Hasan Tahsin, the Scholar and Patriot who Deserves a Special Place in the National Pantheon of Lore

Abstract

In writing these lines I was inspired by two distinguished persons: an exciting Albanian lady, Manushaqe Halili, who has dedicated all his life to discover the important contribution of Hoca Tahsin, particularly to find and illuminate the great work of that famous Albanian, as a scholar and patriot. The second is a very estimated Turkish colleague, Prof. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, who, besides his political activity, has published important scientific studies and monographs (in Turkish or English, translated in many other languages), on the Ottoman Civilization, State and Society, including science, education, scientific literature, etc. For him, Hoca Tahsin Efendi “is one of the pioneers of modern science in the 19th century in Ottoman Empire”. Prof. İhsanoğlu has highlighted, also, the role of Hoca Tahsin as a “head of the Darülfünun (Ottoman University)”, in his book “House of Sciences: Darülfünun” (Oxford University Press). Based on remained documents, in his book on Ottoman Scientific Legacy (Osmanlı Bilim Mirası), 2017, Prof. İhsanoğlu has chosen Hoca Tahsin “as one of 290 eminent scholars in the six century long Ottoman period among thousands of them”.
These two persons have helped me to understand better the contribution and the greatness of Hoca Tahsin, who, being under a permanent constriction and pressure of his surroundings, has tried to pass the limits of his time, always fed by the devotion of an erudite to universe and his creation, to knowledge and science. Precisely, my aim in this paper is to transmit to the reader my refreshed considerations, my concrete estimations and real feelings on Hoca Tahsin, and more, on the size and weight of this very special Albanian personality, on his inspirational work, high-toned life and heated patriotism.