Papers and Writings of Selahaddin Efendi, Son of Murad V, Volume 1

Prince Selahaddin Efendi (1861-1915) was the only son of the 33rd Ottoman sultan, Murad V, who reigned for three months and three days in 1876. After his father was dethroned, he had to live under surveillance with other members of the family and household when he was only 15 years old. During this 28-year isolation, which lasted until the death of Murad V in 1904, Selahaddin Efendi devoted a significant part of his time to writing down his memories, thoughts and feelings. These writings, which include his diaries of several years, in addition to the writings and records he collected under the name "Sada-yı Mahpus" (The Voice in Prison), constitute one of the most interesting and original sources of recent Ottoman history. Historian Prof. Dr. The Papers and Writings of Selahaddin Efendi, Son of Murad V, which Edhem Eldem transcribed into new letters and prepared for publication with detailed explanations and comments, are presented to the readers with facsimiles of the texts as well as Eldem's introductory articles that place each volume in its historical and social context.

In the first volume of the series, the records of the secret correspondence between Murad V and Cleanthi Scalieri (1833-1892), which constitute half of the seventh of the "Sada-yı Mahpus" notebooks, are discussed. While Scalieri was the head of the Proodos (Progress) masonic lodge, he was known for his closeness to Murad, who was still a prince at the time. He had the young crown prince accepted as a freemason in 1872, and after his short reign, he struggled to put him back on the throne, and although he had to flee to Athens in 1878, he managed to continue communicating with Murad. Selahaddin Efendi, who carried out this two-way correspondence between 1883 and 1886 on the Çırağan front, recorded it in this notebook and ensured that it has survived to this day.

Along with the long introduction in which Eldem introduces the entire material he prepared for publication and makes a general evaluation of the period, the texts and correspondences in the first volume of the Papers and Writings of Selahaddin Efendi, Son of Murad V, go beyond shedding light on one of the darkest aspects of the reign of Abdulhamid II. It allows us to better understand the political and mentality of the period.

(From the Promotional Bulletin)

Dough Type: 2nd Dough

Size: 20 x 27.5

First Printing Year: 2019

Number of Printings: 1st Edition

Language: Turkish