of individuals. Some rescripts concern the granting of favours; others the administration of justice under canon law, e. g...
and rescript
Rescript
A rescript is a document that is issued not on the initiative of the author, but in response to a specific demand made by its addressee...
s used in other imperial regimes.
When the sultan went in contact with the public for Friday prayer or other occasions, people would hand in petitions addressed to him. These were later discussed and decided upon by the council of viziers. They would then prepare a summary of all petitions and the action decided upon for each one. The sultan would write on the same sheet "I have been informed" (manzurum olmuştur) multiple times, followed by the item number that he is referring to. When palace bureaucracy was reorganized after the Tanzimat reforms
Tanzimat
The Tanzimât , meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimât reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against...
, the Sultan's decision came to be written directly by the Chief Scribe at the bottom of the summary document, and only once for all petitions.
Practices
When a petition or memo requiring the Sultan's decision was to be submitted to him, the Grand Vizier usually prepared an executive summaryExecutive summary
An executive summary, sometimes known as a management summary, is a short document or section of a document, produced for business purposes, that summarizes a longer report or proposal or a group of related reports, in such a way that readers can rapidly become acquainted with a large body of...
(telhis) as an attachment. In some cases, rather than prepare a separate summary document, the Grand Vizier or his deputy would write his summary and views diagonally, on the top or bottom margins of the document coming from lower functionaries (see an example in the first figure above). Such annotations on a written document were called derkenar. Sometimes the Grand Vizier would append his cover page on top of a proposal coming from a lower-level functionary like the Treasurer (Defterdar
Defterdar
Defterdars were top officials in charge of the finances in the Ottoman Empire, including heads of the Ottoman provincial treasuries; they were responsible for defters....
) or the Minister of Defence (Serasker
Serasker
Serasker or Seraskier is a title formerly used in the Ottoman Empire for a Vizier who commanded the army, and later for the National Minister of Defence....
), introducing it as, for example, "this is the proposal of the Defterdar". In such cases the Sultan would write his hatt-ı hümayun on the cover page. In other cases the Grand Vizier would summarize the matter directly in the margin of the document submitted by the lower functionary and the Sultan would write on the same page as well. Sometimes the Sultan would write his decision on a fresh piece of paper attached to the submitted document.
In most cases hatt-i humayuns were written by the Sultan himself although there exist some that were penned by the chief scribe or another functionary. Important hatt-i humayuns on the white were sometimes drafted by the head of diplomatic correspondence (Reis-ül Kuttab) or the Secretary of Navy (Kapudan Paşa). In some cases, there were notations as to who prepared the draft of the document that was then re-written by the Sultan.
Hatt-ı hümayuns usually were not dated, although some, concerning withdrawal of money from the treasury, did carry dates. Most late-period hatt-i hümayuns and irades had dates. Abdulhamid I was especially inclined to date his hatt-i hümayuns. His Grand Vizier Koca Yusuf Pasha
Koca Yusuf Pasha
Koca Yusuf Pasha was an Ottoman statesman. He was grand vizier from January 25, 1786, to May 28, 1789, and Kapudan Pasha after December 19, 1789....
, later suggested his successor Selim III
Selim III
Selim III was the reform-minded Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissaries eventually deposed and imprisoned him, and placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV...
that hatt-i hümayuns be dated so that he could follow up whether his orders were carried out. However, this suggestion was not adopted. Abdulhamid II used signatures toward the latter parts of his reign.
Language
The language of hatt-ı hümayuns on documents generally used relatively simple TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
that is understandable (orally) even today and has changed little over the centuries. Many were short comments such as "I gave" (verdim), "be it given" (verilsin), "will not happen" (olmaz), "be it written" (yazılsın), "is clear/is clear to me" (malûm oldu / malûmum olmuştur), "provide it" (tedârik edesin), "it has come to my sight" (manzûrum oldu / manzûrum olmuştur), "be it answered" (cevap verile), "record it" (mukayyet olasın), "be it supplied" (tedârik görülsün), "be they without need" (“berhûrdâr olsunlar”).
Some Sultans would also write longer comments starting with "It has become my knowledge" (Malûmum oldu), and continue with an introduction on the topic, then give their opinion such as "this report's/petition's/record's/etc. appearance and meaning has become my imperial knowledge"("... işbu takrîrin/telhîsin/şukkanın/kaimenin manzûr ve me'azi ma'lûm-ı hümayûnum olmuşdur"). Some common phrases in hatt-ı hümayuns are "according to this report..." (işbu telhisin mûcebince), "the matter is clear" (cümlesi malumdur), "I permit" (izin verdim), "I give, according to the provided facts" (vech-i meşruh üzere verdim).
