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{{Short description|First-order administrative division of the later Ottoman Empire}}
{{Short description|First-order administrative division of the later Ottoman Empire}}
{{For|other administrative divisions in Muslim countries using variants of the word|wilayah}}
{{For|other administrative divisions in Muslim countries using variants of the word|wilayah}}
[[File:Législation ottomane ou Recueil des Aristarchi-Bey Grégoire Tome2.pdf|thumb|page=271|[[Law of the vilayets]] ({{lang-fr|loi des vilayets}}; 1867), in Volume II of {{lang|fr|[[Legislation ottomane]]}}, published by [[Gregory Aristarchis]] and edited by [[Demetrius Nicolaides]]]]
[[File:Législation ottomane ou Recueil des Aristarchi-Bey Grégoire Tome2.pdf|thumb|page=271|[[Law of the vilayets]] ({{langx|fr|loi des vilayets}}; 1867), in Volume II of {{lang|fr|[[Legislation ottomane]]}}, published by [[Gregory Aristarchis]] and edited by [[Demetrius Nicolaides]]]]


A '''vilayet''' ({{langx|ota|{{linktext|ولایت|lang=ota}}}}, "[[province]]"), also known by [[#Names|various other names]], was a first-order [[administrative division]] of the later [[Ottoman Empire]]. It was introduced in the [[Vilayet Law]] of 21 January 1867,<ref name="Birken22">{{cite book | title = Die Provinzen des Osmanischen Reiches | series = Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients | volume = 13 | last = Birken | first = Andreas | language = de | publisher = Reichert | year = 1976 | isbn = 9783920153568 | page = 22}}</ref> part of the [[Tanzimat]] reform movement initiated by the [[Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856]]. The [[Danube Vilayet]] had been specially formed in 1864 as an experiment under the leading reformer [[Midhat Pasha]]. The Vilayet Law expanded its use, but it was not until 1884 that it was applied to all of the empire's provinces.<ref name="Birken22"/> Writing for the ''[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]'' in 1911, [[Vincent Henry Penalver Caillard]] claimed that the reform had intended to provide the provinces with greater amounts of local self-government but in fact had the effect of centralizing more power with the [[sultan of the Ottoman Empire|sultan]] and [[Islam in the Ottoman Empire|local Muslims]] at the expense of other communities.<ref name="1911-turk"/>
A '''vilayet''' ({{IPA-tr|vilaːˈjet}}; {{lang-fr|'''vilaïet'''}} or '''{{lang|fr|vilayet}}'''<!--From French version of Ottoman Constitution of 1876--><!--French has affinity: see [[Languages of the Ottoman Empire]] / Minority languages for Christians and Jews are put under French as it was, at the time, their common language among the educated-->{{#tag:ref|[[Languages of the Ottoman Empire|Some translations in languages used by ethnic minorities]]:<ref name=Straussp4143>{{cite book |last=Strauss |first=Johann |url=https://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/menalib/download/pdf/2734659?originalFilename=true |year=2010 |chapter=A Constitution for a Multilingual Empire: Translations of the ''Kanun-ı Esasi'' and Other Official Texts into Minority Languages |editor-last=Herzog |editor-first=Christoph |editor2=Malek Sharif |title=The First Ottoman Experiment in Democracy |publisher=[[Orient-Institut Istanbul]] |publication-place=[[Würzburg]] |pages=21–51 }} ([http://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/urn/urn:nbn:de:gbv:3:5-91645 info page on book] at [[Martin Luther University]]) // CITED: p. 41-43 (PDF p. 43-45/338).</ref>
* {{lang-hy|գաւառ}} ({{lang|hy-Latn|gawaŕ}})
* {{lang-bg|област}} ({{lang|bg-Latn|[[oblast]]}});<ref name=Straussp4143/> or {{lang|bg|вилает}} ({{lang|bg-Latn|vilayet}})<ref>[[:File:Solun Newspaper 1869-03-28 in Bulgarian.jpg]]</ref>
* {{lang-el|επαρχία}} ({{lang|el-Latn|eparchia}}), [[eparchy]]; or {{lang|el|νομαρχία}} ({{lang|el-Latn|nomarchia}}), [[nomarchy]]
* {{lang-lad|provinsiya}} or {{lang|lad|vilayet}}
|group=note}}) was a first-order administrative division, or province of the later [[Ottoman Empire]], introduced with the promulgation of the [[Vilayet Law]] ({{lang-tr|Teşkil-i Vilayet Nizamnamesi}}) of 21 January 1867.<ref name="Birken22">{{cite book | title = Die Provinzen des Osmanischen Reiches | series = Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients | volume = 13 | last = Birken | first = Andreas | language = de | publisher = Reichert | year = 1976 | isbn = 9783920153568 | page = 22}}</ref> The reform was part of the ongoing [[Tanzimat]] administrative reforms that were being enacted throughout the empire, and enshrined in the [[Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856]]. The reform was at first implemented experimentally in the [[Danube Vilayet]], specially formed in 1864 and headed by the leading reformist [[Midhat Pasha]]. The reform was gradually implemented, and not until 1884 was it applied to the entirety of the Empire's provinces.<ref name="Birken22"/>


