Some Considerations on Persian Historiography in the Ottoman Empire

Ottomans, as a local emirate in West Anatolia, gradually became an independent state and even a global empire in the late thirteenth century. Although the tradition of the historiography in the Ottoman state emerged with some delays, however after the formation, it evolved and became one of the main trends of Islamic historiographies. So far, there have been numerous studies about the formation and evolution of Ottoman historiography. However, the position and impacts of Persian Historiography in the formation of Ottoman Historiography as a whole has not been investigated yet. Because some of the main Persian sources have not been edited and have remained unpublished, for instance, we still have not a critical edition of Bitlisi’s Heşt Bihişt at hand yet. However, in recent years a number of sources have been edited and published in Iran and Turkey. With the publication of these works, there is a good chance to review the position and dimensions of the emerged field. Addressing the Ottoman historiography, especially for us as Iranians, may be helpful to understand the historiography of Iran better, and is also of great importance, because from the beginning the formation of Ottoman historiography and also at the culmination of its perfection, it was greatly indebted to Persian language, Persian elements and models. This study is based on these questions: In what historical circumstances Ottoman historiography was formed? What elements were involved in its formation? What was the position and aspects of Persian historiography in Ottoman Empire? The present study answers these questions by using the desk-study and via historical and analytical approach.