CRIMINAL LAW AND PRACTICES IN THE 18TH CENTURY OTTOMAN EMPIRE: THE CASE OF RUSE DISTRICT

Abstract

This criminal history study of the Ruse (Rusçuk) district of the Ottoman Empire is based on analyzing court records (sharia register). In the study, which aims to reveal a small section of the application of the punishment concept in the Ottoman provinces, the court provisions were determined. These provisions were classified according to the type of punishment, and then inferences were made. The study comprised three parts, excluding the introduction and conclusion. At first, the history and socio-economic conditions of the city of Ruse were examined. In the second part, the Ottoman period practices of Islamic criminal law were investigated with a general and theoretical perspective. In this way, it was desired to create a basis for the third party. The last part looks at the punishments given to the criminals in Ruse in a variety of ways, based on the court records from the 18th century. Writing about the crime and punishment history of the Ottoman Empire is especially important because the negatives are memorable and show more clearly what should have happened. In addition, the comparison possibility with today is another sign that shows the need for more studies on the subject.