Bir Osmanlı entelektüeli Hamid Vehbi  ve Medrese-i Fünûn Dergisi
Hamid Vehbi, an  ottoman intellectual and a review of his  Medrese-i Funûn
Yazar: MUSTAFA ÇIRPAN
Danışman: PROF. DR. TUNCAY ZORLU
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü / Bilim ve Teknoloji Tarihi Ana Bilim Dalı / Bilim ve Teknoloji Tarihi Bilim Dalı
Derece: Yüksek Lisans, 2023
Konu: Bilim ve Teknoloji = Science and Technology
Dizin: Bilim tarihi = History of science ; Düşünce tarihi = Thought history ; Osmanlı tarihi = Ottoman history

Özet:
Osmanlının  art  arda  yaşadığı  askeri  yenilgiler,  askeri  olduğu  kadar  bilim  ve  teknoloji konusunda  da Osmanlının  Avrupalı  çağdaşlarının katettiği  ilerlemelerin  çok  gerisinde kaldığını  ispat  etmiştir.  Aradaki  farkı  gören  ve  kabul  eden  Osmanlılar  başta  askeri alanda  olmak  üzere  bilimsel  ve  teknik  reformlara  imza  atmış,  bu  reformlar  19.  yüzyıla gelindiğinde  i vme  ve  süreklilik  kazanmıştır.  Osmanlının  bilimsel  gelişmelere  adapte olması  kapsamlı  ve  çok  yönlü  bir  süreç  olup  bu  süreçte  başta  eğitim  olmak  üzere  çeşitli modern  kurumlar  ortaya  çıkmıştır.    Bu  dönemde  kurulan  modern  okullar,  diğer kurumlar  ve  yayınlar  d evletin  bu  yüzyılda  geçirdiği  değişim  ve  dönüşümün  en  belirgin örneklerini  oluşturmaktadır. . Osmanlı'da bilimsel  gelişmeler  neticesinde  ortaya  çıkan  bu  modern  eğitim  kurumlarını bu  kurumların  müfredatlarına  kaynak  ihtiyacı,  encümenler,  bilimsel  cemiyetler;  bu cemiyetlerin  yayın  organlarını  ise  bilimsel  dergilerin  ortaya  çıkışı  ve  yaygınlaşması tak ip etmiştir . 19.  yüzyılda  çıkarılan  bilim  dergilerinden  biri  olan  Hamid  Vehbi'nin  Medresei  Fünûn adlı  dergisi,  Osmanlı  dünyasında  yayınlanmış  diğer  bilim  dergilerinde  olduğu  gibi yalnız  döneminin  bilimsel  gelişmeleri  ve  yayınları  değil  dönemin  üzerinde  görece  az durul muş  birtakım  koşullarını  yansıtması  açısından  da  tarih  çalışmaları  içerisinde oldukça  kıymetli  bir  yere  sahiptir.  Bunlar  aynı  zamanda;  dönemin,  özellikle  de  19. yüzyılın  ikinci  yarısının  oluşturduğu  Osmanlı  entelektüelliği  ve  Osmanlı  bilim  ve düşünce  tarihinin  daha  iyi  anlaşılması  açısından  büyük  önem  arz  etmektedir.  Bu çalışma,  Medrese i  Fünûn  dergisi  ve  Hamid  Vehbi  üzerine  yoğunlaşarak  literatürdeki bu  boşluğu  doldurmak  ve  Osmanlı  tarihinin  diğer  dallarına  nazaran  geri  planda  kalmış olan  Osmanlı  bilim  ve düşünce  tarihi  alanındaki  literatüre  daha  fazla  çalışma kazandırılması  için  bir  adım  atmayı  amaçlamaktadır.    19.  yüzyılın  ikinci  yarısında çıkarılmış  olan  Medresei Fünûn  dergis7i  ve  dergiyi  çıkaran  İstanbullu  Hamid Vehbi'nin  bir  Osmanlı  entelektüeli  olarak incelemesini  yaparak  kısa  yayın  hayatıyla görece  arka  planda  kalmış  olan  Medrese kazandırılmasını  amaçlanmaktadır

Abstract:
The  continious military  defeats  of  the  Ottoman  Empire  proved  that  the  Empire  lagged far  behind  the  advances  made  by  its  European  contemporaries  in  science  and technology  as  well  as  in  the  military.  The  Ottomans,  who  saw  and  accepted  the difference,  undertook  scientific and  technical  reforms,  especially  in  the  military  field, and these  reforms gained  momentum  and continuity throughout the  19th century. The Ottoman's  adaptation  to  scientific  developments  was  a  comprehensive  and  versatile process, and various modern institu tions, especially education, emerged in this era. The  modern  schools,  institutions,  and  publications  established  in  this  period  are  the most  prominent  examples  of  the  change  and  transformation  that  the  state  has undergone  in this century. These  modern  educational  institutions  that  emerged  as  a  result  of  the  reforms  in  the Ottoman  Empire,  the  need  for  resources  for  the  curriculum  of  these  institutions, committees,  scientific  societies,  the  publications  of  these  societies  were  followed  by the emergence  and spread of scientific  journals in  the Empire. When  we  look  at  scientific  production  and  publications,  there  are  two  main outcomes that  could  be  concluded:  The  development  of  scientific  thought  and  journalism  in  the Ottoman  Empire.  When  one  looks  at  the  history  of  the  development  of  scientific thought, committees  and  scientific  societies  stand  out  to  be  compared  with  the examples  in  England  or  France.  