Yahya bey Dukagjini

Yahya bey Dukagjini (1488–1582; or , and ) was an Albanian poet and military figure. He is known for his Ottoman Turkish diwan poems of the 16th century.

In his youth, Dukagjini was recruited as a poet via the Ottomans' devşirme. He acted as a military figure, serving as a bölükbaşı. He participated in the 1514 Battle of Chaldiran, the 1516–17 Ottoman–Mamluk War, the Baghdad expedition of 1535, and the Siege of Szigetvár in 1566. Dukagjini was exiled after writing an elegy about Şehzade Mustafa, Suleiman the Magnificent's executed son. The elegy openly blamed the Grand Vizier, Rüstem Pasha, who exiled Dukagjini to the Balkans, where he spent his remaining life.

Life Origins Yahya was born in 1488 or 1489, though his exact location of birth is unknown, but he was born somewhere in Northern Albania. Turkish poet Muallim Naci gave him the nickname "Taşlicali". A relative of the poet Dukaginzade Ahmed Bey, Yahya was enlisted as a janissary. The Shihāb al-Dīn, gave him additional rights, allowing him to meet Kadri Efendy, Ibn Kemal, Nishandji Tadji-zade Dja'fer Çelebi, Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha, and İskender Çelebi.

Khayali Mehmed Bey was an enemy of Yahya, another poet he met in 1536. He attacked Khayali Mehmed Bey satirically in his verses. Yahya wrote a qasida against him, giving it to the Sultan and Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha during the Persian campaign, who was declared as "enemy of the poets". Rustem Pasha was said to be so enthralled with the level of contempt towards Khayali, and made Yahya administrator of several foundations in Bursa and Istanbul. As a member of the askeri class, he apparently could not be left to starve. Yahya went to exile back in the Balkans to escape persecution, and wrote satirical lament on Rustem Pasha after his death. The location where he was sent is disputed. According to some sources, he took over a fief near Zvornik in today's Bosnia and lived pretty well afterwards receiving a 27,000 while others say 1575, 1573 (982 in IC), 1578-79 (986 in IC), or 1582 (990). There are also claims that he was buried in Istanbul, while Bursalı Mehmet Tahir Bey and Muhamed Hadžijahić place also Loznica as place of death.

Yahya's took inspiration from Sufi poet Mevlevî (also known as Rumi, Mevlânâ, or Jalāl ad-Dīn, founder of Mevlevi Order). Mevlevi is cited in some of Yahya's works.

Yahya also wrote "Şehrengiz" (City Book), where he describes the cities of Edirne and Istanbul.

Works

The following is a list of Yahya bey Dukajini's works:

Diwan, printed in Istanbul in 1977 (selections from his Collected Poems were published by Mehmet Çavuşoğlu in 1983). Khamsa (Five Poems): Şah ü Geda - The King and the Beggar Yusuf ve Züleyha - Yusuf and Züleyha Gencine-i Raz - Treasure of Secret Gülşen-i Envar - Rose Garden of the Lights Kitab-ı Usul - Book of Procedures Şehrengiz-i İstanbul (City Book of İstanbul), published by Mehmet Çavuşoğlu in Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Dergisi, 1969 Şehrengiz-i Edirne (City Book of Edirne)

Two additional poems are usually attributed to Dukagjini: Nāz ü-Niyāz (Coyness and Yearning) Sulaimān-nāme (Book of Sulaiman: this poem is of around 2,000 verses, but left unfinished)

Legacy A courageous soldier, Dukagjini is noted for acting as a type which admirably combined the sword with the pen. His independence merged with his courage was his most notable trait. Yahya Bey is considered today as one of the greatest Ottoman diwan poets of the time.

In popular culture Yahya bey Dukagjini is depicted in the Turkish TV series Muhteşem Yüzyıl (The Magnificent Century), performed by Serkan Altunorak.