1700-1730 Yılları Arasında Manastır: Kent, Toplum ve Adalet Arayışı

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the concepts and practices of law and justice in the Manastir district during the years 1700-1730 in the Ottoman Empire. The study begins by presenting the spaces and society in which the practices of law and justice were implemented. Then, it examines the functions of the specific venues where these practices were shaped, namely the Manastir kadı council and the Divan-ı Hümâyun. The research shows that the kadı emerged more as an administrator rather than a jurist. This conclusion was reached as a result of content analysis based on shari’a court records. It has been understood that the majority of these records consist of the production of legally binding documents concerning events that took place outside the court. According to the complaint registers, the Divan-ı Hümâyun played a significant role in the pursuit of justice, as clearly observed. These records provide concrete examples regarding the central position of the concept of justice in Ottoman political thought, as well as the ways in which this justice was obstructed and safeguarded. While it cannot be claimed that kadıs were ineffective in ensuring justice, it should be noted that during the period studied, even kadıs were sometimes complained about for obstructing justice and were frequently ordered by the Divan-ı Hümâyun to take action to ensure justice. This situation demonstrates that kadıs did not possess an authority comparable to that of the Divan in distributing justice at the local level. Furthermore, the intensity of complaints originating from Manastir between 1700 and 1730 indicates that the people were experienced in seeking justice and that the Divan-ı Hümâyun worked to keep the gates of justice as open as possible in its efforts to ensure fairness.