== Etymology ==
{{anchor|Etymology|Toponymy|Name}}
==Names==
The term {{lang|tr|vilayet}} is derived from the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] word {{lang|ar-Latn|[[wilayah]]}} or {{lang|ar-Latn|wilaya}} ({{lang|ar|ولاية‎}}). While in Arabic, the word {{lang|ar-Latn|wilaya}} is used to denote a province or region or district without any specific administrative connotation, the Ottomans used it to denote a specific administrative division.<ref>[http://www.icsresources.org/content/primarysourcedocs/CommitteeReportOnMcMahonHussein.pdf ''Report of a Committee set up to consider certain correspondence between Sir Henry McMahon (his majesty's high commissioner in egypt) and the Sharif of Mecca in 1915 and 1916''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621130433/http://www.icsresources.org/content/primarysourcedocs/CommitteeReportOnMcMahonHussein.pdf |date=2015-06-21 }}, ANNEX A, para. 10. British Secretary of State for the Colonies, 16 maart 1939 (doc.nr. Cmd. 5974). [https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/4C4F7515DC39195185256CF7006F878C ''unispal''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024004146/http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/4C4F7515DC39195185256CF7006F878C |date=October 24, 2015 }}</ref>
The [[Ottoman Turkish]] ''vilayet'' ({{lang|ota|{{linktext|ولایت‎|lang=ota}}}}) was a [[loanword]] [[linguistic borrowing|borrowed]] from [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''wilāya'' ({{lang|ar|{{linktext|وِلَايَة|lang=ar}}}}), an abstract noun formed from the [[Arabic verbs|verb]] ''waliya'' ({{lang|ar|{{linktext|وَلِيَ|lang=ar}}}}, "to administer"). In Arabic, it had meant "province", "region", or "administration" as general ideas, but following the Tanzimat reforms the Ottoman term formalized it in reference to specific areas in a defined hierarchy.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.icsresources.org/content/primarysourcedocs/CommitteeReportOnMcMahonHussein.pdf |title=Report of a Committee Set Up to Consider Certain Correspondence between Sir Henry McMahon (His Majesty's High Commissioner in Egypt) and the Sharif of Mecca in 1915 and 1916 |date=2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621130433/http://www.icsresources.org/content/primarysourcedocs/CommitteeReportOnMcMahonHussein.pdf |archive-date=2015-06-21 }}, Annex A, §10. [https://web.archive.org/web/20151024004146/http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/4C4F7515DC39195185256CF7006F878C 2nd Source].</ref> It was borrowed into [[Albanian language|Albanian]] {{lang|sq|vilajet}}, [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] ''vilaet'' ({{lang|bg|вилает}}),<ref>[[:File:Solun Newspaper 1869-03-28 in Bulgarian.jpg]]</ref> [[Judaeo-Spanish]] {{lang|lad|vilayet}}, and [[French language|French]] {{lang|fr|vilaïet}} and {{lang|fr|vilayet}}, which was used as a [[lingua franca]] among the educated [[Jews in the Ottoman Empire|Jews]] and [[Christianity in the Ottoman Empire|Christians]]. It was also translated into [[Armenian language|Armenian]] as ''gawaŕ'' ({{lang|hy|գաւառ}}), Bulgarian as ''oblast'' ({{lang|bg|област}}), Judaeo-Spanish as {{lang|lad|provinsiya}}, and [[Greek language|Greek]] as [[eparchy|''eparchía'']] ({{lang|el|επαρχία}}) and ''nomarchía'' ({{lang|el|νομαρχία}}).<ref name=Straussp4143>{{cite book |last=Strauss |first=Johann |url=https://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/menalib/download/pdf/2734659?originalFilename=true |year=2010 |chapter=A Constitution for a Multilingual Empire: Translations of the ''Kanun-ı Esasi'' and Other Official Texts into Minority Languages |editor-last=Herzog |editor-first=Christoph |editor2=Malek Sharif |title=The First Ottoman Experiment in Democracy |publisher=[[Orient-Institut Istanbul]] |publication-place=[[Würzburg]] |pages=21–51 }} ([http://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/urn/urn:nbn:de:gbv:3:5-91645 info page on book] at [[Martin Luther University]]) // CITED: p. 41-43 (PDF p. 43-45/338).</ref>


