The Hatt-ı Hümayuns cut out from other documents in the Ottoman document management of the Sublime Porte

Abstract

The parts of the hatt-ı hümayuns drawn on the margin of some documents (takrirs, fermans etc.) were occasionally cut out from the original documents and stored separately.  Thee hatt-ı hümayuns addressed to the grand viziers drawn on blank paper or on the takrirs, and the telhises with documents attached to them, were sent to the Sublime Porte in order to be kept under strict surveillance of the reisülküttaps. The takrirs would be circulated among the divisions for the transaction according to the grand viziers’ order after returning to the Sublime Porte, while telhises were never transacted. Therefore hatt-ı hümayuns were cut out from the takrirs, not from the telhises, so that people outside the Sublime Porte would not observe the imperial autographs during their circulation. In case the transaction of the takrirs were completed within the Sublime Porte, the hatt-ı hümayuns would not be cut out from the takrirs.