The Süleymannâme (or Sulaiman-nama; , Topkapı Palace Museum Manuscript Library, TSMK H.1517, completed circa 1558) is an illustration of Suleiman the Magnificent's life and achievements. In 65 scenes the miniature paintings are decorated with gold, depicting battles, receptions, hunts and sieges. Written by Fethullah Arifi Çelebi in Persian verse, and illustrated by five unnamed artists, the Süleymannâme was the fifth volume of the first illustrated history of the Ottoman dynasty. It was written in the manner of the Iranian Shahnameh epic. The original version of the Süleymannâme lies in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul and there is another manuscript in Astan Quds Razavi, the manuscript numbered as manuscript 4249 in Astan Quds Razavi library.
It is an account of Suleiman's first 35 years of his reign as ruler from 1520 to 1555. The portrayal of Suleiman's reign is idealized, as it not only includes the last exceptional events in world history, but also ends the timeline begun at creation with this perceived perfect ruler. The manuscript itself measures 25.4 by 37 centimeters and has 617 folios. In addition, it is organized in chronological order. This manuscript had a much more private use compared to other pieces of art produced for the Ottoman elite. The Süleymannâme has 69 illustrated pages since four topics out of the 65 represented are double-folio images. The cultural and political context of this work is Persian. This work is important because it allows for the acceptance of the sultan presenting himself in a divine image as well as presenting the ideas and expectations of the court. Arifi wrote in this epic poem 60,000 verses.
The Şehname (Shahnama) model The Süleymannâme, while a work of art, bore political function as well. The Süleymannâme falls under the Şehname, or "King's Book" category. The primary function of the Sehname type was to document a complete Ottoman history, legitimizing and exalting the patron sultan in the process. They were viewed as symbols of Ottoman court culture. Creators of Şehnames, or "Şehnameci," were salaried appointees; under Suleiman, the creator of "court historiographer" was established, pointing to the courtly and political importance of Şehnameci. Şehnamecis were not considered major historians, rather were recognized for their literary skill; Şehnames called for a melding of historical documentation and literary composition, making them difficult to categorize. The texts had to be approved by the Sultan and court officials (the grand vizier and religious scholars) before they were included. Approval ensured all texts met a high literary standard and accurately matched the content of illustrations. The intense vetting process allowed the sultan and advisors to project a carefully crafted image through the text.
Despite this attention to image, the intended audience for Şehnames were the sultan himself, his court and advisors. Luxury manuscripts were considered valuable collector's items, so they were not intended to leave the palace confines. Often the sultan would have Şehname texts read aloud for a court audience, intending to inspire and educate future Ottoman statesmen. For the Sultan and his circle, Şehnames were intended to reinforce the power and status of the Ottoman Empire. For a broader Ottoman elite, Şehnames were intended to instill and understanding of Ottoman identity. For the general population, Şehnames were intended to symbolize the Sultan's power, evidence of his fulfillment of patronage often associated with and expected of a powerful ruler.
Generally, Şehnames are associated with extravagance and power. In addition to legitimizing the Sultan's reign, Şehnames were commissioned typically during times of turmoil, intended to bolster dynastic prestige and justify the ruler.
Political function of the Süleymannâme The main purpose of this manuscript was to paint an ideal public image for Sultan Suleiman and his court. It focuses on portraying Suleiman as a military figure, but also serving justice as a ruler. For example, the image of Suleiman's enthronement in the Süleymannâme serves as a way to show Suleiman's military role and having order of the court. The idea of a just leader is exemplified by the numerous paintings of his court receptions with other ambassadors, but also through his compassion for his enemies and showing his power and Ottoman superiority.
Suleiman is likened to previous, legendary rulers and heroes. His deeds are emphasized to compare him to these historical figures and it is because of these deeds he is so great. The similarities between the prophet-kings in the Anbiyanama (Book of Prophets) and Suleiman's worries creates a direct portrayal of Suleiman as one of the aforementioned prophet-kings in the first volume of Arif Celebi's Shahnama-yi Al-i Osman. This portrayal is not meant to devalue the status of the prophets to a sultan; however, it elevates Suleiman's status, especially at a time when his image was suffering. The historical context of this work coincides with Suleiman's failing image due to his old age, but more importantly, his negative image as he had his son, Mustafa, killed in 1553, who was popular with the population. This work can be seen as a move to elevate this ruler's image as his own actions decreased his popularity.
