Books by Gulay Yilmaz
Children and Childhood in the Ottoman Empire (15th-20th Centuries), 2021
Book Chapters by Gulay Yilmaz
A Companion to Early Modern Istanbul, 2021
Children and Childhood in the Ottoman Empire From the 15th to the 20th Century, 2021
Children and Childhood in the Ottoman Empire From the 15th to the 20th Century, 2021
Dimitri, the son of Radasin, was conscripted from Polimiye, Mileşeva, Herzegovina (Hersek) in 149... more Dimitri, the son of Radasin, was conscripted from Polimiye, Mileşeva, Herzegovina (Hersek) in 1493-4. He was fair-skinned, had hazel-blue eyes and arched eyebrows. He was approximately fourteen years old. Gorgi was another fourteen-year-old enlisted from Polimiye. He was the son of Obrav, had dark skin, black eyes and frowning eyebrows. Twentyfour others were taken away from the same small town, and 115 in total from the wider Herzegovina region in that year. 2 A little more than a century later, in 1604, in another levy from the Herzegovina region, 141 boys were taken. Among them, Yusuf, the son of İbrahim and Fatima, who was fifteen years old. He was short, blond, with blue eyes and had scars on his forehead. İbrahim, the son of Üveyş and Emine, was a brownhaired eighteen-year-old boy of medium height, with light blue eyes. He had a long scar on his face. 3 These are all descriptions of enlisted boys recorded in the registers of devşirme officers during the two levies from Herzegovina in 1493-4 and 1604. For centuries, the Ottomans levied children of their Christian population, converted them to Islam, taught them Turkish, educated them and eventually placed them in administrative and military posts under what is called the devşirme system. Why were the physical traits of the boys recorded during conscriptions? How is this data in the levy registers [eşkal (lit. description) defters] to be read as part of the children's history? What do the registers tell us regarding the control of children's bodies? This chapter will deal with these questions in an attempt to introduce a new approach to a historiographical debate on the status of the boys conscripted as devşirmes. In this chapter, I move my analysis to the treatment of the devşirme bodies by the state and the corporeal experiences of the children throughout the conscription process, away from the legal interpretations of the devşirme status, which focus on whether those levied were slaves or not according to Islamic law.
Papers by Gulay Yilmaz
Belleten, 2015
This paper addresses two main questions in regards to the devshirme system: how did the devshirme... more This paper addresses two main questions in regards to the devshirme system: how did the devshirme system function at a local level and how were local politics triggered by the levy; and what were the experiences of the children who were levied. Utilizing a unique register called sürü defter that lists children who were levied in 1603-4, the system is traced in the region of Bursa in 1603-4. The mühimme defters and court records from Bursa are also referenced. Besides examining the bureaucratic implications of carrying out the devshirme, one of the important questions addressed is what did it mean to be a Christian child in the early modern Ottoman world. Issues such as who these children were, how they were selected as devshirmes, and how they reacted to being selected or not, are considered here. The paper shows that reactions to the child-levy by the families and children involved varied across a spectrum - from resistance to desirability. This paper also looks at where these chil...
Labor History, 2023
Until the late sixteenth century, the devşirme system was the main method of manning the janissar... more Until the late sixteenth century, the devşirme system was the main method of manning the janissary army. This was no simple conscription. It required an intense process of identity formation that transformed adolescent Christian boys into Muslim warriors fighting for Islam and the sultan. The training that the boys and young men received was composed of several aspects, including coerced labor, disciplined and harsh physical training, the learning of Turkish and Islamic practices, and a mental formation that would give them a certain perception of their manhood. This article examines these prominent components of janissary training. First, it investigates the function of coerced labor in the boys' transformation, followed by a discussion of the centrality of structured and intensive training with weapons to become professional warriors. Second, it examines the masculine identity formed by the communal way of life in the barracks as soldiers and by notions of military prowess, brotherhood, and comrade solidarity that were strengthened through Bektashism. These dynamics are investigated through an examination of archival sources, chronicles, travelers' writings, and poems by janissary poets.
Toplumsal Tarih, 2022
Tarİh Vakfı'nda Akl-ı Kıssa Salı Konuşmaları'yla yenİ bİr semİner dİzİsİ başlıyor. Akl-ı Kıssa ka... more Tarİh Vakfı'nda Akl-ı Kıssa Salı Konuşmaları'yla yenİ bİr semİner dİzİsİ başlıyor. Akl-ı Kıssa kadın tarİhçİlerİn aklını kısa bulan tarİh anlayışı ve tarİhçİlere karşı, kadın tarİhçİlerİn tarİh DİSİPLİNİNİN aklı, kalemİ, sözü olma İddİasını Salı Konuşmalarına taşıyor.
Toplumsal Tarih , 2019
Kadın Kadına Tarih Konferansı, Toplumsal Tarih, Kasım 2019, 14-16.
