376 chapter 8
of knowledge as a means for individual responsibility. Most of his advice, how-
ever, is more reminiscent of Defterdar Mehmed Pasha, to say the least, than of
his contemporaries; if he should indeed be counted amidst the reformists, it
would be only to prove the thin line dividing the two trends.
This may be seen as a more general conclusion as well: the authors here
named “traditionalists” do not have radically different points of departure
compared to those advocating Western-style reforms. For one thing, they tend
to have detailed advice for actual problems and to focus on the condition of
the army—just as the Westernizers did. Their basic assumptions on the socio-
political structure of the Ottoman Empire are the same; in fact, the most radi-
cal departure in these issues is from Penah Efendi (who proposes the abolition
of the timar system and of the miri landholding principles), who never actually
advocates radical reform along European lines (nor does he accept the idea
that European armies have now surpassed Ottoman troops). Yet the blurred
line dividing the two trends does not mean that we can neglect the existence of
a conflict on Westernizing reform—a conflict that grew stronger and stronger
toward the end of the century, both on ideological and political levels.
4.3 An Author in the Crossroads: Şanizade’s Views on History and
Politics
The persistence of anti-Westernizing ideas even on the eve of the Tanzimat re-
forms, irrespective of the exchange of information with Europe, is exceptional-
ly well illustrated in the historical work of Şanizade Mehmed Atâ’ullah Efendi
(ca. 1770–1826). Son of a well-to-do family that made its way from artisanate
(the family name means “son of the comb-maker”) to high ulema bureaucracy,
Şanizade had a good education in religious studies, medicine, and mathemat-
ics, and knew quite a few European languages (including Greek), as well as the
usual Arabic and Persian. He served as a teacher (müderris) in various medre-
ses, as a judge in Eyyüb, and as an inspector of vakfs before being appointed
official historian (vak’anüvis) in 1819. Upon the abolition of the janissary corps85
he was exiled to Tire and died there two months later. Şanizade wrote various
medical treatises (among them, a translation of an Austrian treatise), poetry,
and translations of German and French military manuals, as well as of geo-
graphical and mathematical works. His chronicle, Târîh (“History”), completed
85 Perhaps also due to his participation in the “Scientific Society of Beşiktaş”, Beşiktaş İlmî
Cemiyeti or Beşiktaş İ’tikadı, a closed group of conversations and scientific lessons with
allegedly close ties to the Bektaşi order and perhaps with Masonic influences: Şânizâde –
Yılmazer 2008, XCVII–XCIX; Eldem 2014, 272; İhsanoğlu 1995/96, 167–168.