The early [[Turkey|Republic of Turkey]] continued to use the term ''vilayet'' until it renamed them [[Provinces of Turkey|il]] in the late 1920s.{{when|date=September 2023}}
==Administrative division==
The Ottoman Empire had already begun to modernize its administration and regularize its provinces ([[eyalet]]s) in the 1840s,<ref>{{cite book |last= Birken |first= Andreas |title= Die Provinzen des Osmanischen Reiches |pages= 19–20 |language= de |publisher= Reichert |series= Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients |volume= 13 |year= 1976 |isbn= 9783920153568}}</ref> but the [[Vilayet Law]] extended this to the entire Ottoman territory, with a regularized hierarchy of administrative units: the province or ''vilayet'', headed by a ''[[Vali (Ottoman)|vali]]'', was subdivided into sub-provinces or counties (''[[sanjak]]'' or ''[[liva (sanjak)|liva]]'') under a ''[[mütesarrif]]'', further into districts (''[[kaza]]'' ) under a ''[[kaimakam]]'', into communes (''[[nahiye]]'') under a ''[[müdir]]'',<ref name=Birken22/><ref name=Krikorian>{{cite book |last= Krikorian |first= Mesrob K. |title= Armenians in the Service of the Ottoman Empire: 1860-1908 |page= 24 |publisher= Routledge |year= 2018 |isbn= 1351031287 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Wz9ZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT24 |access-date= 11 February 2022}}</ref> and into city quarters or villages (''kariye'').<ref name=Krikorian/>


{{anchor|Administrative division}}
===Vali, head of a province (vilayet)===
The ''vali'' was appointed by the Sultan<ref name=Krikorian/> and acted as his representative in the vilayet and hence as the supreme head of the administration,<ref name=Birken2324>Birken (1976), p. 2324.</ref> holding the executive power over all the executive branches, with the only exception of the military.<ref name=Krikorian/> He was however the head of the police.<ref name=Krikorian/> His administration comprised secretaries in charge of finances (''[[defterdar]]''), correspondence and archives (''mektubci''), dealings with foreigners, public works, agriculture and commerce, nominated by the respective ministers<ref name=Birken2324/> in Istanbul.<ref name=Krikorian/> The ''defterdar'' for instance answered directly to the finance minister.<ref name=Krikorian/> Along with the chief justice (''mufettiş-i hukkam-i Şeri'a''), the top officials formed the vilayet's executive council.<ref name=Birken2324/> In addition, there was an elected provincial council of four members, two Muslims and two non-Muslims.<ref name=Birken2324/> The governor of the chief ''sanjak'' (''merkez sanjak''), where the vilayet's capital was located, deputized for the ''vali'' in the latter's absence.<ref name=Birken2324/> Alternatively, M. Krikorian writes that the role of replacing the ''vali'' when absent or incapacitated fell to his assistant, the ''muavin'', and when none existed, to the ''defterdar''.<ref name=Krikorian/>


==Organization==
A similar structure was replicated in the lower hierarchical levels, with executive and advisory councils drawn from the local administrators and—following long-established practice—the heads of the [[Millet (Ottoman Empire)|millets]], the various local religious communities.<ref name=Birken2324/>
The Ottoman Empire had already begun to modernize its administration and regularize its [[eyalet]]s in the 1840s,<ref>{{cite book |last= Birken |first= Andreas |title= Die Provinzen des Osmanischen Reiches |pages= 19–20 |language= de |publisher= Reichert |series= Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients |volume= 13 |year= 1976 |isbn= 9783920153568}}</ref> but the [[Vilayet Law]] extended this throughout the empire, regularizing the following hierarchy of administrative units.<ref name=Birken22/><ref name=Krikorian>{{cite book |last= Krikorian |first= Mesrob K. |title= Armenians in the Service of the Ottoman Empire: 1860-1908 |page= 24 |publisher= Routledge |year= 2018 |isbn= 978-1351031288 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Wz9ZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT24 |access-date= 11 February 2022}}</ref>


Each vilayet or province was governed by a [[vali (Ottoman)|vali]] appointed by the [[Ottoman sultan|sultan]].<ref name=Krikorian/> Acting as the sultan's representative, he was notionally the supreme head of administration in his province,<ref name=Birken2324>Birken (1976), p. 2324.</ref> subject to various caveats. [[Ottoman army|Military administration]] was entirely separate,<ref name=Krikorian/> although the vali controlled local police.<ref name=Krikorian/> His council comprised a secretary (''mektupçu''), a [[defterdar|comptroller]] (''defterdar''), a chief justice (''müfettiş-i hükkâm-ı şeriyye''), and directors of foreign affairs, public works, and agriculture and commerce,<ref name=Birken2324/> each nominated by the respective ministers<ref name=Birken2324/> in Istanbul.<ref name=Krikorian/> The [[defterdar]] in particular answered directly to the finance minister rather than the vali.<ref name=Krikorian/> A separate vilayet council was composed of four elected members, comprising two Muslims and two non-Muslims.<ref name=Birken2324/>
===Mutasarrif, head of a county (sanjak/liva)===
The mutasarrif was also appointed by the Sultan, and acted as chief-administrator of a sanjak and head of that county's council (the ''idare meclisi''), the [[public works]] board (''nafia'') and the education system (''maarif'').<ref name=Krikorian/> A deputy judge (''naib''), chief accountant (''muhasebeci'') and head of the secretariat (''tahrirat müdürü'') completed the sanjak's top administration.<ref name=Krikorian/>


