166 chapter 4
oppress the Muslims. Moreover, the granting of important posts, such as the
scribes of the janissary bölüks or of the treasury, through bribery further cor-
rupted the old law. Bribery reached such a degree that it was considered to be
licit (helal), like the tithe from fiefs (D142–43).
Thus, another target of Ali’s criticism is the use of “strangers” in the gov-
ernmental apparatus. What he primarily has in mind is kuls, the product of
the devşirme system; in the preface to Nushatü’s-selâtîn he criticizes converted
infidels attaining high posts, i.e. against the extensive use of kuls in the admin-
istration (T1:36–37/119). He complains that young men in royal service should
not associate with people outside the palace, as was the case until the reign of
Süleyman (B20); the same goes for the aghas of the palace (B20–21). Ali stresses
once again that “ignorant products of the palace slave system ... have infiltrat-
ed the ranks of the Divan scribes”, taking positions that used to be given only
to renowned ulemas (B23ff ). As well as kuls, other foreigners should not be
favored either. Ali stresses that the conduct of the divan secretaries (and par-
ticularly the removal of those addicted to drugs) is to be tightly controlled, with
special attention given to the election of the re’isülküttab and the tuğrakeşan
or nişancı; the sultan should not show excessive honor to those who come
from other countries (and, especially, he should not give high offices to Turks
or Kurds). Beginning a line of advice that would become commonplace in the
centuries to come, he advises the ruler to offer safety in office to people who
have not committed serious mistakes, as such people’s positions must be “con-
solidated by perpetuation” (T1: 63–64/159–61).
Ali’s attitude to mobility is often ambiguous. On the one hand, he urges sul-
tans to appoint wise men to high office, not paying attention to their lineage
(to illustrate this view, Ali quotes Selim I saying that “in selecting [the officials]
[the grand vizier should] screen everybody in [the] glorious capital city down
to the porters that carry loads on their backs”). Ali argues in this point that:
against the selection of wise men and the employment of philosophers
no-one should raise objections saying “This is not the old custom”.
Between persons of equal seniority but belonging to different classes one
should clearly apply the familiar principle that their trading capital is the
cash of intelligence and the capital of plans and hopes the jewel of a pen-
etrating mind (T1:50–53/140–44).Mobility is especially commendable in the case of the ulema. In his Künhü’l-
ahbâr, too, Ali sharply criticizes the shortcomings of a medrese education,
which in his view prevents “Turks” from following an ulema career and hav-
ing adequate incentive to acquire knowledge (Ş80). And in Mevâidü’n-nefâis,