Politics, Economy, and Çiftliks: The History of Four Çiftliks in Larissa (Yenişehir-i Fener)

The Ottoman state authorities tried to prevent çiftlik formation in all parts of the empire. Yet, they also tried to keep this valuable and cash/kind-producing economic commodity under strict surveillance. The tax-farming and confiscation systems served as two important mechanisms of state control and ensured the state’s redistributive/reallocative role. Having the right to confiscate and redistribute estates, as well as being the ultimate decision maker in the tax-farming system, the Ottoman authorities acted as the chief regulator of the çiftlik market. Therefore, the central state was always a crucial party to be taken into consideration in the triangle of the çiftlik economy together with the peasantry and the çiftlik holders. This article provides a survey of four çiftliks in Larissa (Yenişehir-i Fener), namely Yeğenli, Göçeri, Köleler, and Zaim, in order to understand the redistributive and reallocative role of the Ottoman imperial center and its impact on the history of the region.