OTTOMAN RULE in DAMASCUS, 1708-1758 Princeton Studies on the Near East OTTOMAN RULE in DAMASCUS, 1708-1758
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OTTOMAN RULE IN DAMASCUS, 1708-1758 Princeton Studies on the Near East OTTOMAN RULE IN DAMASCUS, 1708-1758 KARL K. BARBIR PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY Copynght © 1980 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, NewJersey In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Guildford, Surrey All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data will be found on the last printed page of this book Publication of this book has been aided by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation This book has been composed in VIP Bembo Clothbound editions of Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and binding materials are chosen for strength and durability Printed in the United States of America by Princeton University Press, Princeton, NewJersey For Leila CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ix NOTE ON TRANSCRIPTION AND DATES xi ABBREVIATIONS xiii GOVERNORS OF DAMASCUS, 1708-1758 xv PREFACE xvii INTRODUCTION 3 MAPS 11,12 ONE CHANGING PATTERNS IN THE GOVERNORSHIP OF DAMASCUS 13 The Ottoman Provincial Governorship 14 First Set of Patterns: Limits on the Governor's Functions and Mobility 33 Second Set of Patterns: Provincial Centralization 44 Retrospect: the 'Azms and the GovernorshipofDamascus 56 Two CONTAINMENT OF PROVINCIAL GROUPS: NOTABLES, JANISSARIES, AND TRIBESMEN 65 The Notables: Provincial Patricians 67 The Janissaries 89 The Tribes 97 THREE THE PILGRIMAGE: CENTERPIECE OF OTTOMAN RULE IN DAMASCUS 108 FinancialBase 110 The Siirre 126 The Pilgrimage Fortress Network 133 Organization of the Pilgrimage Caravan 151 The Cerde and Pilgrimage Security 167 CONCLUSION 178 CONTENTS APPENDICES 181 ι. Rank and Position at Start of Damascus Governors' Careers, 1516-1757 181 II. Top Posts Attained by Damascus Governors, 1516-1757 182 in. Sources of Local Damascus Janissaries' Pay, 1706 183 iv. Projeaed Income and Expense of the Pilgrimage (Tertib Defterleri) 184 v. Summary of Damascus Provincial Accounts, 1741-1742, 1759-1760 191 vi. Register of Dawra Revenues, 1771-1772 193 vii. The Pilgrimage Fortress Network between Damascus and Medina 196 viii. PilgrimageRetinueExpenses, 1742-1743 198 ix. Attacks on the Pilgrimage Caravan, 1517-1757 200 BIBLIOGRAPHY 203 Archives. Note on the Ottoman Archives 203 Manuscripts, Printed Sources, Secondary Works, Reference Works 205 INDEX 213 LIST OF TABLES 1. Damascus' Contribution to Imperial Campaigns, 1683-1780 35 2. Complements of Damascus Janissary Corps, 1693-1746 95 3. Formal Divisions of the Province of Damascus, 1527-1641 102 4. The Pilgrimage Timetable 153 5. Goods Sold to Pilgrims along the Pilgrimage Route 165 NOTE ON TRANSCRIPTION AND DATES BECAUSE two Near Eastern languages are used in this study, complete consistency in transcription has not always been possible. Unless otherwise indicated, the names of Otto mans, and Turkish technical terms and phrases, have been transcribed according to the system followed in the New Red- house Turkish-English Dictionary (Istanbul, 1968). Well-known Arabic place-names are transcribed as they are commonly recognized. Names of Damascene notables, Arabic phrases and expressions, and citations from Arabic sources are trans cribed as in the International Journal of Middle East Studies, ex cept that long vowels are noted by a dash instead of a circum flex. Dates in the Islamic calendar have been converted in ac cordance with the tables provided by Faik Re§it Unat, Hicri tarihleri Miladi tarihe ^evirme ktlavuzu (4th expd. ed. Ankara, 1974). The terms "beginning," "middle," and "end" refer to the three decades of each month. ABBREVIATIONS BA Ba§bakanlik Ar§ivi (archives of the prime minister's office, Istanbul) BA-Cevdet Cevdet classification (collection of loose documents) BA-Cevdet/Askeri Military affairs subdivision of Cevdet B A-Ce vdet/D ahil iye Interior affairs subdivision of Cevdet BA-Emiri Ali Emiri classification (collection of loose documents) BA-Emiriym Ahmed, etc. Subdivision of Emiri by sultan's reign BA-Ibniilemin Ibniilemin classification (collection of loose documents) BA-Ibniilemin/Dahiliye Interior affairs subdivison of Ibniilemin BA-Ibniilemin/Tevcihat Appointments subdivision of Ibniilemin BA-Kepeci Kamil Kepeci classification (collection of assorted registers) BA-Maliye Maliyeden miidevver defterleri (assorted financial registers) BA-Miihimme Miihimme defterleri (registers of selected outgoing orders) BA-Name Name-i hiimayun defterleri (registers of imperial letters) ABBREVIATIONS EIi and EI2 Encyclopedia of Islam, first and second editions respectively IA Islam Ansiklopedisi, Turkish translation of EI1, with many articles revised and expanded SO Mehmed Siireyya, Sicill-i Osmani TDS Mehmet Zeki Pakalin, Osmanh tarih deyimleri ve terimleri sozliigii TKS Topkapi Saray Ar§ivi (archives of the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul) TKS-D. Defterler (registers) designation in TKS TKS-E. Evrak (loose documents) designation