Complaint rights and mechanism in the rural of the Ottoman Empire Erzurum province (1742-1800)

In the study, the social, economic, administrative, judicial, etc. problems reflected in the Erzurum Ahkâm Books, of the people living in Erzurum province, one of the important provinces of the Ottoman Empire, between 1742 and 1800, were investigated. The most important reason for choosing this topic is that there are not enough studies about the examined period and sources. The main source of the study, the Ahkâm Books, is the divan minutes in which the problems of the people who go to the Divan-ı Hümayun for their complaints and the solutions proposed to these problems are recorded. The information obtained from the provisions recorded in the Erzurum Ahkâm Books provides information about the daily life and problems of the people and enables the evaluation of the period. It is possible to see the effects of the political and economic situation of the state on the people, administrators and other officials. One of the subjects that the study aims to reveal is the relations between the center and the provinces. The study consists of three parts. In the first part, Ottoman law and complaint mechanism were examined. In the second part, the formation and functioning of the complaint system in Erzurum province, the right of the people to apply to the Divan-ı Hümayun and the forms of application was mentioned. The characteristics such as the region of dwelling and status of the people complaints to the Divan were evaluated from various perspectives. In the third and last part, security, miri land regime, foundation, inheritance, debt-credit, personal intervention, immigration etc. the general complaints of the people on the issues were evaluated. Subjects were evaluated with statistical data supported by graphical tables. In the conclusion part, the inferences mentioned in detail in the study are presented in general terms. Keywords: Erzurum Province, Erzurum Ahkâm Books, Complaint, Divan-ı Hümayun, XVIII. century