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NURO, Kujtim
The Value of the Kadi Registers (Seri’ye Sicilleri) of the Jonian, Manastir and Shkoder Provinces
for Studies of the Ottoman Period
Albania, which was part of the Rumeli region for almost five centuries during the Ottoman Administration, currently
preserves a large collection of records in its Central Archive pertaining to the aforementioned period. Consequently,
Albania can be considered as the most important and richest holder of these records in the Balkans, in terms of quantity
and content. These documents are written in Turkish, Arabic and Persian. Among them are the Kadi Registers (Seri’ye
Sicilleri) of the Ionian, Manastir, and Shkoder provinces. Although extensive research has been conducted until now, the
Kadi Registers of the Kosova province have unfortunately not been found.
The collection of Kadi Registers of the Ionian, Manastir and Shkoder provinces chronologically begins in the
year 1580, with the registers of Elbasan (copies), and ends in the year 1926, with the registers of the city of Berat. The Kadi
Registers of the city of Berat, historically recognized as Mahkeme-i Seri’ye-i Beligrad-i Arnavud, begin in 1602. They are
nearly complete, saved in their original format, and include 211 files. These registers are recorded in the form of an encyclopedia
and contain information regarding the history of Albania, the Balkans, and the entire world.
Inside the registers of the three provinces, one can find documented correspondences between the central and local
institutions of the Ottoman Empire. The decrees, berats, buyuruldis, ilams, hucets, fetwas, complaints, and requisitions
of the people are written in the registers in the form of full text and dated as sent or received. These documents have been
chronologically recorded with equal considerations given, regardless of the sender’s status, the document’s content or type.
The Kadis of each province simultaneously acted as reporters. In addition to maintaining official records and
documenting political and social events, they also recorded natural phenomena that occurred in their provinces, such as
earthquakes, floods, droughts, and even epidemic outbreaks like Malaria.
The Kadi Registers contain valuable information about the history of the Ottoman Empire. This information
is of great relevance to those who study the history of Albania as well as other countries, such as Austria, Egypt, Bosnia,
Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Macedonia, Montenegro, Russia, and Turkey etc. The registers shed light on the creation,
development, and functioning of the Ottoman Administration in Albania, the Legislation upon which this administration
operated, and the competencies of the Kadis before and after the Tanzimat reforms. They also illustrate social aspects of
life in Albanian cities and the economic roles of artisans. Other documents in this collection outline the timar and ciftlig
system, the fiscal system, the rights and duties of the Feudal class, and the Ottoman Empire’s foreign relations, especially
in the fields of trade and diplomacy. Particularly interesting, are the documents which reflect the process of Islamisation,
including conversion into Islam, the creation of waqfs, and the Ottoman education system in the Albanian provinces. Some
of these documents exhibit in great detail the tolerance portrayed by the Ottoman Empire toward the non-Muslims population
in these territories.
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