1644-1646 yıllara ait Tuzla Siciline gör İzvornik Sancağındaki Tuzla / Memlehateyn vakıfları

Abstract

This paper provides study of waqf records in Sidjil of Memleḥateyn kadı / judge in Sanjak of İzvornik. It is one of the rare archival sources of 17th century for Sanjak of Izvornik, at the time in Eyalet of Bosnia, and the whole north-eastern part of today’s Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was preserved until today. Documents regarding waqfs were recorded covering Hijri zears 1053-56, that is to say 1643-46 according to the contemporary Gregorian calendar. Today most of the Sidjil is hosted in Gazi Husrev Bey Library in Sarajevo as part of Osman Asaf-ef. Sokolović’ bequest. This study of waqf aims to provide better understanding of a role that waqf had as an institution in Ottoman provincial hinterland. This Ottoman hinterland seems to be in decline when compared with some frontier centres, like the Ottoman Buda. In this study we see how waqfs were equally important as a source of cash for economic, cultural social and other activities both in urban as well as in rural areas. Hence the focuses of economic activities were in bigger centres. Besides being source of cash the records from Sidjil show how being employed in a certain waqf also meant a prestige in society at the local level. Therefore, it can be concluded that waqfs were invisible hand or a medium of Ottoman State through which people of different background at various levels could achieve their aims or provide material source for economic and social activities.