Anadolu uygarlıklarının beşiği kabul edilebilecek kadar zengin bir birikime sahip olan Kütahya, yetiştirdiği şairlerle her dönemde bu coğrafyanın en önemli kültür merkezlerinden biri olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Öncelikle yüz elli sene süren Germiyan Beyliğidöneminde, bilhassa Süleyman Şah’ın ve II. Yakub Çelebi’nin âlim ve şairlere önem vermesiyle şehirde ciddi bir edebî bir ortam oluşmuştur. Mevcut edebi ortam bu yüzyıllarda korunmuş ve özellikle XVI. yüzyıla kadar Kütahya’da Klasik Türk Edebiyatının en parlak dönemlerinden birini yaşadığı görülmüştür. XIX. asra kadar zayıflayarak gelen bu edebî ortamda Osmanlı siyasetçisi ve edibinin, edebiyat ve olaylara bakışı ile bir önceki dönemdekilerin bakışları arasında bazı farklılıkların ortaya çıktığı görülmektedir. Bu devirlerde Osmanlı'nın sıkıntılarını keşfeden ve onu kendi dairesi içinde tedavi etmeye çalışan devlet adamları ve yazarlar, medeniyet değiştirmeyi hiç düşünmeksizin topluma ait eski dinamikleri yeniden canlandırma gayretine girmişlerdir.XVIII. yüzyılın son çeyreğinden başlayarak, askerî eğitime yön veren yeni kurumlar açılmış, Yeniçeri Ocağı kaldırılmıştır. 1839’taki Tanzimat Fermanı’nın ilanı ile her şeyde olduğu gibi şiirde de yeni açılımlar oluşmuş, Divan edebiyatında bulunmayan makale, tiyatro, roman, hikâye, anı, eleştiri gibi yeni edebi türler edebiyatımıza girmiştir. Her ne kadar XIX. yüzyıl yenilik hareketlerinin dönemi olsa da yüzyıllardır süren alışkanlıkların bir anda ortadan kalkması mümkün olmamış, eski ile yeni iç içe hükmünü sürdürmüştür.Bu çalışmamızda, XIX. yüzyılda yaşanan gelişmelere paralel olarak Kütahya’da pek çok şairin yetiştiğini gördük. Dönemin kaynaklarında bu şairler hakkında yer alan bilgileri ele aldık. Şairleri değerlendirirken bu dönemin edebi muhitini ve kültürel değerlerini ortaya koyduk. XIX. yüzyılda Kütahya’da yaşayan şairlerin poetikası, dünyâ görüşü, tasavvufî konumu, eserleri ve sanatkârlıkları ile ilgili pekçok bilgiyi tespit ettik.İncelemelerimiz sonucunda XIX. yüzyıl Kütahya edebî muhîtinde şairlerin yetişmesinde etkili olan üç genel çevre olduğunu gördük. Kütahya’da yaşayan şairlerin yetişmesinde etkili olan ilk çevre Memur çevresi yani devlet dairelerinin kalemleridir. San’atkarlar devlet merkezinde saray ve konaklarda, İstanbul dışında sancak merkezlerinde paşaların, beylerin emrinde ve konaklarında, şehzade saraylarında birer edebî muhit meydana getirmişlerdir. Şairlerin çoğu ya resmi görev ile ya da geçimlerini sağlamak için bu saraylara ve konaklara girmişler, buralarda himaye edilmişlerdir. Bunun karşılığında da eserler yazıp, hamilerine sunmuşlardır. Bu edebi muhitlerin en genişi, şüphesiz Saray çevresinde teşekkül etmiştir. Padişahlar ve diğer devlet adamları sanatçıları koruyup sanatla iç içe oldukları müddetçe etraflarındaki edebî muhît genişlemiş veya daralmıştır.