The traditional conscription method for the janissary army was the devshirme system (levying the ... more The traditional conscription method for the janissary army was the devshirme system (levying the sons of Christian subjects of the empire). This system was not only an enforced conscription that enslaved the levies but also a successful assimilation and identity-formation process. In an early-modern world, assimilation was not necessarily required loosing contact with the origins, on the contrary the Ottomans levied boys from the families who had ruled the people in the areas they conquered, however, they generally adapted to their Ottoman identity. During the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the Ottomans employed the new warfare technology which necessitated bigger armies. Intense recruitment of Muslims into the janissary army generated a totally new manpower base. In modern literature, the emphasis has been on the impact of this transformation on the Ottoman society. This article highlights its affects particularly on the devshirme system. My research reveals that, the ages of the levied boys increased from the average 13.5 to 16.5. According to a seventeenth century register, almost half of the levied boys were aged 18 to 20 years-old. The practice of hiring levies out to Turkish families , which was the backbone of training the levies, began to fall out. The article argues that with these changes the Ottomans abandoned the assimilation project. * This article is based on the findings for a project supported by TUBITAK 1001 Project Funding Turkey.
Öz: Osmanlı kent tarihçiliği alanındaki historiografik değişimler sırf tarih disiplinin iç tartış... more Öz: Osmanlı kent tarihçiliği alanındaki historiografik değişimler sırf tarih disiplinin iç tartışmalarından beslenen bir süreç değil aynı zamanda neoliberal politikaların kent mekanında yarattığı değişim ve küreselleşme kaynaklıdır. Bu makale Osmanlı kent tarihçiliğinin modern dönemi ve temel sorunsallarını ortaya koyuyor ve 1970'lerden bugüne gelişmekte olan küreselleşme ve 'mekanın' yeni algısının tarihçinin kimliğini ve ilgi alanlarını ne yönde değiştirdiğini örneklerle göstermeye çalışıyor. Abstract: The historiographical changes of Ottoman urban historigrahpy are not only fed by the debates of the history as a discipline but also resulted due to globalization and the transformation of the urban space with neoliberal policies. This article presents the basic questions and themes of Ottoman urban history during the modern era and tries to depict through samples how globalization and the new perceptions of 'space' changed the identity and interests of historians.
Journal of Ottoman Studies 45 (2015): 97-136.
This article examines the Bektashi lodges in Istanbul from the time the city was conquered to the... more This article examines the Bektashi lodges in Istanbul from the time the city was conquered to the times that the lodges were closed/transformed/or put under a more strict control after the abolition of the janissary army in 1826. The goal of this study is to investigate the history of the Bektashi lodges in Istanbul with reference to the institutionalization of Bektashism in general and of the Janissary army and to provide a contextual analysis of their history. We argue that the Bektashi sect, reorganized during the reign of Bayezid II, underwent an institutionalization similar to that of other Istanbul lodges. The second juncture of the history of the Bektashi lodges in Istanbul is the second half of the 18th century. This new phase in the history of the logdes was cut off with the 1826 intervention of the state.
Keywords: Bektashism, lodge, Istanbul, Bayezid II, Janissary army, waqf deeds,Karaağaç, Erikli Baba, Perişan Baba, Şehidlik, Durmuş Dede, Şahkulu Sultan, Karaca Ahmed Sultan, Yarımca Baba, Mürüvvet Baba, Karyağdı Baba, Kıncı Baba, Tahir Baba
Oryantalizmi ilk olarak Edward Said formule etmiş ve tartışmıştır. Kendisi bunu yaparken daha çok... more Oryantalizmi ilk olarak Edward Said formule etmiş ve tartışmıştır. Kendisi bunu yaparken daha çok İslam ve Araplara karşı yaklaşımlara yoğunlaşmış, bunun için de 'Batı'da' yazılmış edebi metinleri incelemiştir. Oryantalizmi tanımlaması açısından alana yaptığı katkı paha biçilmezdir. Bu makale ise on altıncı yüzyıldan modern zamanlara kadar ki dönemde Batı'nın Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nu, özellikle Osmanlı yönetim biçimini, nasıl algıladığına konsantre olacaktır. Amacı Avrupa metinlerinde Osmanlı yönetimini tanımlarken karşılaşılan Oryantalist eğilimleri göstermektir.
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Books by Gulay Yilmaz
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Book Chapters by Gulay Yilmaz
Papers by Gulay Yilmaz
Keywords: Bektashism, lodge, Istanbul, Bayezid II, Janissary army, waqf deeds,Karaağaç, Erikli Baba, Perişan Baba, Şehidlik, Durmuş Dede, Şahkulu Sultan, Karaca Ahmed Sultan, Yarımca Baba, Mürüvvet Baba, Karyağdı Baba, Kıncı Baba, Tahir Baba
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Keywords: Bektashism, lodge, Istanbul, Bayezid II, Janissary army, waqf deeds,Karaağaç, Erikli Baba, Perişan Baba, Şehidlik, Durmuş Dede, Şahkulu Sultan, Karaca Ahmed Sultan, Yarımca Baba, Mürüvvet Baba, Karyağdı Baba, Kıncı Baba, Tahir Baba
In the mid-16th Century, a long running conflict between two of the most powerful world religions is building up to a climactic battle in the Mediterranean for the very soul of Europe. Facing each other are two highly trained forces. The knights of the Order of St. John, a small but formidable Christian military Order and the Muslim Janissaries, the fearsome crack troops of the Sultan.
