オスマン朝のティマール政策 : ビトリス県へのティマール制導入をめぐって

Abstract

This article examines the timar policy of the Ottoman Empire by using the case of southeastern Anatolia to clarify how the timar system was introduced and developed in outlying regions. The territories of the Kurdish amirs (chieftains), who had been ruling class of southeastern Anatolia and who were subjugated by the Ottoman Empire in the first half of the 16th century, were incorporated into the empire as administrative units, called sancak (sub-provinces). This article deals with the important Kurdish sancak of Bitlis. The introduction of the timar system into Bitlis took place in the mid 16th century after the amir of Bitlis had taken refuge with the Safavids. On this occasion the Ottomans adopted a policy that would lessen the influence of the amir while demonstrating consideration for those tribes that had been led by the amir but that remained in Bitlis. When Seref Han, a grandson of the Semseddin Bey who had taken refuge with the Safavids, returned to Bitlis in the late 16th century, he was named sancak beyi (governor) of Bitlis and was anomalously bestowed more has territory than the beylerbeyi (governor general) of Van. Nevertheless, the revenue of the has territories bestowed on Seref Han were not as extensive as the revenue of the amir of Bitlis prior to his refuge. Thus the privilege that had been held by the sancak beyi of Bitlis was skillfully limited. After the amir of Bitlis took refuge with the Safavids, the Ottoman Empire aimed to reorganize the traditional political and social order of Bitlis through the timar system, and it can be said that the policy was largely successful.