SULTAN II. ABDÜLHAMİD’İN HAYVAN MERAKI: YILDIZ SARAYI’NDA KUŞLUK-I HÜMÂYÛN TEŞKİLATI

Yıl 2018, Sayı: 68, 57 - 100, 02.12.2018

Diren Çakılcı

Öz

DOI: 10.26650/TurkJHist.2018.18013

1876 yılında tahta geçen Sultan II.
Abdülhamid, çeşitli sebeplerden dolayı Yıldız’da ikamet etmeyi tercih etmişti.
Yıldız Sarayı bahçelerinde, muhtelif yerlerde oluşturulan kafes, kümes ve
ağıllarda birçok türden oldukça fazla sayıda hayvan bulundurulmuştur. II.
Abdülhamid dönemini konu alan pek çok hatıratta sıkça karşılaşılan, Sultanın
hayvanlar konusundaki ilgisi, onun zoolojiye olan merakına vurgu yapsa da bu
durumun Osmanlı arşiv belgelerindeki yansımaları II. Abdülhamid’in hayvan
yetiştiriciliğine dair faaliyetlerinin sade bir meraktan ziyade birçok yönüne
işaret etmektedir. Çalışmada, II. Abdülhamid döneminde Yıldız’da inşa edilen,
kuşhane başta olmak üzere, arslanhane, ceylanhane, geyikhane, sülünlük, koyun
ağılı ve diğer hayvan bakım yerlerine temas edilecektir. Yıldız Sarayı
kayıtları ve Hazine-i Hassa defterleri arasında bulunan, söz konusu hayvanların
çeşit ve miktarları, hayvan bakıcılarının görev, maaş ve sayıları ele alınarak
II. Abdülhamid’in bu konudaki faaliyetleri somut rakamlarla ortaya konacaktır.
Bu çerçevede, oluşturulan Kuşluk-ı Hümâyûn’un teşkilat yapısı ve
gelir-giderlerine ait rakamlar değerlendirilecektir. II. Abdülhamid’in şahsi merakı
ve sergi amacıyla dünyanın muhtelif bölgelerinden getirttiği birçok türdeki
hayvan yanında, adeta bir çiftlik işletmesi vasfını kazandıran pek çok türden
hayvanın farklı maksatlarla kullanıldığı açıktır. II. Abdülhamid’in 33 yıllık
iktidarı boyunca büyük emeklerle elde ettiği bu konudaki birikim, 1909’da
sahipsiz kalmış, maalesef yok olmaya mahkûm edilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

II. Abdülhamid, Yıldız Sarayı, Zooloji, Kuşluk-ı Hümâyûn, Hayvan Yetiştiriciliği

SULTAN ABDULHAMID II’S PASSION FOR ANIMALS: KUSLUK-I HÜMÂYÛN IN YILDIZ PALACE

Öz

DOI: 10.26650/TurkJHist.2018.18013

Sultan Abdulhamid II who ascended the
throne in 1876, preferred to stay in Yıldız Palace. Many species of animals
have been housed in many kinds of cages and poultry in various places of the
Yıldız Palace gardens. In the memoir books about the period of Abdulhamid II,
Sultan's interest in animals is mentioned and they emphasize the zoological
nature of this curiosity. Reflections of this situation on Ottoman archival
documents point to many aspects of Abdulhamid II's activities related to animal
raising. In this study, kushane, arslanhane, ceylanhane, geyikhane, sulunluk,
barn and other animal places built in Yıldız during Abdulhamid II period are
mentioned. Based on the Yıldız Palace records and Hazine-i Hassa registrations,
the kinds and number of animals, duties, salaries and numbers of zookeepers are
revealed. So, the activities of Abdulhamid II regarding this issue are put
forward along with concrete evidence. The organizational structure and
income-expenditure data is evaluated. Besides the many species of animals that
Abdulhamid II brought from various parts of the world both to satisfy his
personal curiosity and to exhibit them, it is clear that many species of
animals that gave the place a quality of the farmhouse establishment in Yıldız
were used for different purposes. This fund which Abdulhamid II brought
together with great effort during his reign of thirty-three years became
unclaimed in 1909 and unfortunately it has been condemned to disappear.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Abdulhamid II, Yıldız Palace, Zoology, Kuşluk-ı Hümâyûn, Animal Raising

