İstanbul Yeniköy Court Cash Waqfs Records (1591-1883)

Abstract

Cash waqfs studies are usually considered in the context of a particular social community such as foundation, period, region or avarizartisan funds and evaluated within their own limits. This study addresses all the types of waqfs listed under the umbrella of the Court, greatly expanding the scope of these limitations. Accordingly, by increasing the number of analyzed cash waqfs endowments, this study is part of the quest to prove that the waqf system, although seemingly discarded, was in fact active. Furthermore, the study has a broad basis of comparison too, as it is the third stage of a systematic research project.

Within this context, 59 cash waqfs’ endowments recorded at Yeniköy Court between the years 1591-1883 have been evaluated. Beyond this, the results obtained from 371 endowments between 1491-1911, with Davutpaşa and Evkaf Accounting Courts findings also being added, have been collectively discussed. All in all, it is understood that the number of cash waqfs, the endowed amounts, and their functioning were not independent of the Ottoman military, financial, or socio-economic policies. As well, it is demonstrated that the waqf services were kept sustainable thanks to the adoption of the appropriate attitude by the foundations towards policies of that time period.