If the vali fell ill or was absent from the capital, he was variously replaced by the governor of the chief sanjak (''merkez sancak'') near the capital,<ref name=Birken2324/> the ''muavin'', and the defterdar.<ref name=Krikorian/> A similar structure was replicated in the lower hierarchical levels, with executive and advisory councils drawn from the local administrators and—following long-established practice—the heads of the [[Millet (Ottoman Empire)|millets]], the various local religious communities.<ref name=Birken2324/>
===Kaymakam, head of a district (kaza)===
In similar manner, the kaymakam headed the administration the kaza's council, as well as its public works board, assisted by a deputy judge, a chief accountant (''mal müdürü''), and the head clerk (''tahrirat kâtibi'').<ref name=Krikorian/>
DAWQF


===Sanjaks===
===Müdir/müdür, head of a commune (nahiye)===
{{main|Sanjak|Liva (sanjak)}}
The ''müdür'' was appointed by the vali, but answered to his immediate superior, the kaymakam.<ref name=Krikorian/> His attributions included tax collection, executing the court sentences, and at times had to mediate disputes and pacify the locals.<ref name=Krikorian/>
Each vilayet was divided into [[arrondissement]]s,<ref name="1911-turk">{{EB1911|inline=1 |first=Vincent Henry Penalver |last=Caillard |wstitle=Turkey|volume=27|page=428}}</ref> [[subprovince]]s, or [[county|counties]] known as [[sanjak]]s, [[liva (sanjak)|liva]]s, or mutasarrifliks. Each sanjak or liva was administered by a [[sanjakbey]] or [[mutasarrif]] personally appointed by the sultan and a council (''idare meclisi'') composed of a secretary (''tahrirat müdürü''), comptroller (''muhasebeci''), deputy judge (''naib''), and representatives of the public works board (''nafia'') and the educational system (''maarif'').<ref name=Krikorian/>


===Kazas===
===Muhtar, head of a quarter or village (kariye)===
{{main|Kaza}}
A muhtar, meaning "head man", headed a city quarter or village and was chosen by its inhabitants, but had to be confirmed by the kaymakam of his kaza.<ref name=Krikorian/> An ''ihtiyar meclisi'', "council of elders", assisted him.<ref name=Krikorian/>
Each sanjak was divided into [[Canton (administrative division)|canton]]s<ref name="1911-turk"/> or [[district]]s known as [[kaza]]s. Each kaza was under a [[kaymakam]] and a council composed of a secretary (''tahrirat kâtibi''), comptroller (''mal müdürü''), deputy judge, and representatives of the public works board.<ref name=Krikorian/>

===Nahiyes===
{{main|Nahiye}}
Each kaza was divided into [[parish]]es or [[Intentional community|commune]]s<ref name="1911-turk"/> known as [[nahiye]]s. Each nahiye was under a [[müdir]] appointed by the vali but answerable to the regional kaymakam.<ref name=Krikorian/> He was responsible for local [[Taxation in the Ottoman Empire|tax collection]], court sentences, and maintaining the peace.<ref name=Krikorian/>

===Kariyes===
Each nahiye was divided into wards and villages (''kariye''). Each kariye was under a [[mukhtar|muhtar]] ("headman") chosen by its inhabitants and confirmed by the regional kaymakam.<ref name=Krikorian/> He was assisted in his duties by a local "council of elders" (''ihtiyar meclisi'').<ref name=Krikorian/>


