Chapter 16 Ottoman Legal Change and the Şeriat Courts in the Long Nineteenth Century
In: Dimensions of Transformation in the Ottoman Empire from the Late Medieval Age to ModernitySearch for other papers by Iris Agmon in
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Abstract
In this chapter, Iris Agmon focuses on the changes the Ottoman reformers introduced into the şeriat courts and highlights how they affected the overall Ottoman legal system. She argues that, from the outset, şeriat courts were an integral part of refashioning the judicial system. Attempts to introduce changes into the various legal forums, including the şeriat courts, continued until the end of the empire following the First World War. By examining three dimensions of the Ottoman judicial system – its structure; legislation and codification; and judiciary and legal education – she both shows how it changed during the long nineteenth century and traces the effects of those changes on the şeriat courts. Two complementary processes stand out from the discussion – the advancement of the legal system towards unification as a single modern state, and the redistribution of labour among its various judicial forums.