Unfortunately,  these  communities  in  the  Empire  could not  long  last,  and  it  can  be  indicated  that  these  communities  functioned  as  hobby  clubs where  scienti fic  conversations  were  held  rather  than  places  for  new  scientific discoveries  like  its  Euroepan  counterparts,  partly  because  of  the  profiles  of intellectuals  and  partly  due  to  the  immaturity  of  adequate  conditions.  Some  of  these scientific  societies  aimed to  inform  and  educate  the  public  about  new  and  modern scientific  methods through public  lectures and publications. Since  the  process  of  increasing  and  institutionalizing  scientific  production  was  mostly carried out by the  state, it  is seen that the Ottoman  intellectual identity that  dominated the  19th  century  was  also  shaped  by  civil  servants  and  teachers  who  gave  educ newly established modern institutions. ation  in On  the  other  hand  looking  at  the  emergence  and  development  of  scientific  publications and  journals,  similar  inexperience  and  innovations  are  striking.  Newspapers,  whose political  and  social  benefits  were  recognized  by  Mahmud  II,  could  not  be  separated from magazines  in  terms  of  their  features  and  functions  for  a  while.  However,  later, especially  from  the  1860s,  Ottoman  journalism  and  scientific  journals  gained  great momentum.  II.  When  it  comes  to  the  period  of  Abdulhamid,  it  is  necessary  to  evaluate the Ott oman science  journals in two different ways. First of all, in this period, science journals,  like  modern  educational  institutions,  developed  rapidly,  their  number  and publication  life  increased,  and  moreover,  they  managed  to  reach  much  more widespread  audi ences.  In  addition,  it  should  not  be  ignored  that  it  has  reached  a  certain maturity  thanks  to  the  accumulation  that  has  been  increasing  since  the  Tanzimat.  Apart from  that,  II.  The  press  control  and  censorship  policies  of  the  Abdülhamid  era  also significantly  influenced  perhaps  shaped,  scientific  periodicals.  On  the  other  hand,  in the  1880s,  when  the  censorship  reached  its  peak,  the  leading  Ottoman  intellectuals  an d currents  of  thought,  which  dominated  education  and  therefore  scientific  publications, also showed their  effects in scientific  journals. Hamid  Vehbi's  intellectual  identity  and  the  content  of  the  MedreseI  Fünûn  should  be examined  within  this  context.  The  study  aimed  to  discuss  how  and  to  what  extent  the currents  of  thought  that  influenced  the  Abdülhamid  period,  the  widespread  use  of  mass m edia  and  journals,  the  dominant  intellectual  identities  and  of  course  the  political conjuncture  affected  scientific  publications.  When  all  these  sources  are  examined together,  it  can  be  indicated  that  Hamid  Vehbi  is  first  and  foremost  a  civil  servant.  The identity  of  a  civil  servant  has  never  been  separated  from  the  identity  of  intellectual  and scientific  journalism  and  has  directly  shaped  this  identity.  It  is  seen  that  he  continued his  civil  service  life  until  his  last  days,  from  Sinai,  where  he  took  his  f irst  step  in broadcasting  life.  It  can  also  be  said  that  the  motivation  of  educating  and  informing the  public  from  Sinai  is  also  seen  in  the  content  and  style  of  the  Medresei  Fünûn magazine.  The  fact  that  the  Medresei  Fünûn  journal  did  not  deepen  in  a  ce rtain  field can  be  explained  not  only  by  Hamid  Vehbi's  lack  of  scientific  expertise  and  his  civil service,  but  also  by  the  versatility  and  lack  of  deepening  in  a  certain  field,  which dominates  most  of  the  scientific  journals  of  the  period.  Although  most  of the  Medresei  Fünûn  journal  is  a  kind  of  translation  or  adaptation  of  foreign  articles,  its  notes  and its  own  interpretations  show  the  effects  of  movements  such  as  orientalism,  social Darwinism,  and  biological  materialism  that  dominated  the  intellectual  l ife  of  the period.  Moreover,  as  mentioned  before,  it  is  possible  to  talk  about  not  only  the existence  of  these  movements,  but  also  the  influence  of  Hamid  Vehbi,  who  was  an Ottoman  intellectual,  on  the  world  of  ideas.  