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Ayan (class)

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ayan was that they were of reaya (Ottoman subject, non-military) origin, and that their ascendency can be seen as a part of a wider phenomenon… through which people of reaya origin had been able to join the askeri (tax-collecting, military) class of the empire since the 17th century." From the 16th century on, the Ottoman central government made repeated efforts to re-centralize the Empire, and though some efforts were more successful than others, none were able to eliminate the local influence held by the ayan.
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This decision granted, for the first time, political access and power to those outside of the Sultan's inner circle. This decentralization allowed wealth to play a more significant factor in local influence and power. Author Gabriel Piterberg notes that, "…the main social characteristic of the rising
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describes that in the 17th and 18th centuries, "…the struggle between the provincial governors and the central administration emerge as the most significant phenomenon of that period." In response, the central government granted more power and autonomy to local, wealthy individuals to challenge the
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Though not all a'yan were tax farmers, the a'yan rose particularly in conjunction with the Iltizam tax structure (Ottoman tax farming). Prior to that system, only those close to the Sultan had any political capacity. Under the Timar system, provincial military governors appointed by the Sultan
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The Iltizam tax system consisted of tax farming. The Ottoman Empire, rather than using its own resources to collect taxes, awarded tax collecting rights to the highest bidder, who could keep profits after sending a portion back to the central government. Though access to these tax farms took
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executed some dissident a'yan and sent threats to others in the early 19th century, which brought increased cooperation, but the notables ultimately maintained some form of control across the Empire until the Ottomans’ collapse in the early 20th century.
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The tax collector role gave the ayan even more status in their regions. However, the arrangements also increased the average Ottoman subject's access to political and economic systems. Often in control of massive territories, the a'yan set up
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to the sultan, serving in Ottoman armies during times of war, they remained, on the other hand, effectively autonomous in their home districts." These armies were primarily used to control and seize territory from other notables..
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different forms throughout the period, local a'yan developed into the chief owners of these rights. They were very efficient at sending money back to the center (far more than the governors in the preceding
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meaning "a person holding a high office" or "prominent person", "eminent, noted, personage", representing as a "notable, dignitary, notability" which refer to the modern term for "
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and could be called upon to fight for the Ottoman Empire (which they often were during the Ottomans' many wars in the 17th and 18th centuries). However, they also had significant
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until British occupation. Others used their armies to carve out pieces of the weakened Ottoman Empire and even lead independence campaigns. Ultimately, the Ottoman
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collected taxes and ruled over territories. However, the governors abused their relatively unchecked power to amass personal wealth and influence. Scholar
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also included a much larger, though less economically and politically influential rural notables. Most rural notables originated in, and belonged to, the
170:, though prohibited from holding tax farm leases, could serve as financiers." Thus, in addition to serving the Empire as chief tax collectors under the 715: 103:
trend in the Ottoman Empire which began in the 16th century, and came to define the Empire's structure until its fall in the early 20th century.
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structures underneath them to manage the tax farming process. Though the a'yan had to be Muslim, those working in these
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Balla, Eliana; Johnson, Noel D. (2009). "Fiscal Crisis and Institutional Change in the Ottoman Empire and France".
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Balla, Eliana; Johnson, Noel D. (2009). "Fiscal Crisis and Institutional Change in the Ottoman Empire and France".
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system) and their local nature gave them more knowledge of the region and a vested interest in its success.
334:. Over all, they played a leading role in the development of modern Palestine into the late 20th century. 228: 563: 240: 116: 159: 91:, and those who supervised the distributions of wealth generated by, and the maintenance of, pious 227:. They resisted restrictions placed upon their authority. "For example, they would often pass tax 129: 689: 668: 660: 631: 623: 495: 465: 457: 419: 411: 530:"The Palestinian Rural Notables' Class in Ascendency: The Hannun Family of Tulkarm (Palestine)" 592: 551: 327: 606:
Piterberg, Gabriel (1990). "The Formation of an Ottoman Egyptian Elite in the 18th Century".
