Kadi (Ottoman Empire): Difference between revisions

The Ottoman Empire was governed through a top-down hierarchy with all authority ultimately residing with the sultan. As the empire began aggressively acquiring vast territories with diverse populations, the imperial authority adopted the timar system to rule over these lands and foster a steady source of tax revenue. Choosing from members of the ''[[Ulama|ulema]]'' (religious and legal scholars),<ref name=":0" /> the {{lang|tr|berats}} of the sultan appointed a kadi to a district.<ref name=":2" /> Within each district, a ''bey'' from the military class carried out the sultan's executive authority while the ''kadi'' represented his legal authority. The division of power between these two authorities produced a delicate balance; the bey needed a ''kadi’s'' judgement to punish a subject, and the ''kadi'' could not carry out his own rulings.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Ottoman Empire The Classical Age 1300-1600|last = Inalcik|first = Halil|publisher = London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year = 1973|pages = 183}}</ref> According to [[Amy Singer (historian)|Amy Singer]], “It was to them that peasants brought their complaints of abusive behavior suffered at the hands of the ''[[sipahi]]s'' and others.”<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title = Palestinian Peasants and Ottoman Officials|last = Singer|first = Amy|publisher = Cambridge University Press|year = 1994|pages = 122}}</ref> Although the ''kadi'' also often abused their authority,<ref name=":3" /> the division of power allowed the tax paying class to have their grievances addressed without involving the far-away imperial authority. The power vested in the ''kadi'' allowed them to protect the legitimacy of the timar system while also securing the empire's tax base.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Local Court, Provincial Society and Justice in the Ottoman Empire : Legal Practice and Dispute Resolution in Cankiri and Kastamonu (1652-1744)|last = Ergene|first = Bogac|publisher = Brill Academci Publishers|year = 2003|pages = 101}}</ref>