Hatt-ı hümayuns to the position often had clichéd expressions such as "To be done as required" (Mûcebince amel oluna) or "To be done as required, not to be contravened" (Mûcebince amel ve hilâfından hazer oluna).
Hatt-ı hümayuns on the white were more elaborate and some could even have been drafted by a scribe before being penned by the Sultan. They often started by addressing the recipient. The Sultan would refer to his Grand Vizier as "My Vizier", or if his Grand Vizier was away at war, would refer to his deputy as "Ka'immakâm
Kaymakam
Qaim Maqam or Qaimaqam or Kaymakam is the title used for the governor of a provincial district in the Republic of Turkey, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and in Lebanon; additionally, it was a title used for roughly the same official position in the Ottoman...
Paşa". Those written to other officials would often start with an expression like "You who are my Vizier of Rumeli, Mehmed Pasha" ("Sen ki Rumili vezîrim Mehmed Paşa'sın"). The head of religious affairs (Şeyhülislam
Sheikh ul-Islam
Shaykh al-Islām is a title of superior authority in the issues of Islam....
) or the Sultan's personal tutor would be addressed simply and respectfully. In cases where the hatt-ı hümayun was to be delivered ceremoniously, with an imperial sword and a cloak, as in an appointment to a high rank, there would be a flowery salutation such as "after I have honored you with my glorious greeting you should know that..." (seni selâm-ı şâhanemle teşrif eylediğimden sonra malumun ola ki...). Correspondence to a military commander could have a lengthy and ornate salutation or just address him by his title. A note without an address was meant for the Grand Vizier or his deputy.
History
The earliest known hatt-ı hümayun is the one sent by Sultan Murad IMurad I
Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...
to Evrenos Bey
Gazi Evrenos
Evrenos or Evrenuz was an Ottoman military commander, with an unlikely longevous career and lifetime...
in 1386, commending him for his conquests and giving him advice on how to administer people. Until the reign of Murad III
Murad III
Murad III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death.-Biography:...
, Viziers used to present matters orally to the Sultans, who would then give their consent or denial, also orally. While hatt-ı hümayuns were very rare until then, they proliferated afterward, especially during the reigns of Sultans such as Abdülhamid I, Selim III
Selim III
Selim III was the reform-minded Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissaries eventually deposed and imprisoned him, and placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV...
and Mahmud II
Mahmud II
Mahmud II was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, the son of Sultan Abdulhamid I...
, who wanted to increase their control and be informed of everything.
The content of hatt-ı hümayuns tends to reflect the power struggle that existed between the Sultan and his council of viziers (the Divan
Divan
A divan was a high governmental body in a number of Islamic states, or its chief official .-Etymology:...
). The process of using the hatt-ı hümayun to authorize the actions of the Grand Vizier came into existence in the reign of Murad III. This led to a loss of authority and independence in the Grand Vizier while other palace people such as the Master of the Harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
(Harem Ağası) or concubines (cariye) who had greater access to the Sultan gained in influence. By giving detailed instructions or advice, the Sultans reduced the role of the Grands Vizier to be just a supervisor to the execution of his commands. This situation appears to have created some backlash, as during most of the 17th century there were attempts to return to Grand Viziers prestige and the power of "supreme proxy" (vekil-i mutlak) and over time hatt-ı hümayuns returned to their former simplicity. However, in the 18th century, Selim III
Selim III
Selim III was the reform-minded Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissaries eventually deposed and imprisoned him, and placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV...
became concerned by the over-centralization of the bureaucracy and its general inefficacy. He created consulting bodies (meclis-i meşveret) to share some of the authority with him and the Grand Vizier. He would give detailed answers on hatt-ı hümayuns to questions asked of him and would make inquiries as to whether his decisions were followed. The hatt-ı hümayun became Selim III's tool to ensure rapid and precise execution of his decisions.
During the reign of Mahmud II, in the early 1830s, the practice of writing on the memoranda of the Grand vizier was replaced by the Chief Scribe of the Imperial Office (Mâbeyn-i Hümâyun Başkatibi) recording the Sultan's decision. After the Tanzimat
Tanzimat
The Tanzimât , meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimât reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against...
, the government bureaucracy was streamlined. For most common communications, the imperial scribe (Serkâtib-i şehriyârî) began to record the spoken will (irâde) of the Sultan and thus the irâde (also called irâde-i seniyye, i.e., "supreme will", or irâde-i şâhâne, i.e., "glorious will") replaced the hatt-ı hümayun. The use of hatt-ı hümayuns on the white between the Sultan and the Grand Vizier continued on for matters of great importance such as high level appointments or promotions. Infrequently, the grand Vizier and the Sultan wrote to each other directly as well.