The  journal,  which  touches  on  various s ubjects  from  history  to  philosophy,  from  medicine  to  statistics,  also  carries encyclopedist  traces  in  terms  of  versatility  and  educativeness.  Although  the publication  life  of  Ottoman  science  journals  increased  gradually,  it  is  not  surprising that the Medre sei Fünûn  journal was short Hamid  Vehbi's  journal  Medrese-- lived  when compared to its peers. i  Fünûn,  one  of  the  science  journals  published  in  the 19th  century,  has  a  very  valuable  place  in  the  studies  in  history  in  terms  of  reflecting not  only  the  scientific  developments  and  publications  of  the  period,  but  also  some conditions  that  were  relatively  less  emphasized,  as  in  other  scientific  journals published  in  the  Ottoman  Empire.  These  are  also  of  great  significance  for  a  better understanding  of  the  Ottoman  intellectuality  of  the  period,  especially  the  late  19th century ,  and  the  history  of  Ottoman  science  and  thought.  This  study  aims  to  fill  this gap  in  the  literature  by  focusing  on  the  Medresei  Fünûn  journal  and  Hamid  Vehbi, and  by  drawing  attention  to  the  gap  here,  to  take  a  step  to  bring  more  studies  to  the literatur e  in  the  field  of  Ottoman  history  of  science  and  thought,  which  has  remained underrated  compared  to  other  research  fields  of  the  Ottoman  history.  It  is  aimed  to attract  more  focus  on  the  Medresei  Fünûn  journal  which  has  been  relatively  neglected in  the  re levant  field  by  analyzing  it  along  with  the  biography  of  Hamid  Vehbi  of Istanbul, who published the  journal, as an  Ottoman intellectual. In  order  to  achieve  this  aim,  the  study  focused  on  different  types  of  sources.  The primary  source  of  focus  is  the  Medresei  Fünûn  journal,  published  by  Hamid  Vehbi, who  was  the  reason  for  the  emergence  of  the  thesis  work  idea.  The  fact  that  the existence  of  this  journal  could  not  get  enough  space  in  the  literature  necessitated  more research on Medrese i Fünûn and Hamid Vehbi.After  starting  the  study  by  translating Medrese Fünûn itself  into  contemporary i Turkish,  I  searched  the  secondary  literature  about  Hamid  Vehbi.  Although  there  are not many sources  here,  I  focused on  the primary sources in  which the name  of Hamid Vehbi  was  mentioned.  Some  of  these  sources  are  the  records  in  th e  Ottoman  archives and  they  are  important  in  terms  of  creating  a  background  and  a  chronology  of  Hamid Vehbi,  as  they  give  important  details  about  Hamid  Vehbi's  life,  his  intellectual  career as  well  as his  civil  service.  In  addition,  other  primary  sources  such  as  memoirs,  in which  Hamid  Vehbi's  name  is  mentioned,  were  scanned.  Then,  the  secondary  literature on  Ottoman  scientific  thought  and  publishing  life,  especially  in  the  last  century,  was reviewed  in order  to  verify  and  interpret  the  transliterated  materials  and  to  examine these  details  in  a  broader  framework.  With  the  help  of  the  secondary  literature,  a background  regarding  the  development  of  Ottoman  scientific  thought,  scientific institutions    and  p ublications  in  the  last  century  is  presented  and  Hamid  Vehbi  and Medresei Fünûn are  positioned  and  examined  in  this  context.  The  personality  of Medrese Hamid  Vehbi  and  the  content,  style  and  currents  of  thought  that  may  have  been influenced  the i Fünûn work were  put into context. Although  this  study  aimed  to  bring  Medresei  Fünûn  journal  and  Hamid  Vehbi  as  an intellectual  to  the  literature;  More  studies  are  needed  in  this  area,  both  in  order  to examine  the  context  in  depth  and  in  a  multifaceted  manner  and  to  understand  the relevant journal  adequately.  Identifying  more  sources  about  the  journal  or  Hamid Vehbi  in  the  future  and  examining  these  findings  in  a  wider  context  can  provide important  references  not only  for  his  period,  but  also  for  the  entire  Ottoman  history  of science  and  th ought  and  journalism.  It  can  become  a  valuable  piece  that  contributes  to the  wider  view  of  the  big  picture  that  will  be  revealed  in  the  context  of  the transformation of the  Ottoman Empire  in its last century.