==List==
==List==
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* [[Danube Vilayet]]: sanjaks of Ruse, Varna, Vidin, Tulcea, Turnovo, [[Sanjak of Sofia|Sofia]], [[Sanjak of Niš|Niš]].
* [[Danube Vilayet]]: sanjaks of Ruse, Varna, Vidin, Tulcea, Turnovo, [[Sanjak of Sofia|Sofia]], [[Sanjak of Niš|Niš]].
* [[Bosnia Vilayet]]: sanjaks of Bosna-Serai, Zvornik, Banja Luka, Travnik, Bebkèh, [[Sanjak of Novi Pazar|Novi Pazar]].
* [[Bosnia Vilayet]]: sanjaks of Bosna-Serai, Zvornik, Banja Luka, Travnik, Bebkèh, [[Sanjak of Novi Pazar|Novi Pazar]].
* [[Vilayet of Herzegovina]]: sanjaks of Mostar, Gacko.
* Vilayet of Herzegovina: sanjaks of Mostar, Gacko.
* [[Salonica Vilayet]]: sanjaks of [[Sanjak of Salonica|Salonica]], Serres, Drama.
* [[Salonica Vilayet]]: sanjaks of [[Sanjak of Salonica|Salonica]], Serres, Drama.
* [[Janina Vilayet]]: sanjaks of [[Sanjak of Ioannina|Ioannina]], Tirhala, [[Sanjak of Ohri|Ohrid]], [[Sanjak of Preveze|Preveze]], [[Sanjak of Berat|Berat]].
* [[Janina Vilayet]]: sanjaks of [[Sanjak of Ioannina|Ioannina]], Tirhala, [[Sanjak of Ohri|Ohrid]], [[Sanjak of Preveze|Preveze]], [[Sanjak of Berat|Berat]].
Line 106: Line 107:
* [[Sanjak of Boli]]
* [[Sanjak of Boli]]
* Sanjak of [[Beylik of Teke|Teke]]
* Sanjak of [[Beylik of Teke|Teke]]
* Sanjak of [[Janyk]]
* Sanjak of [[Canik|Janyk]]
* Sanjak of [[Chatalja]]
* Sanjak of [[Chatalja]]
* [[Sanjak of Zor]]
* [[Sanjak of Zor]]
Line 135: Line 136:
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


===Vilayets in 1927===
==''Encyclopædia Britannica'' on the late Ottoman administration==
The early Turkish Republic had 63 vilayet in the [[1927 Turkish census]]:
{{Blockquote|For administrative purposes the immediate possessions of the sultan are divided into vilayets (provinces), which are again subdivided into [[sanjak]]s or [[mutessariflik]]s (arrondissements), these into [[qadaa|kaza]]s (cantons), and the kazas into [[nahie]]s (parishes or communes). A [[Wāli|vali]] or governor-general, nominated by the [[sultan]], stands at the head of the vilayet, and on him are directly dependent the [[kaimakam]]s, [[mutassarif]]s, [[deftardar]]s and other administrators of the minor divisions.


{{Div col|colwidth=15em|content=# [[Ankara vilayet]]
All these officials unite in their own persons the judicial and executive functions, under the "Law of the Vilayets", which made its appearance in 1861, and purported, and was really intended by its framers, to confer on the provinces a large measure of self-government, in which both Mussulmans and non-Mussulmans should take part. It really, however, had the effect of centralizing the whole power of the country more absolutely than ever in the sultan's hands, since the Valis were wholly in his undisputed power, while the ex officio official members of the local councils secured a perpetual Mussulman majority.<ref name="1911-turk">{{EB1911|inline=1 |first=Vincent Henry Penalver |last=Caillard |wstitle=Turkey|volume=27|page=428}}</ref>}}
# [[Istanbul vilayet]]
# [[Artvin vilayet]]
# [[Edirne vilayet]]
# [[Ertuğrul (Bilecik) vilayet]]
# [[Erzurum vilayet]]
# [[Ordu vilayet]]
# [[Erzincan vilayet]]
# [[Izmir vilayet]]
# [[Eskişehir vilayet]]
# [[Adana vilayet]]
# [[Afyonkarahisar vilayet]]
# [[Aksaray vilayet]]
# [[Elaziz vilayet]]
# [[Amasya vilayet]]
# [[Antalya vilayet]]
# [[Urfa vilayet]]
# [[Aydın vilayet]]
# [[Içel vilayet]]
# [[Bayezid vilayet]]
# [[Bitlis vilayet]]
# [[Bursa vilayet]]
# [[Bozok vilayet]]
# [[Bolu vilayet]]
# [[Burdur vilayet]]
# [[Tekirdağ vilayet]]
# [[Tokat vilayet]]
# [[Canik vilayet]]
# [[Cebel-i Bereket vilayet]]
# [[Çankırı vilayet]]
# [[Çanakkale vilayet]]
# [[Çorum vilayet]]
# [[Hakkâri vilayet]]
# [[Hamîdâbâd vilayet]]
# [[Denizli vilayet]]
# [[Diyarbekir vilayet]]
# [[Rize vilayet]]
# [[Zonguldak vilayet]]
# [[Siirt vilayet]]
# [[Sinop vilayet]]
# [[Sivas vilayet]]
# [[Saruhan vilayet]]
# [[Trabzon vilayet]]
# [[Gazi Ayıntab (Gaziantep) vilayet]]
# [[Kars vilayet]]
# [[Kırklareli vilayet]]
# [[Karahisâr-ı Şarkî (Şebinkarahisar) vilayet]]
# [[Karesi (Balıkesir) vilayet]]
# [[Kastamonu vilayet]]
# [[Kırşehir vilayet]]
# [[Kayseri vilayet]]
# [[Kocaeli vilayet]]
# [[Konya vilayet]]
# [[Kütahya vilayet]]
# [[Gümüşhane vilayet]]
# [[Giresun vilayet]]
# [[Mardin vilayet]]
# [[Mersin vilayet]]
# [[Maraş vilayet]]
# [[Menteşe (Muğla) vilayet]]
# [[Malatya vilayet]]
# [[Niğde vilayet]]
# [[Van vilayet]]}}


