The contributions to the Bolu history by the 979th cadi register

Ottoman Empire takes a very significant place in Turkish history and culture. The most important judicial organ of this Turkic state which adopts Islamic law as judicial system is tribunal of cadi. These tribunals have left very important documentary about judicial, economic, law, military, administrative, and social institutions of Ottoman Empire behind in various periods. Court decisions in Ottoman Empire which places emphasis on supremacy of law were registered to the very day, its notarial dealings were registered by stating person, duration, and place as well. Owing to this accuracy, cadi records each is a very important source concerning conventional and economic life.The basis of our thesis is the Bolu Cadi Register, plant numbered 979, avaliable in the Presidency of National Library. Aforementioned registery consists of 49 folios and involves 175 documents which are composed of correspondences between administrative centre and provinces about all sorts of conventional and economic concerns and on various cases recorded at law. These correspondences have been typed in literary language of the period that they are chained.The Bolu Cadi Register, plant numbered 979, which we have chosen as our subject of the study involves the court records litigated (1295?1296/ 1878?1879) in Bolu and its surrounding area. The reason of our particularly choosing this period is the insufficiency of the illuminating bibliography between these years with regard to Bolu. Dealing with this thesis we aimed to achieve new and important data in terms of Bolu and Ottoman history.During the analysis of the register it is aimed to minimize failure first by reading the documents, then by dealing with regarded sources for misread or uncertain words. In substitution of the unreadable words, the words in the original text have been written and readable but uncertain words have been expressed with interrogation marks (?).In part I of our thesis, the political history of Bolu from ancient history to republic period is clarified and to which civilizations it has become a host is mentioned. Besides cannonical law, cadi courts and cadi registers are dealt with in detail. As for the part II we gave information about the administrative structure of Bolu. In part III we attempted to give illuminating data about the socio-economic and cultural life of Bolu and tried noting on this issue. Finally in part IV the transcription of cadi register, numbered 979 is involved in.Key Words: History of Bolu, cadi records, Ottoman Empire, 19th century, social and cultural life