1583: The New World Order and the Ottoman 'Discovery' of the Americas
Metin Mustafa
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Abstract: The imperial rivalries in the Mediterranean between the Ottoman and Habsburg empires, the two superpowers of the day entered a period of peace agreements between 1577-1584. Set against the historical background, two works presented to Sultan Murad III (d.1595), the grandson of Sultan Süleyman (d.1566) in 1583 were simultaneously created at the Topkapı Palace ateliers: the Zubdat-al Tawarikh (Quintessence of Histories) and the Tarih-i Hind-i garbi (History of the West Indies). When they are closely analysed, they represent the changing perceptions of the Ottomans towards the Europeans and the way they, at the last quarter of the 16th century perceived themselves in the larger world context. Like Michelangelo's Biblical narrative in the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Zubdat-al Tawarikh at a much smaller scale visually illustrates the Qur'anic narrative of the lives of the prophets. Although the manuscript is religious in tone, the underlying message, however, represents the political worldview of the Ottomans at the end of the Süleymanic Age (1583). The Hadis-i Nev, on the other hand, illustrates and propagates Murad III's curiosity of the New World signifying the Ottomans' interest beyond its borders. The illustrated manuscripts, therefore, project a universal dynastic image challenging its European adversaries, which the previous sultans have done before. The two manuscripts reinforce the idea of an ideal ruler, dynastic family, state, military might, faith, and good versus evil, where Islamic faith triumphs at the end.