A Sufi Bureaucrat’s Reflection: The Late Ottoman Concept of Terakkî (Progress) in Aşçı Dede’s [1828-1906] Memoirs

Authors : Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya

Pages : 127-154

Doi:10.21021/osmed.1561757

View : 128 | Download : 193

Publication Date : 2025-06-15

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article examines the notion of terakkî (progress) within the 19th-century Ottoman context, focusing on the role of Sufi perspectives in ongoing debates about modernization. While Sufi orders were often viewed as obstacles to progress, labeled as elements fostering stagnation, this study challenges that perception by analyzing Aşçı Dede’s memoirs—a unique self-narrative account from the Tanzimat period. Aşçı Dede (d. 1906), a prominent Sufi figure involved in both bureaucratic and spiritual realms, presents an alternative view of progress that blends spiritual and societal development. By scrutinizing his reflections on Japan’s modernization as a model for the Ottoman Empire, the article argues that Sufi orders actively engaged with reform discourses, contributing a nuanced vision of progress that emphasized both material and spiritual dimensions. This re-evaluation highlights the multifaceted role of Sufi officials in the Ottoman modernization process, bridging the gap between tradition and reform. It offers a new perspective on the interplay between spirituality and bureaucracy, underscoring the significant yet underexplored contributions of Sufi bureaucrats to the intellectual and reformist landscape of the late Ottoman period.
Keywords : Geç Osmanlı Dönemi, Osmanlı Modernleşmesi, Terakkî, Tasavvuf Hareketleri, Aşçı Dede’nin Hatıraları

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