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Piterberg, Gabriel (1990). "The Formation of an Ottoman Egyptian Elite in the 18th Century".
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Williams, Sherry Lee (1981). "Ottoman land policy and social change: The Syrian provinces".
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Williams, Sherry Lee (1981). "Ottoman land policy and social change: The Syrian provinces".
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had significant autonomy, and even armed force, but did not challenge the central
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who took exploited changing legal, administrative and political conditions, and
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who held varying degrees of authority in provincial towns and districts. The
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system, the a'yan also acted as one of the most significant providers of
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Though the a'yan helped the central government check the control of the
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In addition to the urban notables discussed above, the Ottoman
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to operate. "While, on the one hand, they were military
198:. Technically, these armies were at the service of the 357:. New York: Gabor Agoston and Bruce Masters, 2008. 235:to the next instead of returning the farm to the 682:Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 488:Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 389: 387: 385: 383: 381: 379: 255:was unable to permanently end their influence. 27:Social class of landlords in the Ottoman Empire 481: 479: 373:. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008. 8: 608:International Journal of Middle East Studies 587:Ágoston, Gábor; Masters, Bruce Alan (2010). 396:International Journal of Middle East Studies 51: 42: 307:The rural notability was composed of rural 534:Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies 371:A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire 545: 343: 194:elite class that many formed their own 68:. Though the title was awarded only to 561: 349: 347: 76:included "wealthy merchants, heads of 162:did not. "Non-Muslims, such as Jews, 7: 520: 518: 141:Economic roles in the Iltizam system 52: 43: 589:Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire 355:Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire 215:Frustrating the central leadership 190:The a'yan became such a powerful, 25: 123:Rise of the Ayan and significance 72:, its function was secular. The 716:Governors of the Ottoman Empire 645:The Journal of Economic History 442:The Journal of Economic History 286:class, forming a lower-echelon 111:The term or title is from the 1: 711:Society of the Ottoman Empire 568:: CS1 maint: date and year ( 83:, leaders of important craft 732: 270:Rural notables (Palestine) 267: 657:10.1017/S0022050709001132 620:10.1017/S0020743800034073 454:10.1017/S0022050709001132 408:10.1017/S0020743800034073 320:global economic realities 186:Military responsibilities 591:. Infobase Publishing. 547:10.3366/hlps.2024.0327 182:groups in the Empire. 99:class was part of the 332:networks of patronage 369:Hanioglu, M. Sukru. 293:in Palestine's post- 95:." The rise of the 328:marriage alliances 247:effectively as an 241:Muhammad Ali Pasha 66:Ottoman government 598:978-1-4381-1025-7 249:independent state 16:(Redirected from 723: 697: 676: 639: 602: 574: 573: 567: 559: 549: 522: 513: 512:Hanioglu, 60–61. 510: 504: 503: 483: 474: 473: 437: 428: 427: 391: 374: 367: 361: 353:Agoston, Gabor. 