Ghulam Sinan’s Commentary on al-Risala al-Fathiyya

Some of the scholars who were left without a patron due to the assassination of Ulugh Beg (d. 1449), the founder of the Samarqand Madrasa and Observatory, migrated to Anatolian lands. Scholars including Fatḥallāh al-Shirwānī (d. 1486) and ʿAlī Qūshjī (d. 1474) carried the Samarqand astronomical trad...

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Main Author: Orhan Güneş
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: İstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi Bilim Tarihi Enstitüsü 2025-05-01
Series:Nazariyat: Journal for the History of Islamic Philosophy and Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://nazariyat.org/content/5-sayilar/22-cilt-11-sayi-1/5-gulam-sinanin-er-risaletu-l-fethiyye-serhi/5_orhan_gunes_en.pdf
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author Orhan Güneş
author_facet Orhan Güneş
author_sort Orhan Güneş
collection DOAJ
description Some of the scholars who were left without a patron due to the assassination of Ulugh Beg (d. 1449), the founder of the Samarqand Madrasa and Observatory, migrated to Anatolian lands. Scholars including Fatḥallāh al-Shirwānī (d. 1486) and ʿAlī Qūshjī (d. 1474) carried the Samarqand astronomical tradition to these lands. ʿAlī Qūshjī, who served as a scholar at the Ṣaḥn-i Thamān and Ayasofya madrasas, trained many students in what can be considered a short period of time and helped theoretical astronomy gain momentum in Ottoman lands. Among these students was Ghulām Sinān (d. 1506-7). Ghulām Sinān wrote a commentary on his teacher’s work, which he had written under the title al-Risāla al-Fatḥiyya during his tenure as a scholar. This commentary, which Ghulām Sinān wrote under the title Fatḥ al-Fatḥiyya, is one of two extant commentaries on al-Risāla al-Fatḥiyya. The work is important not only because it is a commentary on one of the first theoretical astronomical works written in the Ottoman Empire, but perhaps more importantly because it conveys detailed testimonies about the teacher–student relationship of the period and about how lessons were actually taught. This approach, which is uncommon in the history of science, makes this work very important. The main purpose of this paper is not to explain the theoretical issues covered in the work, even if they are mentioned due to the subject. Rather, the focus of the study is on Ghulām Sinān’s relationship with his teacher ʿAlī Qūshjī, which sometimes involved intellectual arguments and disagreements. In addition, through references to various individuals and books, an attempt is made to reveal the sources Sinān was drawing from.
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spelling doaj-art-68fbbdca4e1148f5b0fca1a4af1dd21d2025-08-20T03:13:03Zengİstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi Bilim Tarihi EnstitüsüNazariyat: Journal for the History of Islamic Philosophy and Sciences2547-94152025-05-0111113716410.12658/Nazariyat.11.1.M0240enGhulam Sinan’s Commentary on al-Risala al-FathiyyaOrhan Güneş0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1078-813Xİstanbul Medeniyet UnviersitySome of the scholars who were left without a patron due to the assassination of Ulugh Beg (d. 1449), the founder of the Samarqand Madrasa and Observatory, migrated to Anatolian lands. Scholars including Fatḥallāh al-Shirwānī (d. 1486) and ʿAlī Qūshjī (d. 1474) carried the Samarqand astronomical tradition to these lands. ʿAlī Qūshjī, who served as a scholar at the Ṣaḥn-i Thamān and Ayasofya madrasas, trained many students in what can be considered a short period of time and helped theoretical astronomy gain momentum in Ottoman lands. Among these students was Ghulām Sinān (d. 1506-7). Ghulām Sinān wrote a commentary on his teacher’s work, which he had written under the title al-Risāla al-Fatḥiyya during his tenure as a scholar. This commentary, which Ghulām Sinān wrote under the title Fatḥ al-Fatḥiyya, is one of two extant commentaries on al-Risāla al-Fatḥiyya. The work is important not only because it is a commentary on one of the first theoretical astronomical works written in the Ottoman Empire, but perhaps more importantly because it conveys detailed testimonies about the teacher–student relationship of the period and about how lessons were actually taught. This approach, which is uncommon in the history of science, makes this work very important. The main purpose of this paper is not to explain the theoretical issues covered in the work, even if they are mentioned due to the subject. Rather, the focus of the study is on Ghulām Sinān’s relationship with his teacher ʿAlī Qūshjī, which sometimes involved intellectual arguments and disagreements. In addition, through references to various individuals and books, an attempt is made to reveal the sources Sinān was drawing from.https://nazariyat.org/content/5-sayilar/22-cilt-11-sayi-1/5-gulam-sinanin-er-risaletu-l-fethiyye-serhi/5_orhan_gunes_en.pdfghulām sinānʿalī qūshjīal-risāla al-fatḥiyyafatḥ al-fatḥiyyahistory of sciencehistory of astronomy
spellingShingle Orhan Güneş
Ghulam Sinan’s Commentary on al-Risala al-Fathiyya
Nazariyat: Journal for the History of Islamic Philosophy and Sciences
ghulām sinān
ʿalī qūshjī
al-risāla al-fatḥiyya
fatḥ al-fatḥiyya
history of science
history of astronomy
title Ghulam Sinan’s Commentary on al-Risala al-Fathiyya
title_full Ghulam Sinan’s Commentary on al-Risala al-Fathiyya
title_fullStr Ghulam Sinan’s Commentary on al-Risala al-Fathiyya
title_full_unstemmed Ghulam Sinan’s Commentary on al-Risala al-Fathiyya
title_short Ghulam Sinan’s Commentary on al-Risala al-Fathiyya
title_sort ghulam sinan s commentary on al risala al fathiyya
topic ghulām sinān
ʿalī qūshjī
al-risāla al-fatḥiyya
fatḥ al-fatḥiyya
history of science
history of astronomy
url https://nazariyat.org/content/5-sayilar/22-cilt-11-sayi-1/5-gulam-sinanin-er-risaletu-l-fethiyye-serhi/5_orhan_gunes_en.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT orhangunes ghulamsinanscommentaryonalrisalaalfathiyya