in TKS XlV GOVERNORS OF DAMASCUS, 1708-1758 1708 Nasuh Pa§a 1714 Topal Yusuf Pa§a 1716 Kapudan Ibrahim Pa§a 1717 Kopriilii Abdullah Pa§a 1718 Receb Pa§a 1719 (Jerkes Osman Pa§a (Abu Tawq) 1721 Ali Pa§a Maktuloglu 1723 (Çerkes Osman Pa§a (Abu Tawq) 1725 Ismail Pa§a (al-'Azm) 1730, November-December Muhsinzade Abdullah Pa§a 1730, December Aydinli Abdullah Pa§a 1734 Siileyman Pa§a (al-'Azm) 1738 Hiiseyin Pa§a Bostanci 1739 Muhassil Osman Pa§a 1740 Abdi Pa§azade Ali Pa§a 1741 Siileyman Pa$a (al-'Azm) 1743 Esat Pa§a (al-'Azm) 1757 Mehmed Ragib Pa§a (9 days) Mekkizade Hiiseyin Pa§a 1758 Ceteci Abdullah Pa§a xv PREFACE THIS BOOK began as a doctoral dissertation, with all the advan tages and disadvantages normally associated with that genre. I wish to acknowledge here the debts I owe to persons and in stitutions whose support or criticism have contributed to the writing of this book and have brought it to publication. Any errors or faults, however, are mine alone. I began five years of graduate study at Princeton University with an interest in the modern Arab world but, within a short time, decided to concentrate on Ottoman history as a perspec tive from which to view modern Arab history. From this simple recognition of an obvious political fact—that most of the Arab lands were, until fairly recently, a part of the Otto man Empire—I came to realize that far more was involved. Much as each of the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire may have retained and developed its own local traditions and culture, each was subjected in some degree to the influence of one of the last great Islamic states. Much of the evidence for this influence—and not simply the political—may be found in the Ottoman archives, that vast storehouse of information upon which this work is primarily based. An appreciation of the Ottoman environment from which modern Arab history, and in particular that of Damascus, developed made me dissatisfied at first with previous interpretations. Then, in my research, I tried to offer an alternative perspective. Further more, one of the pleasures of producing this study has been to emphasize and bring out many issues that remain to be explored. It is my hope that those interested in both Ottoman and modern Arab history will find here some questions to pursue in future research. That this book has resulted from the process of graduate study is due primarily to the guidance of Professor Norman Itzkowitz of Princeton, whose searching criticism, wit, con cern, and persistent encouragement are qualities that all of his PREFACE students over the years have come to appreciate. To him I owe my introduction to Ottoman history and most of my training. L. Carl Brown, Charles Issawi, and Martin Dick son, all of Princeton, also offered criticism and suggestions. A year of research in Istanbul (1973-1974) was made possi ble through a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. National Defense Fbreign Language Fellowships •from H.E.W. supported my study at Princeton University both before and after research in Turkey. Permission to use the archives and to photograph material was kindly granted by the cultural affairs section of the Turkish prime minister's office and by the Turkish foreign ministry. I would like to thank Mr. Hiisnii Ersoy of the Fulbright Commission office in Ankara for his efforts to obtain that research permission. The staffs of the Topkapi Saray Miizesi Ar§ivi, and especially Turgust I§iksal and Rauf Tuncay at the Ba§bakanhk Arjivi, were most generous with their assistance. Professor Halil Sahillioglu of Istanbul University, generously offered his vast knowledge of the Ottoman archives and Ottoman his tory. To all these institutions and individuals, my thanks. Several portions of this book were read as papers at meet ings of the Middle East Studies Association of North America and the American Oriental Society. I would like to thank those who commented on the papers, particularly Albert Hourani, Thomas Naff, Stanford Shaw, and William Ochsenwald. Two readers provided valuable comments on the manuscript of this book for the Princeton University Press: Herbert Bodman and Abdul-Karim Rafeq. My special thanks to them. To the Department of Near Eastern Studies of Princeton University, my thanks for including this work in the series Princeton Studies on the Near East. I owe a special debt of gratitude to Margaret Case of Princeton University Press for her patience, courtesy, and efficiency. Margaret Riccardi pro vided invaluable advice and assistance in preparing the manu script for composition at the Press. Financial assistance to the PREFACE Press for publication of this book has been provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to family and friends whose encouragement and support over the years have been such an important stimulus to my work. KARL K. BARBIR May, 1979 Siena Collige Loudonville, New York OTTOMAN RULE IN DAMASCUS, 1708-1758 INTRODUCTION AT THE CLOSE of the seventeenth century, the Ottoman Em pire suffered a series of disastrous defeats in war with Europe, which ended with the Treaty of Karlowitz of 1699.