Yekçeşm Hüseyin Efendi (d. 1704) was an Ottoman scholar who was briefly

Shaykh al-Islām Shaykh al-Islām ( ar, شيخ الإسلام, Šayḫ al-Islām; fa, شِیخُ‌الاسلام ''Sheykh-ol-Eslām''; ota, شیخ‌ الاسلام, Şhaykḫu-l-İslām or ''Sheiklı ul-Islam''; tr, Şeyhülislam) was used in the classical e ...

Early life and education

Hüseyin's father was a man named Ahmed from the Hamid Sanjak. Since ''Yekçeşm'' means "one-eyed," Hüseyin most likely had a missing eye or an eye with some major problem. At some point, he moved to Istanbul and became connected to the '' asitâne'' of Shaykh al-Islām Minkârizâde Yahya Efendi.

Career

Hüseyin was appointed

müderris Müderris is a term that described the religious scholar, professor or faculty member in the Seljuk's world and the Ottoman Empire.Cambridge University Press, History of Turkey Vol. 3, The Later Ottoman Empire 1603-1839 (2006), s.216 In Arabic, the ...

in various educational institutions over the years: * Halil Paşa Madrasa, 1681 * Kepenekçi Sinan Madrasa, 1685 * Damad Efendi Madrasa, 1687 * Hacı Hasanzâde Dârülifâdesi, 1688 * Gazanfer Ağa Madrasa, 1688 * Sahn-ı Semân Madrasa, 1689 Through the influence of

Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

Köprülüzâde Mustafa Paşa, Hüseyin was appointed qadi of the Ottoman Army ('' Ordûy-u Hümâyûn'') in 1689 and so participated in the recapture of Nish and

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

in 1690. In 1691, he was appointed qadi to one of the places named Yenişehir, but was dismissed in 1692. In 1697, he was made qadi in both Edirne and

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

, but was apparently dismissed in 1698. During the

Edirne Incident The Edirne Incident ( ota, Edirne Vaḳʿası, script=Latn) was a janissary revolt that began in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1703. The revolt was a reaction to the consequences of the Treaty of Karlowitz and Sultan Mustafa II's absence fro ...

of 1703, Hüseyin was in attendance at a council in July at the Shaykh al-Islām's home in Edirne to discuss news of the uprising in Istanbul. Amidst the turbulence,

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

Mustafa II Mustafa II (; ota, مصطفى ثانى ''Muṣṭafā-yi sānī''; 6 February 1664 – 29 December 1703) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703. Early life He was born at Edirne Palace on 6 February 1664. He was the son of Sult ...

appointed Hüseyin

of the Ottoman Empire on August 19 or 20. At some point, Hüseyin was sent to the front lines outside Edirne to give orders to the

Janissaries A Janissary ( ota, یڭیچری, yeŋiçeri, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and the first modern standing army in Europe. The corps was most likely established under sultan Orhan ( ...

who were entrenching there; however, the Janissaries joined the rebellion. Mustafa was deposed on August 22 and replaced by

Ahmed III Ahmed III ( ota, احمد ثالث, ''Aḥmed-i sālis'') was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of Sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648–1687). His mother was Gülnuş Sultan, originally named Evmania Voria, who was an ethnic Greek. He was born at H ...

, who appointed a new Shaykh al-Islām. Sources vary on the length of Hüseyin's term in office, from one to three days.

Exile and death

Hüseyin was

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

d to Cyprus on August 24, 1703. He died there in February 1704, and was buried near one of the mosques called Hagia Sophia.

References

{{Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire Jurists from the Ottoman Empire Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire Islamic scholars from the Ottoman Empire Shaykh al-Islāms