The large number of documents that required the Sultan's decision through either a hatt-ı hümayun or an irade-i senniye is considered to be an indication of how centralized the Ottoman government was. Abdülhamid I has written himself in one of his hatt-ı hümayuns "I have no time that my pen leaves my hand, with God's resolve it does not.
The early hatt-ı hümayuns were written in the calligraphic styles
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy, colloquially known as Perso-Arabic calligraphy, is the artistic practice of handwriting, or calligraphy, and by extension, of bookmaking, in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage. This art form is based on the Arabic script, which for a long time was used by all...
of tâlik, tâlik kırması (a variant of tâlik), nesih
Naskh (script)
Naskh is a specific calligraphic style for writing in the Arabic alphabet, thought to be invented by the Iranian calligrapher Ibn Muqlah Shirazi . The root of this Arabic term means "to copy". It either refers to the fact that it replaced its predecessor, Kufic script, or that this style allows...
and riq’a
Ruq`ah script
or is a calligraphic variety of Arabic script. The style of handwriting is the most common type of handwriting. It is known for its clipped letters composed of short, straight lines and simple curves, as well as its straight and even lines of text. It was probably derived from the Thuluth and...
. After Mahmud II
Mahmud II
Mahmud II was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, the son of Sultan Abdulhamid I...
, they were only written in riq’a. Ahmed III
Ahmed III
Ahmed III was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of Sultan Mehmed IV . His mother was Mâh-Pâre Ummatullah Râbi'a Gül-Nûş Valide Sultan, originally named Evmania Voria, who was an ethnic Greek. He was born at Hajioglupazari, in Dobruja...
and Mahmud II
Mahmud II
Mahmud II was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, the son of Sultan Abdulhamid I...
were skilled penmen and their hatt-ı hümayuns are notable for their long and elaborate annotations on official documents. In contrast, Sultans who accessed the throne at an early age, such as Murad V
Murad V
Murad V was the 33rd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire who reigned from 30 May to 31 August 1876.He was born at Istanbul , Topkapı Palace. His father was Abdülmecid I...
and Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV Modern Turkish Mehmet was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1648 to 1687...
display poor spelling and calligraphy.
Archival
Hatt-ı hümayuns sent to the Grand Vizier were handled and recorded at the Âmedi Kalemi, the secretariat of the Grand Vizier. The Âmedi Kalemi organized and recorded all correspondence between the Grand Vizier and the Sultan, as well as correspondence with foreign rulers and with Ottoman ambassadors. Other hatt-ı hümayuns, not addressed to the Grand Vizier, were stored in other document stores (called fon in the terminology of current Turkish archivists).Cut-out hatt-ı hümayuns
During the creation of the State Archives in the 19th century, documents were organized according to their importance. Hatt-ı hümayuns on the white were considered the most important of the documents, along with those on international relations, border transactions and internal regulations. Documents of secondary importance were regularly placed in trunks and stored in cellars in need of repair. Presumably as a sign of respect toward the Sultan, hatt-ı hümayuns on documents (petitions, reports, etc.) were cut out and stored together with the hatt-ı hümayuns on the white, while the rest of the documents were stored elsewhere. These cut-out hatt-ı hümayuns were not cross-referenced with the documents they came from and were only annotated by the palace office in general terms and an approximate date. Because Sultans were not in the habit of dating their hatt-ı hümayuns (until the late period of the empire), in most cases the documents associated with them are not known. Conversely, the decisions on many a memorandum, petition, or request submitted to the Sultan are unknown. The separation of hatt-ı hümayuns from their documents is considered a great loss of information for researchers. The Ottoman ArchivesOttoman Archives
The Ottoman Archives is a collection of historical sources related to the Ottoman Empire. A total of 39 nations hold the collective information, including 19 in the Middle East, 11 in the EU and Balkan states, 3 in the Caucasus, 2 in Central Asia, Cyprus, as well as Israel and Turkey.The main...
has a special section of "cut-out hatt-ı hümayuns".
Catalogs
Today all hatt-ı hümayuns have been recorded in a computerized database in the Ottoman ArchivesOttoman Archives
The Ottoman Archives is a collection of historical sources related to the Ottoman Empire. A total of 39 nations hold the collective information, including 19 in the Middle East, 11 in the EU and Balkan states, 3 in the Caucasus, 2 in Central Asia, Cyprus, as well as Israel and Turkey.The main...
of the Turkish Prime Minister (Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivleri, or BOA in short) in Istanbul, and they number 95,134. Most hatt-ı hümayuns are stored at the BOA and in the Topkapı Museum Archive. The BOA contains 58,000 hatt-ı hümayuns.
