He was born in 1864 in Sarigüzel, Istanbul. His father is Menteşeoğlu Bahaddin from Kıbrıs and his mother is Mrs. Nevher. Ahmed Rasim, who studied at the neighborhood school, entered Darüşşafaka in 1875. He studied here for eight years. He graduated in 1883 and ranked first. He worked in the Technical Office of the Post and Telegraph Ministry. He gave his resignation after working for a year and a half. For a short time, he was a member of the Ministry of Education Inspection Board.
He started journalism with the encouragement of Ahmet Mithat. From 1891 he was recognized as one of the famous writers of Bâbıâli. He was elected as a deputy for Istanbul in 1927 during the Republic period. He came to Ankara and started to live in an inn room due to lack of money. A relative who noticed this situation reported to Atatürk. Gazi, who learned about the situation, was very upset. He sent his aide and invited Ahmed Rasim to Çankaya. He was embarrassed that he did not have any clothes to wear at this invitation. However, Atatürk welcomed him and sat next to him. After a long conversation: "Master! You are coming to Ankara and you are not calling us. We missed you. I will make an offer and ask you to accept it. Would you accept if we show you a candidate for parliament?" Expressing gratitude to this gentle and emotional invitation, Ahmed Rasim said: "Your Holiness Pasha! There is a saying that money doesn't grow on trees. This saying is really true. I have now got this income."
He died at the age of 68 in Heybeliada and was buried there.
A major journalist, Ahmed Rasim's about 140 works and thousands of articles were published. He was given to the court of war because of one of his articles and he was acquitted. He wrote about every subject. He has translated many works from French. He wrote novels and stories. He prepared textbooks for schools. Among them, ones describing Istanbul during the reign of 2nd Abdulhamid (1876-1909) in all its details and with perfect observations, are immortal works. His works named "City Letters" and "Ottoman History with Pictures and Maps" are still read with great appreciation. He was a complete Istanbul master. There is also some poetries of him. He wrote beautiful lyrics. Most of the lyrics of his songs are his own.
Ahmed Rasim, who learned music from Zekai Dede in Dârüşşafaka but did not know music notes, composed about 65 songs. 50 of them are known today. He remained within the framework of 21 makams in all his songs, but he produced beautiful works with his sincere style. He started composing with an 18-year-old Zâvil song when he was a student in Dârüşşafaka. He is the grandson of the well-known composer Osman Nihat Akın by his daughter.
Most of his works are in TRT Repertoire. Some of them are:
- Bayati/Aksak “Yar Gülmüş Halime, Ben, Ağladım”
- Bayatiaraban/Düyek “Gözümde İşvenümâdır Hayal-bî Bedeli”
- Ferahnâk “Sen Bizi Sattın, Bıraktın Dün Gece”
- Hisarbuselik “Evvelleri Kaçmazdı, Görünce Sarılırdı”
- Hicaz/Aksak “Can Hasta, Gözüm Yaşlı, Gönül Zar-ü Perişan”
- Hicaz/Curcuna “Çâre Bulan Olmadı Bu Yâreye”
- Hicaz/Curcuna “Bir Kerre N’olur Şûh-i Şenim Hem-Tenim Olsan”
- Hicazkâr “Senden Mi Ağlayarak Ayrılacaktım?”
- Hicazkâr/Sofyan “Neden Bilmem Diğer Gûnum?”
- Hüseynî/Aksak “Sineme Çeksem Seni Bir Şeb N’olur?”
- Hüzzam “Kim Tahammül Eylemiştir?”
- Hüzzam/Aksak “Heyecânım, Harekâtım, Şu Garîbâne Nazar”
- Hüzzam “Sevdâ, Ona Yaklaşma, Yanarsın, Tutuşursun”
- Hüzzam/Düyek “Zamânı Var İken Bezmî Ararsın”
- Isfahan/Aksak “Yine Yalnız, Yine Mahrûm-ı Tesellî Kaldım”
- Isfahan/Curcuna “Feryâdıma, Efganıma İmdâd Edecek Var”
- Uşşak “Gönlümün Bir Hâli Var Ki”
- Karcığar “Benim Ömrüm, Benim Cânım Efendim”
- Kürdili-Hicazkâr/Düyek “Seni Sevdim Güle Nisbet”
- Kürdili-Hicazkâr “Bilmem Ki Tahammül Mü Çoğaldı, Ne Bu Halim?”
- Kürdili-Hicazkâr/Aksak “Cüdâ Düşse Sevdiğinden Bir Âdem”
- Mâhûr /Ağır Aksak “Sen Ne Âfetsin Ki Çeşmin Bî-misâl”
- Mâhûr/Aksak “Güzel Olsun, Cefâ-Kâr Olmasın, Olmaz”
- Muhayyer “Güldün Eğlendin, Perîşan Hâl-ü Kalimle O Gün”
- Muhayyer “Niçün Bulmaz Dil-î Bî-çâre Ârâm?”
- Muhayyer/Aksak “Bir Gönülde İki Sevdâ, Sonu Bilmem Ne Olur?”
- Muhayyerkürdî “Geçmiyor Eyyâm-ı Fîrkat, Gitmiyor Benden Melâl”
- Rast/Sofyan “Leb-î Rengînine Bir Gül Konsun”
- Segâh/Aksak “Benim Sen Nemsin Ey Dilber”
- Sûzînak/Ağır Aksak “Gel Seninle Yeni Bir Aşka Giriftâr Olalım”
- Sûzînak/Curcuna “Yâre Tesir Eylemiş Hâlim ki Olmuş Girye-nâk”
- Sûzînak/Curcuna “Pek Revâdır Sevdiğim Ettiklerin”
- Uşşak/Aksak “Bir Bahar İster Gönül Gülsüz Semensiz Lâlesiz”
- Uşşak/Aksak “Aman Sâki Canım Sâki”
- Uşşak/Aksak “Sen Söyle, Ne Oldun Yine Âvare Mi Kaldın?”