351: 264:Local notability 243:was able to run 55: 54: 46: 45: 21: 731: 730: 726: 725: 724: 722: 721: 720: 701: 700: 679: 642: 605: 599: 586: 583: 578: 577: 560: 524: 523: 516: 511: 507: 485: 484: 477: 439: 438: 431: 393: 392: 377: 368: 364: 352: 345: 340: 272: 266: 217: 188: 176:social mobility 160:administrations 143: 125: 109: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 729: 727: 719: 718: 713: 703: 702: 699: 698: 677: 651:(3): 809–845. 640: 614:(3): 275–289. 603: 597: 582: 581:External links 579: 576: 575: 514: 505: 475: 448:(3): 809–845. 429: 402:(3): 275–289. 375: 362: 342: 341: 339: 336: 268:Main article: 265: 262: 225:Constantinople 216: 213: 187: 184: 142: 139: 124: 121: 108: 105: 101:decentralizing 58:Ottoman Empire 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 728: 717: 714: 712: 709: 708: 706: 695: 691: 688:(1): 89–120. 687: 683: 678: 674: 670: 666: 662: 658: 654: 650: 646: 641: 637: 633: 629: 625: 621: 617: 613: 609: 604: 600: 594: 590: 585: 584: 580: 571: 565: 557: 553: 548: 543: 540:(1): 77–108. 539: 535: 531: 527: 521: 519: 515: 509: 506: 501: 497: 494:(1): 89–120. 493: 489: 482: 480: 476: 471: 467: 463: 459: 455: 451: 447: 443: 436: 434: 430: 425: 421: 417: 413: 409: 405: 401: 397: 390: 388: 386: 384: 382: 380: 376: 372: 366: 363: 360: 356: 350: 348: 344: 337: 335: 333: 329: 325: 321: 317: 314: 311:, village or 310: 305: 303: 300:and emergent 299: 296: 292: 289: 285: 281: 277: 271: 263: 261: 258: 254: 250: 246: 242: 238: 234: 230: 226: 222: 214: 212: 209: 205: 201: 197: 193: 185: 183: 181: 177: 173: 169: 165: 161: 157: 151: 149: 140: 138: 134: 131: 130:Halil Inalcik 122: 120: 118: 114: 106: 104: 102: 98: 94: 90: 86: 82: 79: 75: 71: 67: 63: 59: 50: 41: 37: 33: 19: 685: 681: 648: 644: 611: 607: 588: 564:cite journal 537: 533: 508: 491: 487: 445: 441: 399: 395: 370: 365: 354: 306: 273: 218: 189: 156:hierarchical 152: 144: 135: 126: 110: 96: 73: 61: 48: 47:; singular: 39: 31: 29: 18:Ottoman Ayan 298:countryside 288:land-owning 133:governors. 705:Categories 526:Marom, Roy 338:References 324:households 233:generation 93:endowments 673:153390372 636:162161606 556:2054-1988 470:153390372 424:162161606 284:peasantry 257:Mahmud II 231:from one 221:governors 168:Armenians 107:Etymology 81:garrisons 78:Janissary 694:23682273 665:40263944 528:(2024). 500:23682273 462:40263944 316:mukhtars 295:Tanzimat 280:fellahin 89:Istanbul 44:أَعْيَان 38:plural: 309:sheikhs 276:mashriq 208:vassals 204:freedom 178:to non- 172:Iltizam 70:Muslims 692:  671:  663:  634:  628:164128 626:  595:  554:  498:  468:  460:  422:  416:164128 414:  291:gentry 253:center 200:Sultan 196:armies 192:landed 180:Muslim 166:, and 164:Greeks 113:Arabic 85:guilds 36:Arabic 690:JSTOR 669:S2CID 661:JSTOR 632:S2CID 624:JSTOR 496:JSTOR 466:S2CID 458:JSTOR 420:S2CID 412:JSTOR 359:p. 64 302:towns 245:Egypt 237:state 229:farms 148:Timar 97:a'yan 74:a'yan 62:a'yan 53:عَيْن 40:a‘yan 593:ISBN 570:link 552:ISSN 330:and 313:clan 49:‘ayn 32:Ayan 30:The 653:doi 616:doi 542:doi 450:doi 404:doi 304:. 119:". 117:VIP 707:: 686:35 684:. 667:. 659:. 649:69 647:. 630:. 622:. 612:22 610:. 566:}} 562:{{ 550:. 538:23 536:. 532:. 517:^ 492:35 490:. 478:^ 464:. 456:. 446:69 444:. 432:^ 418:. 410:. 400:22 398:. 378:^ 346:^ 326:, 696:. 675:. 655:: 638:. 618:: 601:. 572:) 558:. 544:: 502:. 472:. 452:: 426:. 406:: 282:/ 34:( 20:)

Index

Ottoman Ayan
Arabic
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman government
Muslims
Janissary
garrisons
guilds
Istanbul
endowments
decentralizing
Arabic
VIP
Halil Inalcik
Timar
hierarchical
administrations
Greeks
Armenians
Iltizam
social mobility
Muslim
landed
armies
Sultan
freedom
vassals
governors
Constantinople
farms

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