Kaynakça

• Arşiv Evrakı Başkanlık Osmanlı Arşivi (BOA) Bab-ı Ali Evrak Odası (BEO.) Dahiliye, Muhaberat-ı Umumiye İdaresi (DH.MUI.) Hariciye Nezareti, Londra Sefareti (HR.SFR.(3).) Hazine-i Hassa Defterleri (HH.d) İrade Tasnifi Dosya Usulü (İ.DUİT.) Maliye (İ.ML.) Plan-Proje-Kroki, Plan-Projeler (PLK.p.) Sadaret, Mektubi Mühimme Kalemi (A.MKT.MHM.) Yıldız Tasnifi Esas Evrakı (Y.EE.) Esas Evrakı Defterleri (Y.EE.d.) Mütenevvi Maruzat (Y.MTV.) Perakende Evrakı, Arzuhal Jurnal (Y.PRK.AZJ.) Perakende Evrakı, Askeri Maruzat (Y.PRK.ASK.) Perakende Evrakı, Başkitabet Maruzatı (Y.PRK.BŞK.) Perakende Evrakı, Elçilik, Şehbenderlik ve Ataşemiliterlik (Y.PRK.EŞA.) Perakende Evrakı, Hariciye Nezareti Maruzatı (Y.PRK.HR.) Perakende Evrakı, Hazine-i Hassa (Y.PRK.HH.) Perakende Evrakı, Mabeyn Cetvelleri (Y.PRK.MBC.) Perakende Evrakı, Mabeyn Erkanı ve Saray Görevlileri Maruzatı (Y.PRK.SGE.) Perakende Evrakı, Müfettişlikler ve Komiserlikler Maruzatı (Y.PRK.MK.) Perakende Evrakı, Serkurenalık Evrakı (Y.PRK.SRN.) Perakende Evrakı, Tahrirat-ı Ecnebiyye ve Mabeyn Mütercimliği (Y.PRK.TKM.) Perakende Evrakı, Teşrifat-ı Umumiye Dairesi (Y.PRK.TŞF.) Perakende Evrakı, Umumi (Y.PRK.UM.) Perakende Evrakı, Yaveran ve Maiyyet-i Seniyye Evrakı (Y.PRK.MYD.) Perakende Evrakı, Zabtiye Nezareti Maruzatı (Y.PRK.ZB.) Fotoğraf Albümleri İstanbul Üniversitesi Nadir Eserler Kütüphanesi, Yıldız Fotoğraf Albümleri: 779-74; 90552; 90846. Araştırma Eserleri Acaralp, Yasemin, “Yıldız Sarayı ve Yıldız Kasrı Bahçeleri”, Milli Saraylar, sayı 11 (2013), s. 213-223. Batur, Afife, “Yıldız Sarayı”, Devr-i Hamid-Sultan II. Abdülhamid, Kayseri 2011, s. 129-151. Bilgin, Bülent, “Yıldız Sarayı”, DİA, c. XLIII, 2013, s. 541-544. Çakılcı, Diren, “Hindistan’da Osmanlılar: Bombay Osmanlı Şehbenderliği”, Türkiyat Mecmuası, c. XXV/Güz (2015), s. 81-106. Dikici, Süleyman, “Bu Hayvanlar Çok Farklı”, Uzakları Görebilen Hükümdar Sultan İkinci Abdülhamid Han, I, Hamidiye Yay., İstanbul 2015, s. 173-176. Engin, Vahdettin, Bir Devrin Son Sultanı II. Abdülhamid, Yeditepe Yay., İstanbul 2017. __________, Sultan Abdülhamid ve İstanbul’u, Simurg Yay., İstanbul 2001. Esenbel, Selçuk, “Of Birds and Diplomacy: Royal Gifts to Abdülhamid II”, Animals and People in the Ottoman Empire, ed. Suraiya Faroqhi, Eren Yay., İstanbul 2010, s. 287-292. Gözeller, Ali, “Yıldız Sarayı Tamirhâne-i Hümâyûnu”, Milli Saraylar, sayı 15 (2016), s. 79-95. Günergun, Feza, “Türkiye’de Hayvanat Bahçeleri Tarihine Giriş”, I. Ulusal Veteriner Hekimliği Tarihi ve Mesleki Etik Sempozyumu Bildirileri, ed. Abdullah Özen, Elazığ 2006, s. 185-218. Hızlı, Kasım, “Sultan Abdülhamid’in Polisiye Merakı ve Avrupa’dan Getirttiği Polis Köpekleri”, 1453 İstanbul Kültür ve Sanat Dergisi, sayı 27 (2017), s. 115-126. İlgürel, Sevim, “Yıldız Köşkü”, İA, c. XIII, İstanbul 1986, s. 423-428. Kocahanoğlu, Osman Selim, 31 Mart Ayaklanması ve Sultan Abdülhamid, Temel Yay., İstanbul 2009. Küçük, Cevdet, “II. Abdülhamid’in Beylerbeyi Günleri”, Uluslararası Üsküdar Sempozyumu VI, Bildiriler, İstanbul 2009, c. II, s. 117-144. Orha, Zafer, “Saraylı Hayvanlar”, 1453 İstanbul Kültür ve Sanat Dergisi, sayı 27 (2017), s. 23-28. Ortaylı, İlber, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Alman Nüfuzu, Timaş Yay., İstanbul 201011. Osman Nuri, Yıldız Sarayı, haz. Sabahattin Türkoğlu, Yıldız Sarayı Vakfı Yay., İstanbul 1998. Osmanoğlu, Ayşe, Babam Sultan Abdülhamid, Timaş Yay., İstanbul 201812. Osmanoğlu, Şadiye, Babam Abdülhamid, Saray ve Sürgün Yılları, Timaş Yay., İstanbul 20123. Sunar, Mehmet Mert, “Osmanlı Devleti’nde Arslanhane”, Toplumsal Tarih, sayı 292 (Nisan 2018), s. 36-41. Tahsin Paşa, Sultan Abdülhamid, Boğaziçi Yay., İstanbul 1999. Terzi T., Arzu, Hazine-i Hassa Nezareti, TTK Yay., Ankara 2000. Terzi, Arzu, “XIX. Yüzyılın Sonlarında Ebniye-i Seniyye İdaresi (Görevleri ve Teşkilatı)”, Tarih Enstitüsü Dergisi, S. 16, 1998, s. 109-119. __________, “Osmanlı Saray Eczanesinin