“Kings more than Men, Men less then Beasts”: a discussion of the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire in Fulke Greville’s Treatises

Year 2024, , 200 - 213, 31.05.2024

Seda Erkoç Yeni

https://doi.org/10.33709/ictimaiyat.1411822

Abstract

Fulke Greville (1554-1628), stood as a prominent figure in the realms of English statesmanship, courtly life, and poetry during the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods. Maintaining a consistent presence in the courts of Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I, Greville had a unique vantage point to observe the intricacies of courtly circles in early modern England. His sharp intellect and literary passion, coupled with his involvement in Elizabethan and Jacobean politics, elevated him to the status of one of the foremost philosopher-poets of his era. In Turkish scholarship, considerable attention has been given to Greville’s Mustapha (1610), which explores the touching theme of the execution of Şehzade Mustafa, at the command of his father Süleyman the Magnificent. While this work has been extensively discussed, Greville's treatises, offering insights into his political and philosophical perspectives on contentious issues of his time such as sovereignty, kingship, tyranny, and just rule, have not received comparable examination. Notably, his treatises Of Monarchy and Of Warres provide a comprehensive exposition of his thoughts on the rise and fall of the Ottoman state. This article, therefore aims to present a more nuanced exploration of Fulke Greville’s ideas concerning the Ottoman Empire, shedding light on his broader philosophical contributions beyond the well-discussed Mustapha. A close reading of his Treatises indicates that Greville's interest in the Ottoman State and its history was intertwined with his political stance on a pressing concern for the English court—the rivalry with Spain and the broader Catholic world.

Keywords

Fulke Greville, tyranny, just rule, Ottoman state, Anglo-Spanish rivalry

“İnsandan üstün Krallar, Hayvandan değersiz insanlar": Fulke Greville'in Risaleleri'nde Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun yükselişi ve çöküşüne dair bir tartışma

Abstract

Geç Elizabeth ve erken Jakoben dönemin önemli saray figürlerinden biri olan bürokrat ve şair Fulke Greville (1554-1628), I. Elizabeth, I. James ve I. Charles'ın saraylarında varlığını istikrarlı bir şekilde sürdürebilmiş nadir devlet adamlarındandı. Saraydaki uzun mevcudiyeti ve üstlendiği önemli görevler sayesinde erken modern İngiltere’sindeki saray çevrelerinin çatışmalarını gözlemleme şansı bulmuş olan Greville, deneyimlerini keskin zekâsı ve edebi tutkusu ile birleştirerek çağının önde gelen filozof-şairlerinden biri oldu. Türkçe literatürde, Şehzade Mustafa'nın babası Kanuni Sultan Süleyman'ın emriyle idam edilmesine odaklanan tragedyası Mustapha (1610) yoğun bir ilgi görmüş olsa da Greville'in egemenlik, krallık, tiranlık ve adil yönetim gibi zamanının tartışmalı meseleleri hakkındaki siyasi ve felsefi perspektiflerine dair iç görüler sunan risaleleri, detaylı bir incelemeye tabi tutulmamıştır. Özellikle Of Monarchy ve Of Warres risaleleri, Greville’in Osmanlı devletinin yükselişi ve çöküşü hakkındaki düşüncelerini kapsamlı bir şekilde ortaya koyan önemli çalışmalardır. Bu makale, Fulke Greville'in Osmanlı devlet sistemine ilişkin fikirlerinin detaylı bir incelemesini sunmayı ve onun çok tartışılmış olan Mustafa oyunun dışında kalan felsefi çıkarımlarına ışık tutmayı amaçlamaktadır. Risalelerin yakın okuması, Greville'in Osmanlı Devleti'ne ve onun tarihine olan ilgisinin, İngiliz sarayının daha ciddi bir meselesi olan İspanya ve Katolik dünyasıyla rekabet konusundaki siyasi duruşuyla yakından ilişkili olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Fulke Greville, tiranlık, meşru yönetim hakkı, Osmanlı devlet sistemi, İngiliz-İspanya rekabeti

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