Ottoman Empire Elena Marushiakova / Veselin Popov
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ProJect EDUcation OF Roma | HIStorY Roma ChiLdren COUNCIL CONSEIL OF EUROPE DE L´EUROPE in EUrope OTTOMAN 2.1 EMPIRE Ottoman Empire Elena Marushiakova / Veselin Popov Historical Sources about the “Gypsies” in the Empire | The “Gypsies” in the Tax Registers | Law Concerning the “Gypsies” in the Province of Rumelia | The “Gypsy Sanjak” – Roma in the Ottoman Army | The “Gypsy Sanjak” – Roma in Army Auxiliary Services | The Tax Register of Sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent | Measures against Nomadism. Settling the “Gypsies” | How the Roma Earned their Living | The Decline of the Ottoman Empire | Civic Status of the “Gypsies”. Official Legislation and Everyday Reality | The Beginning of Roma Emancipation The Roma in the Balkans did not live isolated from their cultural and historical surroundings; on the contrary, they were an integral part of it and consequently were greatly influenced by the various Balkan peoples. Significant numbers of Roma have remained in the Balkans for centuries, others migrated from there throughout the world in past and modern times, taking with them inherited Balkan cultural models and traditions. The Ottoman Empire dominated the Balkans for over five centuries and made a distinct impression on the culture and history of the region. Thus the role of the Ottoman Empire is a key factor in the process of the formation and development of the Roma people. SLOVAKia THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE Ill. 1 HUNGarY MOLdaVia Nikopol The Ottoman Empire in 1359 (14th Cent.) TranSYLVania The Sea The Ottoman Empire in 1451 croatia Crimea OF AZOV The Ottoman Empire in 1451-81 WALLachia The Ottoman Empire in 1512-20 BOSnia The Ottoman Empire in 1530-66 B L A C K S E A Serbia Sofia Sliven The Ottoman Empire in 1566-1683 (17th Cent.) RUmeLia Kirklareli The Ottoman Empire in 1856 Edirne Istanbul Prilep ItaLY ConQUEST - DateS ALbania AEGean Edirne 1361, Sofia 1364, SEA Bulgaria 1393-96, Wallachia 1393, Constantinople 1453 ((Istanbul), Morea Morea 1458-60, Serbia 1459, Tunis RhodeS Aleppo Bosnia 1463, Crimea 1475, Crete Albania 1478, Moldavia 1504, CYprUS M E D I T E R R A N E A N S E A Damascus 1516, Aleppo 1516, Tripoli Egypt 1517, Tripoli 1521, Rhodes 1522, Transylvania 1541, Damascus Cyprus 1571, Tunis 1574, EGYpt Crete 1669 IntrodUction longer or shorter periods of time. of the Roma population of the Otto- Experts on Roma often say that the man Empire was concentrated in the The Ottoman Empire (1299-1922) Balkans are “the second home of Balkans, and thus the Balkans have had a great influence on the overall the Roma”, thus emphasising the a particular meaning for their histo- course of world history as well as the important role the Balkans played rical fate, and for understanding the specific historical fate of a number in shaping the history, culture and contemporary situation of the com- of peoples who were part of it for language of the Roma. The majority munity. Historical Sources about the “Gypsies” in the Empire The “Gypsies” in the Tax Registers Law Concerning the “Gypsies” in the Province of Rumelia The “Gypsy Sanjak” – Roma in the Ottoman Army Some of the most important paragraphs of the “Law concerning the Gypsies in the Province of Rumelia”, issued by Sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent read as follows: “1. The Muslim Gypsies from Stambul, Edirne and elsewhere in Rumelia pay 22 akche for each household and each unmarried person. The infidels (Christian) Gypsies pay 25 akche, and, as for widows, they pay one akche tax. 2. They pay marriage fees as well as the fines for crimes and wrongdoings as do the rest of the subject people. [...] 3. The Gypsies who show obstinacy and stray from their judicial district, hiding in another district as well as in backyards, are to be found, admonished, strictly punished and brought back to their district. [...] 4. The fines, the usual taxes and penalties for severe criminal offences imposed on Gypsies by the Gypsy sanjak, belong to the chief of the Gypsy sanjak. No one from the local administration or the military should interfere. Exceptions to this are the Gypsies who are recorded as villains in the prebends, fiefdoms, fiefs and the sultan’s lands. 5. The taxes on the Gypsies from the above-mentioned feudal lands are collected from the Gypsies’ leader. The chief of the Gypsy sanjak, the chiefs of the regions in each province, the police and others have no right to interfere with them. 6. If Muslim Gypsies begin to nomadise with non-Muslim Gypsies, live with them and mix with them, they should be admonished; after being punished, the infidel Gypsies pay their taxes as usual. 