TRAVELING FROM ERZURUM TO ISTANBUL IN THE FALL OF 1826 -THE LIFE OF THE BRITISH SOLDIER JAMES EDWARD ALEXANDER AND HIS JOURNEY FROM ERZURUM TO ISTANBUL-

Abstract

Young British officer James Edward Alexander left from Iran in the autumn of 1826 after completing his first military mission in Burma and India and working short time as an attache under British Ambassador Macdonald Kinneir in Iran. He reached Erzurum on 2 October. After spending the night here, he made a journey that started on 3 October and ended on 16 October in Istanbul. Alexander who stayed in Istanbul for 4 days, by leaving here on 20 October and continued his journey through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany and France and completed his journey in London on 26 December 1826. When he arrived in his country, he wrote a book titled Travels From India to England which describes both his military experiences in Burma, India and Iran and his return to Britain. This was also the first writing experience of the soldier, who had owned 14 works composing many volumes throughout his life. The author, who would later ascend to the rank of General in the British Army, also served as a member of the Royal Geographical Society and as an explorer, on behalf of his country. The author also witnessed the Ottoman Russian War of 1828-1829 and the Crimean Wars. Apart from this first book, it is also possible to see the observations and notes of the Ottoman Empire in his other works. During his eighty-two-year life, he has held various posts on the continents of America and Oceania, as well as in Europe and Asia. He was involved in many important wars and discoveries on behalf of Britain. His works, including events and travels in his life, are a first hand source for his period.

In the first part of this study, a biography of the life and works of British soldier, traveler and author James Edward Alexander, who made observations about Ottoman history in the first half of the 19^th century, is included. So, a biography of Briton who has at least important works of Ottoman history and did not exist in Turkey was written as the first. In this regard, the British literature about the author has been searched. Secondly, the travel notes of the author between Erzurum and Istanbul were evaluated. Thus, it is intended to be a modest contribution to the introducing of foreign, especially western travelers to illuminate the history of Turkey.

Keywords

• James Edward Alexander,Britain,Turkey,traveller,Erzurum,Istanbul

1826 SONBAHARINDA ERZURUM’DAN ISTANBUL’A SEYAHAT-BRİTANYALI ASKER JAMES EDWARD ALEXANDER: HAYATI VE ERZURUM’DAN İSTANBUL’A YOLCULUĞU-

Öz

Britanyalı genç subay James Edward Alexander Birmanya ve Hindistan’daki ilk askerî görevini tamamlayıp kısa süre İran’da Britanya Büyükelçisi Mac Donald Kinneir’in yanında ateşe olarak çalıştıktan sonra 1826 Sonbaharında İran’dan ayrılıp ülkesine doğru yola çıktı. 2 Ekim’de Erzurum’a ulaştı. Burada geceledikten sonra 3 Ekim’de başlayıp 16 Ekim’de İstanbul’da son bulacak bir yolculuk gerçekleştirdi. İstanbul’da 4 gün kalan Alexander, 20 Ekim’de buradan ayrılarak Bulgaristan, Romanya, Macaristan, Avusturya, Almanya ve Fransa üzerinden ülkesine doğru yolculuğuna devam etti ve 26 Aralık 1826’da Londra’da yolculuğunu tamamladı. Ülkesine vardığında hem Birmanya, Hindistan ve İran’daki askeri deneyimlerini hem de Britanya’ya dönüş yolunu anlatan Travels From India to England başlığını taşıyan eserini yazdı. Bu, aynı zamanda hayatı boyunca çok sayıda ciltten oluşan 14 eserin sahibi olan askerin ilk yazarlık deneyimiydi. Daha sonra Britanya Ordusu’nda Orgenerallik rütbesine kadar yükselecek olan yazar, aynı zamanda Kraliyet Coğrafya Kurumu üyesi ve bir kâşif olarak da ülkesi adına önemli hizmetlerde bulundu. Yazar, 1828-1829 Osmanlı Rus Savaşı ile Kırım Savaşlarına da tanıklık etti. Bu ilk kitabı dışında başka eserlerinde de Osmanlı Devleti’ne at gözlem ve notlarına rastlamak mümkündür. Yazar, seksen iki senelik yaşamı boyunca Avrupa ve Asya kıtası dışında Amerika ve Okyanusya gibi kıtalarda çeşitli görevlerde bulundu. Britanya adına birçok önemli savaş ve keşfin içerisinde bulundu. İçerisinde yer aldığı olayları ve seyahatleri içeren eserleri dönemi için birinci elden kaynak niteliği taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmada ilk olarak, XIX. yüzyılın ilk yarısında Osmanlı tarihiyle ilgili gözlemleri de olan Britanyalı asker, seyyah ve yazar James Edward Alexander’in hayatı ve eserlerinden kesitlerin bulunduğu bir biyografiye yer verilmiştir. Böylece, en azından Osmanlı tarihiyle ilgili önemli eserleri olan Britanyalının Türkiye’de bulunmayan bir biyografisi ilk olarak kaleme alınmıştır. Bu konuda, yazar hakkında Britanya’daki literatür taranmıştır. İkinci olarak yazarın Erzurum-İstanbul arasındaki gezi notları değerlendirilmiştir. Böylece Türkiye tarihinin aydınlatılmasında yabancı, bilhassa batılı, seyyahların tanıtımına mütevazı bir katkı sunulması düşünülmüştür.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Alexander,Britanya,Türkiye,Seyyah,Erzurum

Kaynakça

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