Kütahya has a rich heritage and it can be considered as the cradle of Anatolian civilazations. It appeared as one the most imprtant cultural centers of each peirod in this geography with nurtured poets. During the 150 years of Germiyan governorship a serious literary environment was appeared in and around the city with a given importance to scholor and poets especially with support of the Süleyman Şah and II. Yakup Çelebi. Existing Literary environment was protected in this centuries. One of the most brillant periods of the classic Turkish Literarure was lived until the 16th Century. Reducing the literary environment until the 19th century some differences were appeared between Ottoman politic’s look on literarture. In this eras, politicians and writers who discovered problems of Ottoman Empire and tried to treat them in itself, had an effort to revive old dynamics of society without thinking of changing civilization and tried to inspire the old dynamics of the society. Starting in the last quarter of 18th century new institutions were opened that gave direction to military education and the Janissary was abolished. There were new developments on poetry with the declaration of Tanzimat Fermanı (Reforms Ordinance) and new genres of literary expression appeared in our literature as prose, theatre, novel, story, memoire, and criticism that have not existed before. Altough 19th century was a period of reform actions, centuries-long habits not been able to disappear in a moment, the new reigned, intertwined with the old. In this study, we discovered that many poets improved simultaneouslywith existing developments in Kütahya. We took informations of the poets from sources of the period. While evaluating the poets, we set forth this period’s literary surroundingsand cultural values. We established plenty of information about political lines, world views, mystical positions, works and artistries of poets who lived in Kütahya. As a result of our research, we saw three general environments which were influential on the development of poets and the literary surroundings of Kütahya in 19th century. First environment which was effective on the development of poets was goverment officials. Artists have created a literary surrounding in palaces and mansions and at goverment centers, incounty centers out of Istanbul, emirates and mansions of pashas and governors, in princes’s palaces. Most of the poets joined in these palaces and mansions with the intention of official duty or provide for their life. They also received protection in these places. In return, they wrote their works and presented them to their patrons. Without doubt, largest literary surrounding was the one around the palace. As long as Sultans and other governors protected artists and lived within the arts, these literary surroundings might prosper. At the end of our researchs we found thirty poets who worked in the Goverment Office of Kütahya in 19th century. These poets are as follows: Abdulaziz Efendi, Abdullah Hakkı Efendi, Abdülkadir Şükrî Efendi, Ahmed Âtıf Bey, Ahmed Şâkir Paşa, Ahmet Vasfi Erkut, Ali Süha Delilbaşı, Asım Yakup Efendi, Baharî Bey, Hacı Nurî Bey, Hacı Yahya İhyâ Bey, Hasan Bedrettin Paşa, Hakkı Bey, Hakkı Paşa, Halet Mehmed Said Efendi, Halil Edîb Bey, Hasenî, Hüsnî Bey, Kirâmî, Lebib Mehmed Efendi, Mustafa Reşid Paşa, Namdar Rahmi Karatay, Osman Nurî Paşa, Osman Seyfi Bey, Râgıb Mehmed Paşa, Seyyid Mehmed Saîd Gâlib, Seyyid Mehmed Şem'î, Sirozlu Yûsuf Muhlis Paşa, Vahid Mehmed Paşa. At the begining of the century we witnessed that II. Mahmud and III. Selim who were interested in poetry and literarture, provided patronship for the artists. III. Selim had an artistic soul and wrote poetry with a inspiration. He protected poets who were raised in his period especially Şeyh Galip. Abdülkadir Şükrü Efendi who was a poet and existed in III Selim’s literary environment even gave Hüsn-ü Hat lessons to him. II. Mahmut wrote poetry with the nickname Adli and interested in hat and musicial art. He alsoprovided an important platform for the growth of politics and literature by opening the Translation Room in 1832. Yahya