Ottoman 1915 Ancient History Book with many Maps Ali Reşad Empire Greeks Eastern Palestine
Tarih-i Kadim: Akvam-ı Kadime-i Şarkiye ve Yunaniler (Ancient History: The Ancient Eastern Peoples and the Greeks) – Ali Reşad, 1331 (c. 1915)
Description:
Tarih-i Kadim: Akvam-ı Kadime-i Şarkiye ve Yunaniler (Ancient History: The Ancient Eastern Peoples and the Greeks) is an Ottoman Turkish history textbook specially prepared for the tenth grade of the literature branch of the Mekâtib-i Sultaniye, the prestigious secondary schools of the late Ottoman educational system. The book was therefore intended for formal classroom instruction and presents the history of the ancient world at an advanced secondary-school level. Its scope is divided between the ancient civilizations of the East and the Greek world, providing students with a structured introduction to the political, cultural, religious and intellectual development of the earliest major civilizations.
Ali Reşad Bey (1877–1929) was a highly productive Turkish historian, educator and author who lived through the final period of the Ottoman Empire and the early years of the Republic. Born in Lovech in 1877, he moved with his family to Istanbul as an infant following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and graduated from the prestigious Mekteb-i Mülkiye-i Şahane in 1897. Rather than pursuing an administrative career, he chose education and taught history at important institutions including Vefa, Kabataş and Galatasaray Sultanisi. He later held senior educational positions, including the directorship of the Istanbul Directorate of Education, the Darülmuallimîn-i Âliye, and a senior post within the Ottoman Ministry of Education. From 1915, he served as a professor of Medieval History at the Darülfünun and wrote numerous history textbooks for Ottoman schools. He died in Istanbul in 1929 at the age of 52.
The book's sources are explicitly identified as works by Charles Seignobos (Senyobos), Gaston Maspero (Maspero) and Léon Cahun, from whose works Ali Reşad translated and compiled material. This makes the volume an interesting example of the late Ottoman engagement with contemporary European historical scholarship and the incorporation of French historical and Orientalist works into Ottoman educational literature.
The first major section, Akvam-ı Kadime-i Şarkiye (The Ancient Eastern Peoples), examines the civilizations of the ancient East. It covers Ancient Egypt, including the age of the Pharaohs, the pyramids, hieroglyphic writing and Egyptian religious beliefs; the civilizations of Mesopotamia, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians, together with cuneiform writing and the Code of Hammurabi; and the civilizations of Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean, including the Hittites, Phoenicians, Hebrews and Persian Empire.
The second section, devoted to Yunaniler (the Greeks), turns to the Ancient Greek world, examining the Greek city-states of Sparta and Athens, their political systems and conflicts, the Persian Wars and the campaigns of Alexander the Great that led to the Hellenistic period and its interaction between Eastern and Western cultures. Greek mythology, the Olympic Games, philosophy, including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, as well as Greek theatre and architecture are also covered. Published in Istanbul at Matbaa-i Âmire in 1331 (approximately 1915), the volume contains numerous illustrations and maps, adding a substantial visual dimension to its historical and educational presentation.
Key Features:
• Title: Tarih-i Kadim: Akvam-ı Kadime-i Şarkiye ve Yunaniler (Ancient History: The Ancient Eastern Peoples and the Greeks)
• Author: Ali Reşad Bey (1877–1929)
• Intended Audience: Students of the Tenth Grade of the Literature Branch of the Mekâtib-i Sultaniye
• Educational Status: Prepared as a history textbook for the formal Ottoman Sultanî educational system
• Subject: Ancient history
• Historical Coverage: Ancient Eastern civilizations and Ancient Greek civilization
• Ancient Eastern Civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites, Phoenicians, Hebrews and Persians
• Greek History: Greek city-states, Sparta, Athens, the Persian Wars, Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic period
• Cultural History: Egyptian religion, Greek mythology, philosophy, Olympic Games, theatre and architecture
• Philosophers: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
• Sources: Translated and compiled from the works of Charles Seignobos, Gaston Maspero and Léon Cahun
• Illustrations: Numerous historical illustrations
• Maps: Numerous historical and geographical maps
• Publication Year: 1331 (approximately 1915)
• Place of Publication: Istanbul
• Printer: Matbaa-i Âmire
• Language: Ottoman Turkish
• Author Significance: Ali Reşad was a prominent late Ottoman historian and educator who taught at major Ottoman schools, served in senior educational positions and was a professor of Medieval History at the Darülfünun
• Educational Significance: An advanced Ottoman history textbook demonstrating the incorporation of contemporary European historical scholarship into the formal curriculum of the Sultanî schools
• Historical Significance: A valuable record of how Ancient Eastern and Greek civilizations were presented to Ottoman secondary-school students during the final years of the Empire
• Collectible Significance: Particularly valuable for collectors and researchers of Ottoman Turkish books, ancient history, Ottoman educational history, classical civilizations, historical geography, cartography and late Ottoman publishing