This article explores the critical role of the kapı kethüdası, or Ottoman governorâs agent in Istanbul, based on a collection of letters from one such figure, KuÅçu Mahmud AÄa, to the governor whom he represented, the Georgian-born Kara Murtaza Pasha. KuÅçu performed many key political and financial functions on his employerâs behalf, operating with much greater authority and autonomy than kapı kethüdasıs are conventionally thought to have exercised. His letters offer a rare insiderâs view of Ottoman politics in the mid-seventeenth century, shedding light on elite competition and rivalry, the eraâs fiscal crisis, and the role of gift-giving in the process of appointment to office.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
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This article explores the critical role of the kapı kethüdası, or Ottoman governorâs agent in Istanbul, based on a collection of letters from one such figure, KuÅçu Mahmud AÄa, to the governor whom he represented, the Georgian-born Kara Murtaza Pasha. KuÅçu performed many key political and financial functions on his employerâs behalf, operating with much greater authority and autonomy than kapı kethüdasıs are conventionally thought to have exercised. His letters offer a rare insiderâs view of Ottoman politics in the mid-seventeenth century, shedding light on elite competition and rivalry, the eraâs fiscal crisis, and the role of gift-giving in the process of appointment to office.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 714 | 297 | 109 |
| Full Text Views | 56 | 31 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 139 | 72 | 5 |