İhya Bey provided important contributions to Kütahya’s literary environment, resided in II. Mahmut Han’s palace together with other poets. He prompted to II. Mahmut’s authority. There were Kütahya’s other poets who resided near the governors and protected by them except the sultans. Ahmet Şakir had an imamete duty and raised to the vizier position near Firdevsi Efendi whom was a governor of the Ottoman Empire. Halet Mehmet Said Efendi depended on Galip Dede and became private secretary to Büyük Reşid Efendi. Then he became Kethuda to Ebubekir Sami Pasha, Ohrili Ahmet Pasha and Molla of Yenişehir Governor Ali Rıza Pasha appricated by Nuri Bey and he was honored with a Grand Seigneur position. Osman Seyfi Bey had a duty as a Writer of Divan near Baghdad Governor of Ali Rıza Pasha. Seyyid Mehmet Said Halet Efendi gave enlightment lessons in the old Sheikh al-Islam Şerif Efendi’s room. Hacı Nuri Bey got education in Enderun. The second effect on the literary environment of Kütahya’s poets was created by poets who grown in and around religious constitution. As happened in each depression period, there was an interest to engage religion in 19th Century. Almost all of the poets from Divan literature engaged in a religious institution. The number of Kütahya’s poets was found to have grown in and around religious activities. Several important names were: Abdülbâkî Baykara Dede, Ahmet Remzi Akyürek, Delilbaşı Talip Pasha, İsmail Hakkı Efendi, Künhî, Mehmed Celaleddin Dede Efendi, Nasır Seyyid Abdülbâkî Dede, Nutkî Ali Dede, Şeyh Haydar Efendi. Most of these poets from the 19th Century source belonged to Mevlevi tradition. Kütahya, after the proince Konya and Afyon, being the third center of the Mevlevi tradition was very effective in this outcome. Mevlevi Houses (Mevlevihane) hosted all branches of fine arts and many important literary environments came into being around Mevlevi Houses. Also, Kütahya Erguniyye Dergahı was effective in developing of the literary environment. Several of Kütahya's poets mentioned in resources were: Delilpaşa Talip Pasha, Seyit Mehmed Said Halet Efendi, Hakkı Efendi, Abdülbâkî Baykara Dede, Künhî, Nasır Seyyid Abdülbâkî Dede and Nutkî member of religion and proficient poets were raised in Mevlevi Houses. Raised in this period, Kütahya’s poets were not only engaged Mevlevi tradition but also different religious traditions with heart. Hocazade Kamil Efendi attached to Sheik of Halveti Pir İsmail Hakkı Uzunçarşılı of Nakşıbendi tradition with heart. Şeyh Haydar Efendi attached to Rufai Şeyhi Hasan Efendi. Şeyh Salih Efendi and Zekai Mustafa Efendi were scholors of Şabani tradition. The third effect on the literary environment of Kütahya’s was formed by poets who were raised according to the minstrel (âşık) tradition. Same of the poets who were raised in Kütahya in the 19th Century. Kept the minstrel tradition with a relationship of master and apprentice. Seven poets’ names were prominent: Their names were: ʿÂrifî, Âşık Ömer, Âşık Sırrı, Âşık Şükrü, Dülgerin Hüseyin Ağa, Hocazâde Kâmil Efendi and Pesendî. Most of these poets professed their art and entartained the public with their instrument as they went around step by step to coffee houses, wedding fair and festivals in Anatolia instead of staying at Sultan’s palace of goverment centre, governers and pashas’ residences. Most of the poets of this century were literate. Some of the poems of ʿÂrifî and Hocazâde Kâmil Efendi were in a Divan whch are not unlike classical forms. It is understood that authors of this era only included Divan poets in their collection of biographies. We found information about Âşık Ömer only from Mecmâʿ-ı Şu’arâ and the Tezkire-i Üdebâ collection of biographies of the period. Additional information was extracted from cönks and other sources and magazines of the period. At the end of the research, the aforementioned names from 19th century sources of Kütahya’s poets, the literary environments and the place of Kütahya in 19th Century Turkish Literature were evaluated. Besides forming an inventory for poets of 19th century Kütahya also the richness of literature of Kütahya was displayed.