Publication: Üsküdar mahkeme kayıtları ışığında XVIII. yüzyıl İstanbul'unda çingeneler
Abstract
Çingeneler sahip oldukları renkli kültür ve yaşam tarzlarıyla birlikte her dönemde yaşadıkları toplumda ayrı bir yere sahip olmuş, zaman zaman toplum tarafından dışlanmaya ve ayrımcılığa maruz kalmıştır. Çeşitlilik gösteren yaşam tarzları (göçebe, yarı göçebe ve yerleşik), kültürleri, dini yapıları ve ekonomik durumlarıyla tek tip bir Çingene profilinden bahsetmek mümkün değildir. Farklı dönemlerde yaşayan Çingenelerin muhtelif yönlerini ele alan çalışmalar, Çingenelerin toplumsal yapıları hakkında daha gerçekçi bulguların ortaya çıkarılması için önemlidir. Bu çalışma, XVIII. yüzyılda Üsküdar'da yaşayan Çingeneleri ele almaktadır. Araştırmanın ana kaynağı olan Üsküdar mahkeme kayıtları Çingenelerin muhtelif yönlerini inceleme fırsatı sunmaktadır. İlaveten bu çalışmada Bab, Eyüp ve İstanbul mahkeme kayıtları ve arşiv belgelerinden de istifade edilmiştir. Bu tezde Çingenelerin Osmanlı hukuk sistemi içindeki yerleri, dinleri, meslekleri, yaşadıkları yerler, ekonomik durumları, maddi kültürleri, aile yapıları ve kendi aralarında, topluluk dışındaki Müslümanlarla, gayrimüslimlerle ve devletle olan ilişkileri ele alınmıştır. Bu kayıtlar ışığında, XVIII. yüzyıl Üsküdar'ında Çingene olmanın neye tekabül ettiği ortaya konulmaya çalışılmıştır.Tezde bölge olarak Üsküdar'ın seçilme sebebi Üsküdar'ın Çingenelerin önemli ve kadim yerleşim yerlerinden olmasıdır. Çalışmada dönem olarak XVIII. yüzyılın seçilme nedeni ise Çingenelerin Selâmsız (Selâmi Ali ve Solak Sinan Mahalleleri) bölgesine bu yüzyılda göç etmeleridir. Bu çalışma, Çingenelerin yaşamlarının muhtelif cephelerini incelemek suretiyle hem Osmanlı Çingeneleri hem de günümüz Çingenelerini anlama noktasında literatüre katkı sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.
The Gypsies have always had a distinct place in the society they live with their colorful culture and lifestyle. On the other hand, they , at times, faced discrimination and exclusion. It is not possible to talk about a uniform Gypsy profile considering their diverse lifestyles (nomadic, semi-nomadic and settled), culture, religious structure and economic conditions. Obviously, studies that focus on various aspects of Gypsies in different time periods are important for revealing the real position of Gypsies in Ottoman society. Therefore, this study deals with the Gypsies who lived in Üsküdar in the 18th century. Üsküdar court records, which provide access to valuable information regarding the social, economic, and daily lives of Gypsies, and their relationship with both the Ottoman society and the state, stand as the main source of this research. Additionally, for comparative purposes, the thesis also used court registers that belonged to contemporary Gypsies recorded in the Bab, Eyüb and Istanbul courts and archival documents kept in the state archive.This thesis reconstructs various aspects of Gypsies' lives such as the place of the Gypsies in the Ottoman legal system, their religion, profession, residential location, economic conditions, material culture, family structures, and network of their relationships. Thus, the thesis aims to explore what it meant to be a Gypsy in Üsküdar in the 18th century in the light of court registers. The reason why Üsküdar is chosen as the case study of the thesis is because it is a significant ancient settlement of the Gypsies. Since Gypsies migrated to the district of Selamsız in the 18th century, the thesis focuses on this particular century. This thesis aims at contributing to the literature on both the Ottoman and contemporary Gypsies by evaluating certain aspects of their lives from a historical perspective.
The Gypsies have always had a distinct place in the society they live with their colorful culture and lifestyle. On the other hand, they , at times, faced discrimination and exclusion. It is not possible to talk about a uniform Gypsy profile considering their diverse lifestyles (nomadic, semi-nomadic and settled), culture, religious structure and economic conditions. Obviously, studies that focus on various aspects of Gypsies in different time periods are important for revealing the real position of Gypsies in Ottoman society. Therefore, this study deals with the Gypsies who lived in Üsküdar in the 18th century. Üsküdar court records, which provide access to valuable information regarding the social, economic, and daily lives of Gypsies, and their relationship with both the Ottoman society and the state, stand as the main source of this research. Additionally, for comparative purposes, the thesis also used court registers that belonged to contemporary Gypsies recorded in the Bab, Eyüb and Istanbul courts and archival documents kept in the state archive.This thesis reconstructs various aspects of Gypsies' lives such as the place of the Gypsies in the Ottoman legal system, their religion, profession, residential location, economic conditions, material culture, family structures, and network of their relationships. Thus, the thesis aims to explore what it meant to be a Gypsy in Üsküdar in the 18th century in the light of court registers. The reason why Üsküdar is chosen as the case study of the thesis is because it is a significant ancient settlement of the Gypsies. Since Gypsies migrated to the district of Selamsız in the 18th century, the thesis focuses on this particular century. This thesis aims at contributing to the literature on both the Ottoman and contemporary Gypsies by evaluating certain aspects of their lives from a historical perspective.