Abstract:

Abstract There was an increase in the number of disputes among both common people themselves and people and state officials particularly in provincial areas due to the decline of the Ottoman State Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. The disputes that couldn't be resolved by local authorities used to be discussed and resolved at Divan-ı Hümayun (Council of Ottoman State). Beginning in 1742, independent districts were formed and resolutions about the local disputes were recorded in a new type of registers called Verdict Registers (Ahkâm Defterleri). Each district had its own Verdict Register, but states did not have separate Verdict Registers. Even when a district had its own Verdict Register, some resolutions could be recorded in the Verdict Register of another district. Therefore, it is possible to find entries for complaint registers of Bağdat, Basra, Erzurum, Şehr-i Zor/Kerkük, Musul, Sivas, Rakka and Van as well as those for Diyarbakır in a particular register. In this study, nine Verdict Registers of Diyarbakır are introduced. As the entries in the registers are about the resolution of complaints from people, they contain very important information about daily life at the time. These registers reflect the formal views of the state, because they contain resolutions by Divan-ı Hümayun (Council of Ottoman State), which is the highest decision-making body in the Ottoman administrative system. Key Words: Divan-ı Hümayun (Council of Ottoman State), Complaint, Verdicts Register, Diyarbekir.

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