7. Those Gypsies who are in possession of an authorisation from the sultan are to pay only the sultan’s tax and do not pay land tax ... and the other usual taxes.” Ill. 2 (abbreviated from Marushiakova / Popov 2001, p.32) craftsmen serving in the army), or were mely complex and interlocking milita- HISTORICAL SOURCES ABOUT among the population which accompa- ry-based administrative, economic and THE “GYPSIES” IN THE nied the invasions. Some of these Roma religious structure. This complicated EMPIRE went along with the army further into system encompassed the entire popu- Europe, but a considerable number re- lation and strictly controlled their daily The first migration of Roma into Asia mained in the Balkans. life. The inhabitants were also classed Minor and the Balkans, in the lands of They figure in various official hierarchically into various categories, the Byzantine Empire, dates back well documents of the Ottoman government the main two being the “true believers” before the 14th century. Large numbers and local administration, mainly in de- (the Muslims) and the “infidels” (the of Roma arrived in the Balkans later tailed tax registers, as well as in nu- subjected Christian population). These at the time of the Ottoman invasions merous court orders relating to a varie- categories were treated differently, the in the 14th-15th century. They were eit- ty of matters (civic, economic, religious members of each having a different sta- her directly taking part in the invasi- and family). The Ottoman social, politi- tus and varying obligations towards the ons (mainly as auxiliary soldiers or as cal and economic system was an extre- central state. quarter in each village or town. Each of respective territorial units, for instance ThE “GYPSIES” IN THE TAX these units had its own leader, meaning in the collection of laws and regulations REGISTERS that, here, the principle of limited group relating to the population of the Province responsibility was applied. of Rumelia (including almost the entire All subjects of the Ottoman Empire were The very first mention of “Gypsies” Balkan peninsula) from 1475 during the obliged to pay different taxes and were in the tax documentation of the Ottoman time of Mehmet II Fatih (The Conqueror). described in numerous tax registers. The Empire dates from 1430 and is found in There are also special registers preserved, existing Ottoman documents reflect in the Register of Timars (a kind of land pro- concerning only “Gypsies”, such as the great detail the desire of the administra- perty) for the Nikopol “sanjak” (territorial tax register for the Christian “Gypsies”, tion to incorporate the “Gypsy” popula- unit), in which 431 “Gypsy” households paying “jizie” (a poll tax for non-Mus- tion into its registers and to make them are registered, 3.5% of the total listed. lims) from 1487-1489. It records 3,237 pay the necessary taxes. The “Gypsies” From this first register and from later his- “Gypsy” households plus a further 211 were fully described by age, occupation torical documents it becomes clear that the widows’ households. The register in ques- and family status and, according to these majority of “Gypsies” there were settled tion has a special regulation dating from and other factors, were grouped into tax and were differentiated by their ethnicity, 1491 attached to it which reflected the poll units (“jemaats”), each with its respective and not by their way of life. tax dues, and also further specified taxa- leader; the communities in turn were divi- In many cases the “Gypsies” were tion, e. g. the “ispenche” (a land tax for ded into smaller units, based on the Roma included in common tax registers of the Christians, i.e. the settled “Gypsies”). The COUNCIL OF EUROPE Roma | HIStorY ProJect EDUcation OF Roma ChiLdren in EUrope OTTOMAN 2.1 EMPIRE Sultan Selim II’s decree reads: “The Gypsy communities who are found in Bosnia are entirely freed from the personal tax (m’af), from the other occasional taxes (takalif-i yor- fiye), and from any additional taxes (avariz). For the above mentioned Gypsies, one of their own should be elected and appointed for each group of 50 to be the leader (jemaat bashi). No one should interfere in his affairs, or limit him in any way. If anyone should break the law, they should be detained and, provided that guaran- tees are given by the community, and by its leader, there should be an oral hearing.” Ill. 3 Ill. 4 Decree of Sultan Selim II in 1574 (from Marushiakova / Popov 2001, p. 33) (Detail) (abbreviated from Marushiakova / Popov 2001, p. 34) data on large numbers of settled Chris- conquest, when the predominant religion apparently predominated in the region of tian “Gypsies” indicate that they have was Christianity. Judging from the regi- Thrace (which roughly corresponds with settled in these lands before the Ottoman ons mentioned, the Christian “Gypsies” the European part of modern Turkey). lims, paid a poll tax, which was coll- to ensure that taxes were collected in LAW CONCERNING THE “GYP- ected only from the non-Muslims.