Personal Names in The history of the warres betweene the Turkes and the Persians

Ursula Georges

Introduction

The history of the warres betweene the Turkes and the Persians was published in London in 1595. The book is a translation by Abraham Hartwell of an Italian account by Iohn-Thomas Minadoi. It includes a description of a sixteenth-century conflict between the Safavid Persians and the Ottoman Turks, a history of the origins of Islam, and an index of titles and place names. I have recorded the personal names from the section on the war between the Safavids and the Ottomans. The list includes the names of important Persian, Turkish, and Georgian figures. The Persians and Turks were Muslims, and many have typical Islamic names; the Georgians were predominantly Christian, though several of the Georgians listed below converted to Islam.

Note on the Names

The names given below were originally recorded in Italian forms. The English translator retained many of the Italian forms and spelling conventions. Thus, the forms cannot be used as a guide to the way a sixteenth-century Turk, Persian, or Georgian might have written his or her name, though they do show how a European might have recorded it.

Many of the names incorporate titles, including Chan (Khan), Emir, and Bassa (Pasha).

Cast of Characters

Persians

Tamas, king of Persia, d. May 11 1576

Ismahel, his second son

Mahamet, his eldest son, called Codabanda due to the disease of his eyes

Aidere, his third son

Mamut, his son

Solimano, his son

Mustaffa, his son

Emanguli, his son

Alichan, his son

Amet, his son

Abrahin, his son

Ismahel (the younger), his son

Zalchan, kinsman of Aidere's mother and chief Captain in the coast of Istigelu

Piry Mahamet, kinsman of Aidere's mother and chief Captain in the coast of Istigelu

Acta Hussain, kinsman of Aidere's mother and chief Captain in the coast of Istigelu

Abas Mirize, Mahamet's middle son

Emir Hamza, Mahamet's eldest son

Periaconcona, Tamas' daughter and older than all his sons

Calil-chan, a captain of great accompt and, as it were, Presidente of the kingdom

Curchi Bassi, a captain of great accompt and, as it were, Presidente of the kingdom

Mirize Salmas, chief among the Sultans of that court

Tamas, an infant

Ustref, Bassa of Van

Rustan Mirize, king of Candahar

Emir Miran, lord of Iest

Ebrain-Chan, lord of Lar

Georgians

Sahamal the Georgian, Periaconcona's uncle on her mother's side

Leventogli, lord of Georgia, called Schender or Alessandro, surnamed The Great

Ixis, his brother

Manucchiar, a Georgian

Dedesmit, a Georgian widow and mother of Manucchiar

Alessandro, her son

Lavassar

David, his son (convert to Islam), also known as Daut-chan

Simon, his son (convert to Islam)

Giusus, son of Gori (converted to Islam from a Greek version of Christianity)

Gori

Basacchiuc

Turks

Soliman, 11th emperor of the Turks and first of that name

Selim, his son

Amurat, son of Selim

Selim, Amurat's great-grandfather

Sinan Bassa, advisor to Amurat

Mustaffa Bassa, advisor to Amurat

Beyran the Bassa of Erzarum

Drevis, Bassa of Carnaemit

Osman Bassa

Mahamet Bassa

Mutafande Basse

Tocomac a Sultan, Chan and governor of Revan

Ferat Bassa

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By Ursula Whitcher, alias Ursula Georges, 2004