The search for justice in Amasya (according to the judgment books dated 1800-1850)

The Ottoman State, which viewed justice as the reason for its existence, strived to keep avenues for seeking redress open and multifaceted for its subjects. This study examines the pursuit of justice and access to complaint mechanisms in the Ottoman provinces through the case of the Amasya Sanjak between 1800 and 1850. It seeks to determine how central-provincial relations reflected the political and socio-economic landscape regarding regional security during the critical period leading up to the Tanzimat reforms. Furthermore, the research intends to offer a unique local perspective on the functioning of the Ottoman justice system during this transition. A qualitative method was adopted in this research to examine public order incidents that occurred in the Amasya Sanjak in the first half of the 19th century. The primary sources for the study consisted of fourteen Ahkâm registers and other archival documents. Furthermore, relevant literature was reviewed to understand the social, economic, and political structure of the period. Complaint topics were categorized and analyzed based on the demographic characteristics of the plaintiffs/defendants. Tables, graphs, and figures were used to present quantitative data. This allows for a more comprehensive understanding of justice-seeking tendencies in the Ottoman provinces and their specific situation in the Amasya Sanjak. As a result of the study, it was observed that the phenomenon of complaints manifested itself in a wide range of ways in the Ottoman provinces during the period under study. In the Amasya Sanjak, legal disputes such as timar (fief), foundations, debts and receivables, water, taxes, inheritance, property seizures, and violation of consent were recorded in the records. In the face of any injustice, many people living in Amasya, including men and women, rulers and ruled, soldiers and civilians, regardless of their religious affiliation engaged in struggles to resolve their problems. The examined documents indicate that both the complainants and the complained individuals were predominantly male. When cases were referred to the central authority, central administrators could be said to have made efforts to resolve these issues by contacting the provincial administrations. In conclusion, this study, using the Amasya example, successfully makes original contributions by revealing, through concrete archival records, the centralized control of the Ottoman justice system and the continuity of humanity's pursuit of justice.