Osmanlı Arşivinde Bulunan Arapça Belgelerden Örnekler

Abstract

The aim of this article is to inform researchers that there are many documents in the Ottoman Archives prepared in the Arabic language. Among them, the most influential collections are Waqf deeds. The number of Arabic Waqf deeds is more than we expected. They were prepared by the Sultans, Grand viziers, and Pashas of different fields and several other service persons at the Palaces such as Agha-i Dârusse’âde and others at the service of Sultans. Mahdhars are the round robins signed by the many nobles in a community and emphasize the importance of interaction between the citizens and the highest administrators in the Ottoman Empire. When the people were not happy with the local administrators, they prepared a report to submit directly to the Sultan or other high authorities of the administration. Of these round robins (called Mahzars in the Ottoman language), they are in Turkish, Arabic, and other languages used by local people in the wide geography of the Ottoman Empire. Some commonly signed documents are in rarely used languages, such as Serbian, Hebrew, or Greek, because the Ottoman administration did not force their citizens (Teb’a-yı ‘Othmani ) to use the Turkish language in their daily communications. Therefore, today, people rarely speak Turkish in Arab and Balkan countries. Using languages other than Turkish in documents was perhaps a demonstration of the understanding and respect of the Ottoman Administration toward the local languages, religious beliefs, and local cultures. Another collection of Arabic documents in the Ottoman Archives was Nâme-i Humâyûn, namely, Sultan’s letters and correspondence with the rulers of Muslim states. Among the Muslim states are the rulers of Fas (Maghrib), Oman, and Iran. The letters sent to the Ameer of Mecca were in Arabic, accompanied with a Turkish copy. Another important collection in this category was the Muhimme Defterleri (Divan records), which sometimes include the Arabic records, especially the orders sent to the governors of the Arab countries, for example, Egypt and Baghdad. Therefore, Egypt registrations (Muhimme records of Egypt) constitute a crucial source for our subject in this article. Arabic-speaking researchers can easily pursue their research work at the Ottoman Archive without difficulty. Documenting this rich cultural heritage will enable researchers should they undertake further studies.