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

Yıl 2019, Sayı: 6, 67 - 108, 21.12.2019

Murat Hanilçe

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

Destekleyen Kurum

Yok

Proje Numarası

Yok

Teşekkür

Yok

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-

Öz

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.

Anahtar Kelimeler

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

Proje Numarası

Yok

Kaynakça

• “General Sir James Edward Alexander Kt. C.B, K.C.L.S., &c.”, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. vol. 14 (1888): s. 170-174.
• “Obituary: General Sir James Edward Alexander, K. C. S. I., &c.”, Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 7, No. 5 (May, 1885), s. 343-344.
• Alexander, James Edward (1827). Travels from India to England: Comprehending a Visit to the Burman Empire, and a Journey through Persia, Asia Minor, European Turkey, &c. In the Years 1825-26. London: Parbury, Allen.
• Alexander, James Edward (1830). Travels to the Seat of War in the East, Through Russia and the Crimea, in 1829; With Sketches of the Imperial Fleet and Army, Personal Adventures, and Characteristic Anecdotes. London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley.
• Alexander, James Edward (1833a). Transatlantic Sketches, Comprising Visits to the Most Interesting Scenes in North and South America and the West Indies, with Notes on Negro Slavery and Canadian Emigration, 2 vols., London: Richard Bentley.
• Alexander, James Edward (1833b). Transatlantic Sketches, Comprising Visits to the Most Interesting Scenes in North and South America, and the West Indies. With Notes on Negro Slavery and Canadian Emigration. Philadelphia: Key and Biddle.
• Alexander, James Edward (1833b). Transatlantic Sketches, Comprising Visits to the Most Interesting Scenes in North and South America, and the West Indies. With Notes on Negro Slavery and Canadian Emigration. 2 vols., New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Alexander, James Edward (1835). Sketches in Portugal During the Civil War of 1834 The Present State and Future Prospects of Portugal. London: J. Cochrane & Co.
• Alexander, James Edward (1837). Narrative of a Voyage of Observation among the Colonies of Western Africa, in the Flag-Ship Thalia; and of a Campaign in Kaffir-Land, on the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief in 1835. 2 vols. London: Henry Colburn.
• Alexander, James Edward (1838). Expedition of Discovery into the interior of Africa: Through the Hitherto Undescribed Countries of the Great Namaquas, Boschmans, and Hill Damaras, Performed under the Auspices of Her Majesty's Government and the Royal Geographic Society. 2 vols. London: Henry Colburn.
• Alexander, James Edward (1839-1840). Life of Field Marshal, His Grace the Duke of Wellington: Embracing His Civil, Military, and Political Career to the Present Time. 2 vols. London: Henry Colbourn.
• Alexander, James Edward (1849). L’Acadie or Seven Years’ Explorations in British America. 2 vols. London: Henry Colburn.
• Alexander, James Edward (1857). Passages in the Life of a Soldier, or, Military Service in the East and West. 2 vols. London: Hurst & Blackett.
• Alexander, James Edward (1860). Salmon-Fishing in Canada by a Resident. London and Montreal: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts.
• Alexander, James Edward (1863a). Incidents of the Last Maori-War in New Zealand in 1860-1861. London: Richard Bentley.
• Alexander, James Edward (1863b). The Albatross: Record of Voyage of the “Great Britain” Steam Ship from Victoria to England in 1862. Stirling: C. Rogers & Co.
• Alexander, James Edward (1873). Bush Fighting Illustrated By Remarkable Actions and Incidents of The Maori War in New Zealand. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Low & Searle.
• Alexander, James Edward (1879). Cleopatra’s Needle, the Obelisk of Alexandria; its Acquisition and Removal to England. London: Chatto&Windus.
• Burke, Bernard (1879). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of The Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, vol.1, 6th ed. London: Harrison.
• Dod, Robert P. (1854). The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Whittaker and Co.
• Gündoğdu, Hamza (1991). “Aşkale Yakınlarında Karasu (Aşveyishan) Hanı”. Vakıflar Dergisi. S. 22, s. 289-300.
• Halaçoğlu, Yusuf (2002). Osmanlılarda Ulaşım ve Haberleşme (Menziller). Ankara: PTT Genel Müdürlüğü Yayını.
• Mehmed Süreyya (1996). Sicill-i Osmani. C. 2. (Yay. Haz. Nuri Akbayar). İstanbul: Tarih Vakfı Yurt Yayını.
• Mirza Şeyh İ‘sâmuddin (1827). Shigurf namah i velaët, or, Excellent intelligence concerning Europe: being the travels of Mirza Itesa Modeen, in Great Britain and France / translated from the original Persian manuscript into Hindoostanee, with an English version and notes. (Çev. James Edward Alexander). London: Parbury, Allen.
• Mirza Şeyh İ‘sâmuddin (2002). The Wonders of Vilayet. (Çev. Keiser Haq). Leeds: Peepal Tree Press. The Court Journal (From January to December 1833). C. and W. Reynell, London 1833, s. 332-333.
• Trivedi, Harish (2003). “The First Indian in Britain or The Wonders of Vilayet” Indian Literature. Vol. 47, No. 6 (218) (Nov-Dec 2003), s. 169-177.
• Waterston C. D.-A. Macmillan Shearer (2006). Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1783-2002) Biographical Index Part One. Edinburgh: The Royal Society of Edinburgh.