Because the hatt-ı hümayuns were originally not organized systematically, historians in the 19th and early 20th century came up with several catalogs of hatt-ı hümayuns based on different organizing principles. These historic catalogs are still in use by historians at the BOA:
Hatt-ı Hümâyûn Tasnifi is the catalog of the hatt-ı hümayuns belonging to the Âmedi Kalemi. It consists of 31 volumes listing 62,312 documents, with their short summaries. This catalog lists documents from 1730 to 1839 but covers primarily those from the reigns of Selim III and Mahmud II within this period.
Ali Emiri Tasnifi is chronological catalog on 181,239 documents is organized according to the periods of sovereignty of Sultans, from the foundation of the Ottoman state to the Abdülmecid period. Along with hatt-ı hümayuns, it includes documents on foreign relations.
İbnülemin Tasnifi is a catalog created by a committee led by historian İbnülemin Mahmud Kemal. It covers the period of 1290-1873. Along with 329 hatt-ı hümayuns, it lists documents of various other types on palace correspondence, private correspondence, appointments, land grants (timar
Timar
Timar is a land granted by the Ottoman sultans between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, with a tax revenue annual value of less than 20 000 akçes. The revenues produced from land acted as compensation for military service. A Timar holder was known as a Timariot...
and zeamet
Zeamet
A Zeamet was the appellative given to a land in the timar system during the Ottoman Empire between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, that had a tax revenue with an annual value between 20 000 and 100,000 akçes. The revenues produced from the land acted as compensation for military services....
), charitable endowments (vakıf), etc.
Muallim Cevdet Tasnifi catalogs 216,572 documents in 34 volumes, organized by topics that include local governments, provincial administration, vakıf and internal security.
The Hatt-ı Hümâyun of 1856
Although there exist thousands of hatt-ı hümayuns, the Imperial Reform Edict (or Islâhat Fermânı) of 1856 is so well known as to be called simply "Hatt-i Hümayun" in most history texts. The decree from Sultan Abdülmecid I
Abdülmecid I
Sultan Abdülmecid I, Abdul Mejid I, Abd-ul-Mejid I or Abd Al-Majid I Ghazi was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on July 2, 1839. His reign was notable for the rise of nationalist movements within the empire's territories...
promised equality in education, government appointments, and administration of justice to all, regardless of creed. In Düstur, the Ottoman code of laws, the text of this ferman is introduced as "a copy of the supreme ferman written to the Grand Vizier, perfected by decoration above with a hatt-ı hümayun." So, technically this edict was a hatt-ı hümayun to the rank.
Another name used in some sources for the Reform Decree of 1856, is "The Rescript of Reform". Here, the word 'rescript' is used to sense of "edict, decree", not "reply to a query or other document."
The Hatt-ı Hümayun of 1856 was an extension of another important edict of reform, the Hatt-i Sharif of Gülhane
Hatt-i Sharif
The Hatt-i Sharif of Gülhane or Tanzimât Fermânı was an 1839 proclamation by Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I that launched the Tanzimât period of reforms and reorganization....
of 1839, and part of the Tanzimat
Tanzimat
The Tanzimât , meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimât reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against...
reforms. That document is also generally referred to as the Hatt-i Sharif, although there are many other hatt-i sharifs, a term that is synonymous with hatt-ı hümayun.
The Sultan's script
The term hatt-ı hümayun is occasionally used in the literal sense of the handwriting of the Sultan. For example, the imperial poet Nef'iNef'i
Nef'i was an Ottoman poet and satirist.-Biography:Nef'i entered military service as a quartermaster with Grand Vizier Kuyucu Murad Pasha during his suppression of the Jelali revolts in Anatolia in the early 17th century...
has written a masnavi
Masnavi (poetic form)
Masnavi, or mathnawī, is the name of a poem written in rhyming couplets, or more specifically, “a poem based on independent, internally rhyming lines”. Most mathnawī followed a meter of eleven, or occasionally ten, syllables, but had no limit in their length...
of 22 couplets describing the calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy, colloquially known as Perso-Arabic calligraphy, is the artistic practice of handwriting, or calligraphy, and by extension, of bookmaking, in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage. This art form is based on the Arabic script, which for a long time was used by all...
of Sultan Murad IV
Murad IV
Murad IV Ghazi was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods...
, called Der-Vasf-ı Hatt-ı Humayun-ı Sultan Murad Han. The whole poem is a compliment to the writings of the Sultan.