==Maps==
==Maps==
Line 146: Line 209:
File:Turkey in Europe. (with) The Bosporus & Constantinople. (with) Crete or Candia. By Keith Johnston, F.R.S.E. Keith Johnston's General Atlas. Engraved, Printed, and Published by W. & A.K. Johnston, Edinburgh & London.jpg|Vilayets of Europe in 1893
File:Turkey in Europe. (with) The Bosporus & Constantinople. (with) Crete or Candia. By Keith Johnston, F.R.S.E. Keith Johnston's General Atlas. Engraved, Printed, and Published by W. & A.K. Johnston, Edinburgh & London.jpg|Vilayets of Europe in 1893
File:Rand, McNally & Co.'s new 14 x 21 map of Turkey in Asia, Asia Minor. Copyright 1895, by Rand, McNally & Co. (Chicago, 1897).jpg|Vilayets of Asia in 1897
File:Rand, McNally & Co.'s new 14 x 21 map of Turkey in Asia, Asia Minor. Copyright 1895, by Rand, McNally & Co. (Chicago, 1897).jpg|Vilayets of Asia in 1897
File:Turkey in Asia, 1909.jpg|Vilayets of Asia in 1909
File:Turkey in Asia, 1903.jpg|Vilayets of Asia in 1909
File:Turkey in Europe and the Balkans, 1910.jpg|Vilayets of Europe in 1910
File:Turkey in Europe and the Balkans, 1910.jpg|Vilayets of Europe in 1910
File:W. & A.K. Johnston. Asia Minor. 1911.jpg|Vilayets of Asia in 1911
File:W. & A.K. Johnston. Asia Minor. 1911.jpg|Vilayets of Asia in 1911
Line 153: Line 216:
==See also==
==See also==
* [[Provinces of Turkey]]
* [[Provinces of Turkey]]
* [[Six vilayets]], the Armenian vilayets of the empire
* [[Six Vilayets]], the Armenian vilayets of the empire
* [[Vilayet Law]]
* [[Vilayet Law]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}


==References==
==References==
Line 163: Line 223:


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=Sur la nouvelle division de l’Empire en gouvernements généraux formés sous le nom de Vilayets|author=Sublime Porte|author-link=Sublime Porte|place=Constantinople|date=1867}}<!--From Strauss, "Constitution", p. 26 (PDF p. 28)--> - About the Law of the Vilayets
* {{cite book|title=Sur la nouvelle division de l'Empire en gouvernements généraux formés sous le nom de Vilayets|author=Sublime Porte|author-link=Sublime Porte|place=Constantinople|date=1867}}<!--From Strauss, "Constitution", p. 26 (PDF p. 28)--> - About the Law of the Vilayets


==External links==
==External links==

Latest revision as of 15:14, 22 October 2024

For other administrative divisions in Muslim countries using variants of the word, see wilayah.
Law of the vilayets (French: loi des vilayets; 1867), in Volume II of Legislation ottomane, published by Gregory Aristarchis and edited by Demetrius Nicolaides

A vilayet (Ottoman Turkish: ولایت, "province"), also known by various other names, was a first-order administrative division of the later Ottoman Empire. It was introduced in the Vilayet Law of 21 January 1867,[1] part of the Tanzimat reform movement initiated by the Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856. The Danube Vilayet had been specially formed in 1864 as an experiment under the leading reformer Midhat Pasha. The Vilayet Law expanded its use, but it was not until 1884 that it was applied to all of the empire's provinces.[1] Writing for the Encyclopaedia Britannica in 1911, Vincent Henry Penalver Caillard claimed that the reform had intended to provide the provinces with greater amounts of local self-government but in fact had the effect of centralizing more power with the sultan and local Muslims at the expense of other communities.[2]

Names

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The Ottoman Turkish vilayet (ولایت‎) was a loanword borrowed from Arabic wilāya (وِلَايَة), an abstract noun formed from the verb waliya (وَلِيَ, "to administer"). In Arabic, it had meant "province", "region", or "administration" as general ideas, but following the Tanzimat reforms the Ottoman term formalized it in reference to specific areas in a defined hierarchy.[3] It was borrowed into Albanian vilajet, Bulgarian vilaet (вилает),[4] Judaeo-Spanish vilayet, and French vilaïet and vilayet, which was used as a lingua franca among the educated Jews and Christians. It was also translated into Armenian as gawaŕ (գաւառ), Bulgarian as oblast (област), Judaeo-Spanish as provinsiya, and Greek as eparchía (επαρχία) and nomarchía (νομαρχία).[5]

The early Republic of Turkey continued to use the term vilayet until it renamed them il in the late 1920s.[when?]