Teşkilat ve İdaresi (XIX. Yüzyılın İkinci Yarısında)”, Osmanlı Bilimi Araştırmaları, XI/1-2 (2009-2010), s. 49-64. Türkmen, Zekeriya, “31 Mart Olayı’ndan Sonra Yıldız Evrakı Tedkik Komisyonu’nun Kuruluşu, Faaliyetleri ve Yıldız Sarayı’nın Araştırılması”, XIII. Türk Tarih Kongresi Kongreye Sunulan Bildiriler, Ankara 2002, s. 559-577. Uşaklıgil, Halit Ziya, Saray ve Ötesi, c. I, Hilmi Kitabevi, İstanbul 1940. Uzunçarşılı, İsmail Hakkı, Osmanlı Devleti’nin Saray Teşkilatı, TTK Yay., Ankara 1988. Yurdakul, İlhami, “II. Abdülhamid ile Habeşistan İmparatoru’nun Hediyeleri”, Hediye Kitabı, Kitabevi Yay., İstanbul 2007, s. 83-94. Yücel, İhsan, “Yıldız Sarayı Istabl-ı Âmire-i Ferhan Binaları’nın Restorasyonu ve Yeniden Yapılanmaları”, Milli Saraylar 1994/1995, İstanbul 1996, s. 136-147. Ziya Şakir, Sultan Hamid’in Son Günleri, Akıl Fikir Yay., İstanbul 2011. “Yıldız Sarayı Vaziyet Planı”, Belgelerle Yıldız Sarayı Rehberi, yıl 1 sayı 1, 1982.
• Extended Abstract Sultan Abdulhamid II who ascended the throne in 1876, preferred to stay in Yıldız because of various reasons. Sultan transformed the pavilions and mansions that existed in Yıldız into a palace complex, where he collected a large collection of botany and zoology in the gardens he created. Many species of animals have been housed in many kinds of cages and poultry in various places of the Yıldız Palace gardens where landscaping has been completed with plant species provided by different parts of the world and garden elements such as pools, bridges, glazes, greenhouses and arbores. Diversified living creatures whose care and administration were provided by animal and plant hospitals established within the palace was at a level that could compete with the examples in Europe and Russia. In the memoir books about the period of Abdulhamid II, Sultan’s interest in animals is mentioned and they emphasize the zoological nature of this curiosity. Reflections of this situation on Ottoman archival documents point to many aspects of Abdulhamid II’s activities related to animal raising. In this study, kushane, arslanhane, ceylanhane, geyikhane, sulunluk, barn and other animal places built in Yıldız during Abdulhamid II period are mentioned. Based on the Yıldız Palace records and Hazine-i Hassa registrations, the kinds and number of animals, duties, salaries and numbers of zookeepers are revealed. So, the activities of Abdulhamid II regarding this issue are put forward along with concrete evidence. The organizational structure and income-expenditure data is evaluated. Besides the many species of animals that Abdulhamid II brought from various parts of the world both to satisfy his personal curiosity and to exhibit them, it is clear that many species of animals that gave the place a quality of the farmhouse establishment in Yıldız were used for different purposes. For example, food of animal origin of the palace was supplied from this garden. Apart from the hobby side and the economical business activity of animal raising in palace gardens, it is also clear that it had a place in the political and cultural politics of the Sultan. Activities such as rare species sent to heads of state as gifts, establishment of relations with foreign institutions such as zoological gardens, contact with foreign zoologists and veterinarians, sharing the experience gained in the palace garden over the whole country, the accumulation of materials in the field of zoology support this idea. Abdulhamid II had obtained an accumulation of knowledge during this activity. He also had attempts to apply this experience and knowledge in different areas of the state affairs or to carry into effect different ideas. It can be said as a result of his interest in pigeons that he revived the practice of the Messenger pigeon. He made researches conducted on the use of dogs, in which he was interested in later, in health care, warfare, and the police force and also