A relationship between Suleiman and God is made which functions in two ways. First, it shows him as the Creator, but also as a divine figure. Second, his position was not only approved by God himself, but he was chosen to rule by God. Adding to Suleiman's religious significance, he is written as the last reformer of religion and depicted as the image of the Perfect Man, only second to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Certain images in the manuscript were executed as a way to show Suleiman's importance as one of the last religious and political leaders and were all approved by the sultan himself. Some of these images include Suleiman's portrayal as the second Solomon on a gold throne and as a saint with a nimbus surrounding his head. Again, Suleiman's reign is legitimized as divine through the combination of his legacy with the histories of other great rulers from other traditions. With that being said, Arif even goes as far to declare Suleiman's superiority over both past Ottoman and world rulers. Rulers of the past all possessed the right kingly characteristics, but in regards to Suleiman, none of them compared to him. Even in the realms of religion, Suleiman's faith and belief in God surpasses the rest of these rulers. By analyzing the order of volumes in Arif's Shahanama, Arif's main purpose is in placing Suleiman in a special position in world history as it started initially from Creation.
Artistic production under Suleiman Suleiman's generous, adamant patronage to the arts helped cultivate a golden age of Ottoman culture. Suleiman employed male artists and artisans of European, Islamic, and Turkish origins, which forged a visual language consisting of a synthesis of traditions, particularly in architecture and manuscript production. The Ehl-i Hiref (Community of the Talented), a highly organized group of imperial artisans worked on court commissions. Because of the level of organization of arts production in the court, designs created for the court became part of the arts vocabulary across disciplines.
The Cemaat-i Nakkaşan (Society of Painters), one of the units in the Ehl-i Hiref, was in charge of decorating the manuscripts commissioned for imperial libraries. The unit was hierarchical, with members utilizing styles from across the empire, but particularly Tabriz masters and their trainees between 1520 and the 1540s. Nakkaşane artists strongly influenced the decorative styles of the time, for example, the Saz style composed of naturalistic imagery. The nakkaşane created hundreds of manuscripts consisting of classic tales, poetry, paintings, calligraphy, and illuminations.
Illustrated histories like the Süleymannâme were made to exalt the lives of sultans or the festivities or campaigns of the empire, and became the primary work of the nakkaşane after 1560. Though the Süleymannâme reflects historical events, it is not considered an accurate historical source due to its exaltation of the ruler, being an artistic interpretation of the Ottoman court under Suleiman. These manuscripts were produced for private use by members of the dynasty to emphasize the worthiness of their rule and status.
Arif Celebi
There is not substantial information on Arif Celebi's life, but the knowledge we have on him comes from biographical stories written by many 16th century writers. His mother was the daughter of the Sufi sheikh and religious scholar Ibrahim Gulseni. Arif Celebi was very close to his grandfather and was said to be dearer to him than Gulseni's own son. Arif Celebi's father, Dervis Celebi, according to other accounts, was a man of Persian elite and Arif states in the Süleymannâme that his father was from the city of Abadan. His father makes an appearance in the Süleymannâme again as an elderly figure where Arif pays respect to his father with lines of appreciation. His family came from a background of religion, intellect and politics. It is not known if he had siblings nor if he was married or if he had children.
Around 1545, Arifi Celebi arrived at the Ottoman court and was commissioned in 1550 to write about the Ottoman dynasty in Persian due to the fact that Suleiman enjoyed the previous verses that Arif Celebi had given him. Arif Celebi's Shahnama was to be used as a means to "create a common culture and a shared imperial identity." For his project, Arif Celebi adopted visual styles from Firdawsi's Shahnama that detailed the mythic history of Iran.
Arif's service in the Ottoman court for Suleiman is said to have started when he arrived to the capital and it is assumed that his arrival correlated with Elkas Mirza's arrival to Istanbul in 1547, a Safavid prince who found refuge with Suleiman. It is mentioned again in the Süleymannâme that his father served the Ottoman Empire as a diplomatic envoy and most likely worked for more than one royal person.
Due to his familial background, it is very probable Arif had a high level of education and he was said to have a great skill in the sciences. He studied with the ulama (learned men), signifying that he got training from many medrese professors. Arif worked in both Turkish and Persian, but viewing the several verses he wrote, Persian was more his forte.
Looking at the art that was produced under him, he was more than just a mere writer who ignored the illustrations of his work. He made many choices thematically and stylistically in the illustrations to accompany his writing instead of assigning what to be painted. Despite this, he still had to adhere to the opinions of both Suleiman and some of the members of his court. What we know of his skill in the arts mainly comes from his time as sehnameci. Some other works we can credit to Arif is the Ravzat al-Usak and his drafts for the Imperial Scroll. In addition, he is associated in creating an epic of 2,000 stichs about Hadim Suleyman's Pasa's expedition to India.
The illustrations