Organization

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The Ottoman Empire had already begun to modernize its administration and regularize its eyalets in the 1840s,[6] but the Vilayet Law extended this throughout the empire, regularizing the following hierarchy of administrative units.[1][7]

Each vilayet or province was governed by a vali appointed by the sultan.[7] Acting as the sultan's representative, he was notionally the supreme head of administration in his province,[8] subject to various caveats. Military administration was entirely separate,[7] although the vali controlled local police.[7] His council comprised a secretary (mektupçu), a comptroller (defterdar), a chief justice (müfettiş-i hükkâm-ı şeriyye), and directors of foreign affairs, public works, and agriculture and commerce,[8] each nominated by the respective ministers[8] in Istanbul.[7] The defterdar in particular answered directly to the finance minister rather than the vali.[7] A separate vilayet council was composed of four elected members, comprising two Muslims and two non-Muslims.[8]

If the vali fell ill or was absent from the capital, he was variously replaced by the governor of the chief sanjak (merkez sancak) near the capital,[8] the muavin, and the defterdar.[7] A similar structure was replicated in the lower hierarchical levels, with executive and advisory councils drawn from the local administrators and—following long-established practice—the heads of the millets, the various local religious communities.[8]

Sanjaks

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Main articles: Sanjak and Liva (sanjak)

Each vilayet was divided into arrondissements,[2] subprovinces, or counties known as sanjaks, livas, or mutasarrifliks. Each sanjak or liva was administered by a sanjakbey or mutasarrif personally appointed by the sultan and a council (idare meclisi) composed of a secretary (tahrirat müdürü), comptroller (muhasebeci), deputy judge (naib), and representatives of the public works board (nafia) and the educational system (maarif).[7]

Kazas

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Main article: Kaza

Each sanjak was divided into cantons[2] or districts known as kazas. Each kaza was under a kaymakam and a council composed of a secretary (tahrirat kâtibi), comptroller (mal müdürü), deputy judge, and representatives of the public works board.[7]

Nahiyes

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Main article: Nahiye

Each kaza was divided into parishes or communes[2] known as nahiyes. Each nahiye was under a müdir appointed by the vali but answerable to the regional kaymakam.[7] He was responsible for local tax collection, court sentences, and maintaining the peace.[7]

Kariyes

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Each nahiye was divided into wards and villages (kariye). Each kariye was under a muhtar ("headman") chosen by its inhabitants and confirmed by the regional kaymakam.[7] He was assisted in his duties by a local "council of elders" (ihtiyar meclisi).[7]

List

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Vilayets, sanjaks and autonomies, c. 1876

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Vilayets, sanjaks and autonomies, circa 1876:[9]

Vilayets and independent sanjaks in 1917

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Vilayets and independent sanjaks in 1917:[10]

Vilayets Independent Sanjaks

Vassals and autonomies

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  • Eastern Rumelia (Rumeli-i Şarkî): autonomous province (Vilayet in Turkish) (1878–1885); unified with Bulgaria in 1885
  • Sanjak of Benghazi (Bingazi Sancağı): autonomous sanjak. Formerly in the vilayet of Tripoli, but after 1875 dependent directly on the ministry of the interior at Constantinople.[11]
  • Sanjak of Biga (Biga Sancağı) (also called Kale-i Sultaniye) (autonomous sanjak, not a vilayet)
  • Sanjak of Çatalca (Çatalca Sancağı) (autonomous sanjak, not a vilayet)
  • Cyprus (Kıbrıs) (island with special status) (Kıbrıs Adası)
  • Khedivate of Egypt (Mısır) (autonomous khedivate, not a vilayet) (Mısır Hidivliği)
  • Sanjak of Izmit (İzmid Sancağı) (autonomous sanjak, not a vilayet)
  • Mutasarrifyya/Sanjak of Jerusalem (Kudüs-i Şerif Mutasarrıflığı): independent and directly linked to the Minister of the Interior in view of its importance to the three major monotheistic religions.[12]
  • Sharifate of Mecca (Mekke Şerifliği) (autonomous sharifate, not a vilayet)
  • Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate (Cebel-i Lübnan Mutasarrıflığı): sanjak or mutessariflik, dependent directly on the Porte.[13]
  • Principality of Samos (Sisam Beyliği) (island with special status)
  • Tunis Eyalet (Tunus Eyaleti) (autonomous eyalet, ruled by hereditary beys)

Vilayets in 1927

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The early Turkish Republic had 63 vilayet in the 1927 Turkish census:

