324 chapter 7
repeated in a very interesting history of ancient Athens, composed by the müfti
of that city around 1738 and based on Greek sources:82
Since the way of the wise is based on peace (hükema mesleği sulh u salah
üzere olup), they did not approve of tyranny and oppression ... The town
had conflicts with no-one, and they arranged their affairs in consultation
with the community (umurları cumhur müşaveresiyle olurdı).To return to Nabi, his most famous work, the moralistic poem Hayriyye, written
in 1701/2, should also be mentioned.83 Hayriyye was very popular and was being
imitated as late as the beginning of the nineteenth century (by Sünbülzâde
Vehbi). It contains moral advice, along with digressions on Istanbul, spring-
time, and poetry, comments on the disadvantages of various professions (fol-
lowing the old style of hasbıhal), and criticism of his own time. In describing
various potential careers, Nabi accuses the provincial notables (ayan), corrupt-
ed by extensive bribery, of oppressing the people; in the hasbıhal tradition,
moreover, nor are these notables free from anguish, as they can easily fall prey
to gossip and calumny (P188ff ). High officials are also not to be envied: the life
of a pasha is full of trouble, since he always owes money, has difficulty in rais-
ing an army, and thus has no choice but to oppress the people. In an extraordi-
narily sharp voice, Nabi asserts that
this kind of oppression [the excessive exploitation of the villagers]
is unique in these [Ottoman] lands; it is not to be seen even in Uzbek,
Indian, Christian, or Persian states.The state must comply with the premises of the Sharia if it is to survive and
flourish; Nabi ends his piece of political theory with a reiteration of the fa-
mous “circle of equity” (P167–183). In another similarity between Nabi’s con-
cerns and those of Na’ima, a lengthy excursus about the risks and difficulties of
agriculture seems to be directed against members of the elite who follow such
enterprises (P162–167; after all, it is evident that he did not expect his audience
to include peasants):
82 Mahmud Efendi – Tunalı 2013, 180–181; see also the original in 251, 279.
83 Nabi – Pala 1989; Nabi – Kaplan 2008. Cf. Diriöz 1994; Sariyannis 2008a, 145–147; Kurz 2011,
249–268; Sariyannis 2012, 288; Tuşalp Atiyas 2013, 241–243.