The vakuf as bearer of certain state and social functions in the Ottoman empire

Abstract

This work explaines the role of the vakuf in the formation and development of town settlements of Otoman type in Bosna in the XV & XVI centuries. The role of the vakuf was so significant in the domain of material culture that the development of towns is impossible to study separate from the vakuf's role. Monumental vakuf building constituted the urban framework of all towns with a Moslem physionomy.

A significant contribution to this process was also made by Ottoman State, especially in the fast accumulation of population in the towns, because the town Moslem population was freed from raja status (Mu 'af); it did not pay basic raja taxes, named resmi čift, and it was not submitted to spahija. It was a middle class between the village raja and the feudal class. The State also had a significant share in the urban forming of towns of the Ottoman type (kasaba) because in different places the so called Sultan's mosques were built, as the first religious builidings. The contribution of the vakuf was noticable in the accumulation of pupulation. Some vakufs took on tax obligations in order to enlarge a town population as quickly as possible.

There were these types of kasaba founder in Bosna: Derwish, State and feudal. The first religious buildings were established by derwishes — their Zavial (tekije) in some places. More often settlements began with a mosque built by the State (the emperor’s mosque). A good number of kasabas was formed by building of a mosque and other vakuf buildings by some feudal lord. Some feudal lords and local officials were also ordered to establish their vakuf, religious and other buildings and to start to establish the town settlements, where it was necessary because of strategy, Communications etc. In this case, as well as in the building of State mosques the needs of the State was expressed in the forming of kasabas.

It can be said, in short, that vakufs have played a significant role in the total social development of Moslems. At the beginning was the army and administration first and basic concern of the Ottoman State, and the solving of the major social questions: cultural, educational and etc. was left to private initiative, mainly to the institution of vakuf.