Lawlessness and Complaints in the Ottoman Province in the middle of the 18th Century: Examples of Iznik, Yalakabad, and G？rele Districts

Unlawful movements committed individually or collectively sometimes appearing to intend to kill and disseize, and sometimes emerging to use force had been frequently seen in the Ottoman social life in the 18th century. After the complaints related with the lawless acts, the Ottoman government started to seek for solutions. In this study, the emergence, development, and results of the illegal movements in ？znik, Yalakabad, and G？rele districts of Kocaeli sanjak in the middle of 18th century were examined through the Anatolian Ahkam defters. The provisions of lawless concerning the administrative districts in the Anatolian Ahkam defters numbered two and three were categorized and then were analyzed by tables. As a result of this analysis, it was determined total 12 unlawful acts types and the complaints focused on mainly the lawlessness of public servants, and the interference with land property. Furthermore, it was clearly understood that victims were generally conscious and eager to use their complaint rights for punishing criminals and assertion. The solution-oriented approaching of the Ottoman Empire affected positively to the Ottoman subjects concerning the claim rights