A Humoral Diagnosis of Statecraft and Justice from Katip Çelebi

Part 2 of a translation of Katip Çelebi's Düstûr ül-Amel fî Islâh il-Halel

This is part 2 of a translation of Katip Çelebi's Düstûr ül-Amel fî Islâh il-Halel. Part 1 can be found here.

In this section, Katip Çelebi compares the components of the state to those of the human body. Both are composed of a variety of elements that, when out of balance, have the potential to upset the constitution of the whole. The body politic metaphor is a well-attested one throughout history, with one of the earliest references being Menenius Agrippa’s famous fable of the stomach and the limbs of a human body representing the patricians and the plebeians in ancient Rome.

Of particular note in this section of the text is the emphasis on scholarship and knowledge as a means of ensuring justice for the populace. Ottoman political theorists regularly emphasized the role of knowledge (derived from the shari’a) as the basis for the implementation of justice.

Also of note is his willingness to (indirectly) criticize the government for its misapplication of justice and order as it pertains to the commoners. The Ottoman state was far from an absolutist monarchy, despite the growth of the sultan’s theoretical and practical powers in the 16th century. Career bureaucrats like Katip Çelebi had opportunities to identify and offer solutions to government mismanagement, although such criticisms were often implicit, and not directly accusing individual sultans of mismanagement.

Translation:

Chapter One: On the Condition of the Reʿāyā

First of all, it is well known to the people of the world and requires no further explanation that the subjects and commoners are a divine trust placed in the hands of kings and rulers. The maxim “There is no sovereignty without men, no men without the sword, no sword without wealth, no wealth without subjects, and no subjects without justice” is a clear and self-evident truth. According to the saying “The best speech is brief and meaningful,” there is no need for lengthy elaboration on this point. Yet, for clarity and instruction, we shall expand slightly on its meaning and implications.

Just as the visible human body is composed and structured from the four elements and the four humors, and is governed by the soul through the intermediary of senses and faculties, so too is the human social order composed and structured from four essential components. These, through the intermediaries that correspond to the senses and faculties—namely, the notables and officials of state—are governed by the sultan, who occupies the role of the rational soul (nefs-i natika) and holds the reins of governance and administration, insofar as he possesses sufficient capacity.

These four essential components are:

1. the scholars (ʿulamaʾ),

2. the military (ʿaskar),

3. the merchants (tujjār),

4. the commoners (reʿāyā).

The noble class of scholars corresponds to the humor of blood (dam), which is a praiseworthy element and akin to the heart—the source of the vital spirit (rūḥ ḥayawānī). The vital spirit is a fine and subtle essence that, by virtue of its refinement, flows naturally throughout the body. The blood carries it and conveys it to the limbs and depths of the body’s parts, thereby giving them life and function.