wanted sources to be examined. Besides, Abdulhamid II had also a museum collection of rare species of plants and animals. In this sense, he had the birds and other animals, which he wanted to be included in his collection, embalmed in eczâhâne-i hümâyûn. The latest example to show Abdulhamid II’s ultimate engagement in animals is his order given to the doctors in the palace for an artificial leg for a canary with a broken leg in the harem-i hümâyûn bird house. It was thought upon the doctor’s suggestion that an artificial leg made of platin string in tamirhâne-i hümâyûn or a leg of an embalmed canary in the museum might be transplanted. Although we do not have any information about the results of such forward looking ideas, these are important notions to show us the level of such people who are engaged in the animals in the Yıldız Palace. When the total number of numerous animals which were brought from various places and raised in the Yıldız Palace is calculated in, the number of poultries regarding the first years is around 3,000. The numbers grew apace in the following years of Abdulhamid II’s reign. According to a list, thought to belong to 1881, while the number of animals in the Yıldız Palace is 3.092, the number is 949 in other bird houses, apart from those in the palace. Moreover, it is seen according to a detailed register book of 1887 that the number of animals in Yıldız raised to 4.543 and the total number in Beşiktaş, Beylerbeyi, Ayazağa and Kağıthane bird houses became 2.128. With regard to this, %70 of the 6.671 kuşluk-ı hümâyûnlar animals were in Yıldız. This rate marks the balance between the bird houses as it is very close to the rate of bird house care takers Abdulhamid II, who was a very decent farm operator as a Şehzade as well, used the opportunity of generating an income from the animals in kuşluk-ı hümâyûn. Milk collected from cows, buffalos, sheeps and goats in Yıldız Palace and other barns was utilized in this regard and met the need for butter, yogurt, slip and raw milk. On the other hand, excess products were sold to be used in the kitchens of different institutions. In 1896, butter machines were brought from London and installed in the garden of the palace. Again, from London, egg incubators were imported, and Padishah established a factory for the production of hen, chicken and other poultries. He also made it possible to meet the need for red meat as well well white meat and egg within the palace. Because, it would be very expensive to establish and economy depending on external sources to subsidize thousands of people in Yıldız’s harem, mâbeyn, quarter and other units. In this context, it is understood that animal raising in the Yıldız operated like a farm establishment within the body of Hazine-i Hassa. Compared to sultan’s early years in the throne, diversity of the Yıldız bird houses and the number of activities there in his last years were astonishing. However, after Abdulhamid II’s sudden disenthrone, his beloved gardens’ abundance which accumulated in thirty-three years rapidly declined beginning in the summer of 1909. The gardens as well as the palace itself was pillaged and only one animal, which was a white cotton cat, out of thousands could be send to Thessaloniki where padishah stayed. Abdulhamid II’s top occupation was the animals during his exile and prison life in Beylerbeyi. He tried to forget the tired and painful life which he left behind through his best memories. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that Sultan Abdulhamid II’s all these activities within the Yıldız Palace cannot be defined solely as the actions of hobby and entertainment of a ruler who preferred an isolated life within the walls of the palace. Thus, these activities carried out within the body of kuşluk-ı hümayun reveal the existence of an organized palace establishment which had socio-cultural, financial and political aspects.