The crime and the criminals in the Ottoman Empire in the second half of the 17th century: Central Anatolia example

The Ottoman Empire was a great state that was founded by accommadate the concept of justice into its dynamics, existed for centuries, and dominated three continents. The state, which expanded rapidly until the 16th century, had to effort with serious problems towards the end of the 16th centruy. The environment of discontent and rebellion that began with the Celali rebellions meant a period of struggle for the state, while for the people it meant persecution and victimization. Because bandit gangs, taking advantage of the weakening political authority of the state, rebelled against the state, cut roads, raided houses, persecuted the people, and when judicial incidents such as rape, murder, theft, extortion, etc. were added to these victimizations, a serious social corruption emerged. The economic power of the Ottoman Empire, which had been hit by the long and unsuccessful wars it had fought, and the political and military power of the state with its inadequate bureaucracy had weakened. Besides, The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) strained the empire, which also faced frequent confrontations with Poland, Austria, and Russia during this period. Also, with the defeat of Vienna II in 1683, which was a turning point for the state, the state suffered a major blow and an environment in which order was disrupted in all cities of Anatolia. The Ottoman Empire, which was trying to maintain its power, tried to stay on its feet with tax increases and varios measures and important steps were taken in the form of reform effort in this sense, But, these measures, though temporary and short-term solutions, failed to provide a remedy for the empire, which had been severely weakened in every aspect. While the bandits acted against the state, the people were crushed under the burden of heavy taxation, and the incompetent and unqualified civil servants appointed to state offices furthermore weakened the bonds between the people and the state. The practices of some state officials, such as bribery, favoritism, and forced tax demands, consumed the populace, while those who sided with the bandits inflicted significant harm on both the people and the state. This negative trajectory had penetrated the very capillaries of the state. Therefore, this situation had the greatest impact on the number and types of crimes. Because crime, as a social reality, was never seperate from social developments and changes. The decline in the state economy led to an increase in financially motivated crimes such as theft, extortion, debt disputes, and fraud. During periods of weakened state control, crimes against political power such as rebellion and banditry were observed, while moral deterioration affected judicial events such as adultery, prostitution and rape. Because society and the state were tightly linked like a chain. These so-called crisis years had a severe impact on all institutions and areas of the Ottoman Empire. As a result of these unfavorable developments, major changes were lived in the political, economic, cultural and social structure. In Anatolia, where all activities were disrupted, both Muslim and non-Muslim populations were adversely affected. As a result of the deteriorations, there was an increase in crime rates and moral deformities. The deterioration felt in all segments of society was reflected in the increasing number of crimes. The second half of the 17th century was a time of increasing disorder and insecurity, when trust in justice was on the verge of disappearing. It would not be wrong to say that the reason for this situation was the loss of political, economic and social control by the state. One of the regions most affected by the chaos was Central Anatolia. In this study, Ankara, Kayseri, and Konya were chosen as sample areas because they reflect both the identity of Central Anatolia and that of the Ottoman Empire. Ankara, Kayseri and Konya, located in Central Anatolia, are important both as crossroads of the state and as centers of trade and culture. The criminal activities in these cities, along with the types of crimes, numerical data, and their changes over the years, have been analyzed through comparisons. Additionally, the punishments applied for these crimes have also been examined. Keywords: Central Anatolia, Crime, Punishment, Ottoman State, Violence, Justice.