Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Turcology Research, sa.74, ss.364-370, 2022 (Hakemli Dergi)
Structured Abstract
Ottoman raids on Bosnia region began towards the end of the fourteenth century. Hodidjed and its environs fell under Ottoman rule together with the Sarajevo Plain during the reign of Sultan Murad II. A sanjak was then established in 1463 in the region after the Ottomans
had captured all of Bosnia. In the sixteenth century, the boundaries under the Bosnian sanjak (region) expanded to include its neighboring
sanjaks of Herzegovina, Klis, Pakrats, and Krka. At first, the center of the sanjak was Sarajevo. It then shifted to Banaluka after 1552. In
1580, Bosnia gained statehood because of its military and strategic importance.
Following the Turkish conquest, Bosnia’s old towns and boroughs began to flourish. All cities that had been established by the Turks were
done so in strategically appropriate places in order to facilitate communication and transportation. These cities gradually evolved into
hubs of industry and commerce.
The contributions of Gazi Hüsrev Bey were particularly important in the development of Sarajevo city. Hüsrev Bey had served as governor of Bosnian sanjak for seventeen years. He had built many religious, commercial and cultural centers – each of which playing a very
important role in the Islamization of Sarajevo and its environs. He was also involved in intense conquests and holy wars. Thanks to his
contributions, Mr. Gazi Hüsrev is referred to as the second founder of Sarajevo, while Isa Bey is referred to as the first.
There are around seventy neighborhoods mentioned in the Kadi (muslim judge) registry in the period in question. Given that majority
of the city’s population is Muslim, the names of the neighborhoods are usually named after the founders of local mosques, masjids, zawiyahs, and madrasahs, or after specific individuals. Non-Muslim neighborhoods were enrolled in the registry as either Varoş and Frank
neighborhoods.
Various nations lived together in the Ottoman Empire. Court records show (us) that the social and economic relations between Muslims
and non-Muslims were highly developed because of the so-called “Nation System” (Millet Sistemi). The aim of that system was to ensure
that people of different religious backgrounds lived in peace and harmony. These records show that Muslims and non-Muslims vouched
for one another, borrowed and lent money, and even developed sale & purchase contracts. The flourishing Muslim/non-Muslim relations
suggest that these relations were based on mutual trust. This was also due to the trust that zimmis (non-Muslim subjects) had in the
Ottoman legal system.
In this study the şer‘iyye sicili (court records) of kazâ (district) of the Sarajevo was used as its main source. This registry dates between
1556 and 1558, and is 442 pages long. It contains case records related to real estate sales/purchases, debt and receivable issues, inheritances, marriages, divorces, slavery, farm and baştina (inherited land) savings problems, vakıfs (foundations, charities), bails, alimonies,
and some legal matters. According to the court records, interactions between Muslims and non-Muslims (largely) took place in the form
of trading, bail, and debt issues.
In the mid-sixteenth century, the city of Sarajevo was home to many vakıfs. Those founded by Hüsrev Bey, İsa Bey, and Kemal Bey stand
out in particular, among these. Other vakıfs from that period were founded by women. These vakıfs also appear to have made significant
contributions to commercial life. Mutual partnerships were made between the vakıfs’ capital and mudarebes (aka labour-capital participation). Moreover, loans were given to those in need of money – especially merchants and tradesmen. Money belonging to the vakıfs
appears to have been lent to the treaty via a contract (muamee-i şer’iyye) meant to protect its value against inflation.
Gazi İsa Bey’s vakıfs started Sarajevo’s evolution towards becoming a city. After Isa Bey’s death, Bosnian “bannermen” (sanjakbeyler) and
leading rulers, alongside wealthy me