  1. Ankara vilayet
  2. Istanbul vilayet
  3. Artvin vilayet
  4. Edirne vilayet
  5. Ertuğrul (Bilecik) vilayet
  6. Erzurum vilayet
  7. Ordu vilayet
  8. Erzincan vilayet
  9. Izmir vilayet
  10. Eskişehir vilayet
  11. Adana vilayet
  12. Afyonkarahisar vilayet
  13. Aksaray vilayet
  14. Elaziz vilayet
  15. Amasya vilayet
  16. Antalya vilayet
  17. Urfa vilayet
  18. Aydın vilayet
  19. Içel vilayet
  20. Bayezid vilayet
  21. Bitlis vilayet
  22. Bursa vilayet
  23. Bozok vilayet
  24. Bolu vilayet
  25. Burdur vilayet
  26. Tekirdağ vilayet
  27. Tokat vilayet
  28. Canik vilayet
  29. Cebel-i Bereket vilayet
  30. Çankırı vilayet
  31. Çanakkale vilayet
  32. Çorum vilayet
  33. Hakkâri vilayet
  34. Hamîdâbâd vilayet
  35. Denizli vilayet
  36. Diyarbekir vilayet
  37. Rize vilayet
  38. Zonguldak vilayet
  39. Siirt vilayet
  40. Sinop vilayet
  41. Sivas vilayet
  42. Saruhan vilayet
  43. Trabzon vilayet
  44. Gazi Ayıntab (Gaziantep) vilayet
  45. Kars vilayet
  46. Kırklareli vilayet
  47. Karahisâr-ı Şarkî (Şebinkarahisar) vilayet
  48. Karesi (Balıkesir) vilayet
  49. Kastamonu vilayet
  50. Kırşehir vilayet
  51. Kayseri vilayet
  52. Kocaeli vilayet
  53. Konya vilayet
  54. Kütahya vilayet
  55. Gümüşhane vilayet
  56. Giresun vilayet
  57. Mardin vilayet
  58. Mersin vilayet
  59. Maraş vilayet
  60. Menteşe (Muğla) vilayet
  61. Malatya vilayet
  62. Niğde vilayet
  63. Van vilayet

Maps

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  • Vilayets of Europe in 1870
    Vilayets of Europe in 1870
  • Vilayets in 1877
    Vilayets in 1877
  • Vilayets of Europe in 1893
    Vilayets of Europe in 1893
  • Vilayets of Asia in 1897
    Vilayets of Asia in 1897
  • Vilayets of Asia in 1909
    Vilayets of Asia in 1909
  • Vilayets of Europe in 1910
    Vilayets of Europe in 1910
  • Vilayets of Asia in 1911
    Vilayets of Asia in 1911

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Birken, Andreas (1976). Die Provinzen des Osmanischen Reiches. Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients (in German). Vol. 13. Reichert. p. 22. ISBN 9783920153568.
  2. ^ a b c d  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Caillard, Vincent Henry Penalver (1911). "Turkey". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 428.
  3. ^ Report of a Committee Set Up to Consider Certain Correspondence between Sir Henry McMahon (His Majesty's High Commissioner in Egypt) and the Sharif of Mecca in 1915 and 1916 (PDF), 2015, archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-21, Annex A, §10. 2nd Source.
  4. ^ File:Solun Newspaper 1869-03-28 in Bulgarian.jpg
  5. ^ Strauss, Johann (2010). "A Constitution for a Multilingual Empire: Translations of the Kanun-ı Esasi and Other Official Texts into Minority Languages". In Herzog, Christoph; Malek Sharif (eds.). The First Ottoman Experiment in Democracy. Würzburg: Orient-Institut Istanbul. pp. 21–51. (info page on book at Martin Luther University) // CITED: p. 41-43 (PDF p. 43-45/338).
  6. ^ Birken, Andreas (1976). Die Provinzen des Osmanischen Reiches. Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients (in German). Vol. 13. Reichert. pp. 19–20. ISBN 9783920153568.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Krikorian, Mesrob K. (2018). Armenians in the Service of the Ottoman Empire: 1860-1908. Routledge. p. 24. ISBN 978-1351031288. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Birken (1976), p. 2324.
  9. ^ Abel Pavet de Courteille (1876). État présent de l'empire ottoman (in French). J. Dumaine. pp. 91–96.
  10. ^ A handbook of Asia Minor Published 1919 by Naval staff, Intelligence dept. in London. Page 226
  11. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Hogarth, David George (1911). "Bengazi". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 736.
  12. ^ Palestine; A Modern History (1978) by Adulwahab Al Kayyali. Page 1
  13. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Socin, Albert; Hogarth, David George (1911). "Lebanon". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 348.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Sublime Porte (1867). Sur la nouvelle division de l'Empire en gouvernements généraux formés sous le nom de Vilayets. Constantinople.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - About the Law of the Vilayets
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