The historic events are told through the eyes of Hasan, a pressganged Greek boy who is conscripted into the Ottoman army, and his arch-rival, the ambitious novice warrior monk Raymonde. From an early age, both are trained to fight with no mercy in the name of God, and Allah. Only one will surviv
GÜLAY YILMAZ-Devşirme and Janissary Identity Formation and the Role of Emotions
SELİM KARAHASANOĞLU-Did Ottomans Express Their Emotions in Ego-Documents of Early Modern Times
NİL TEKGÜL-Emotions and Concepts: How Do Emotions Interfere with Concepts in Ottoman History
FRUMA ZACHS-Autobiography as a Language of Emotions:
ÖZET
Bu çalışma Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun belkemiğini oluşturan devşirme sisteminin kurumsal yapısını 15. yüzyıldan 17. yüzyılın ortalarına kadar arşiv belgelerine dayanarak inceleyip bu kurumsal yapının temel işleyişini, geçirdiği dönüşümü, ve devşirme sistemine dahil olmuş çocukların ve bölgelerin deneyimlerini ele alacaktır. Projenin konusu (devşirmelik kurumunun tüm evrelerinin araştırılıp kurumsal prosedürlerin tespit edilmesi) Osmanlı sosyo-ekonomik tarihine daha yakından bakacak ve Osmanlı çocuk tarihçiliğine yeni metodolojik bir yaklaşım sunabilecek niteliktedir. Bu çalışma devşirilen çocukların etnik yapısı, yaş, boy, yüz hatları gibi fiziksel özellikleri, sağlık koşulları, devşirilme öncesi yaşadıkları şiddet oranları, devşirme sisteminden kaçma veya zorla dahil olma mücadeleleri, ailelerin devşirme karşısındaki tutumları, devşirmelerin saraylarda ve Türk köylerinde almış oldukları eğitim, görevlendirildikleri işler ve devşirmelik hakkında diğer birçok bilinmeyeni gün yüzüne çıkartmayı hedefler. Son derece renkli ve tarih sayfalarında zor rastlanır çeşitlilikte malzemenin erken modern toplumlarına bir kapı açabilecek, Hıristiyan Osmanlı çocuklarının fiziki ve sosyal fotoğraflarını bize sunarak, sadece devşirmeliğin kurumsal tarihini oluşturmada değil, Osmanlı sosyal tarihine de önemli bir katkı sağlayacaktır. Osmanlı tarih yazıcılığında çok az sayıda çalışma devşirmelik sistemi ile ilgilenmiştir. Bu sistem daha çok Yeniçeri Ocağına asker alma yöntemi olarak değerlendirilmesinden dolayı askeri teşkilat tarihi altında Yeniçeri Ocağı ile bir bütün olarak ele alınmış ve bu bağlamda araştırmacıların birincil kaygısı Osmanlı devletinin rasyonelini izah etmek olmuştur. Bu sebeple gerek çocuk tarihi gerekse emek tarihi açısından devşirmelik sistemi yeterince tartışılmamıştır. Bir çocuk devşirme olduğu zamandan Yeniçeri Ocağına alınana kadar bir çok merhaleden geçmek zorundadır. Kaldı ki devşirmeler sadece asker değil Osmanlı yönetici eliti olmaları sebebiyle görevlendirilecekleri kurumlara atamaları yapılana kadar geçmiş oldukları evrelere vakıf olmak Osmanlı siyasi ve sosyal tarihine de farklı bir bakış açısı geliştirmemizi sağlayacaktır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, literatürdeki bu eksikliği giderecek şekilde arşiv kaynaklarına dayanan bir inceleme yapmak, devşirmeliğin sosyal ve siyasi hayatı etkileyen önemli bir bürokratik yapı olarak kurumsal tarihçesini çıkarmanın yanı sıra bu sistemi çocukların perspektifinden değerlendirmektir.
This article examines the Bektashi lodges in Istanbul from the time the city was conquered to the times that the lodges were closed/transformed/or put under a more strict control after the abolition of the janissary army in 1826. The goal of this study is to investigate the history of the Bektashi lodges in Istanbul with reference to the institutionalization of Bektashism in general and of the Janissary army and to provide a contextual analysis of their history. We argue that the Bektashi sect, reorganized during the reign of Bayezid II, underwent an institutionalization similar to that of other Istanbul lodges. The second juncture of the history of the Bektashi lodges in Istanbul is the second half of the 18th century. This new phase in the history of the logdes was cut off with the 1826 intervention of the state. Osmanlı döneminde İstanbul'daki Bektaşi tekkeleri ve özellikle bunların top-lumla ve Yeniçeri Ocağı ile olan ilişkilerinin ne olduğu sorusu, son derece ilgi çeken fakat araştırması arşiv kaynaklarının yetersizliği dolayısıyla sıkıntılı bir konu olmuş-tur. Zira İstanbul'da ve hatta Osmanlı'nın diğer coğrafyalarındaki tekkeler hakkın-daki arşiv belgeleri daha çok 19. yüzyıla, özellikle de Yeniçeri Ocağı'nın kaldırılışı