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List of Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire

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Shaykh ul-Islam Mehmet Cemaleddin Efendi during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II

Following the foundation of the Ottoman state, the title of Sheikh-ul-Islam (Turkish: Şeyhülislâm), formerly used in the Abbasid Caliphate, was given to a leader authorized to issue legal opinion or fatwa. During the reign of Sultan Murad II, (1421-1444, 1446-1451) the position became an official title, with authority over other muftis in the Empire. In the late 16th century, the Shaykh al-Islam were assigned to appoint and dismiss supreme judges, high ranking college professors, and heads of Sufi orders. Prominent figures include Zenbilli Ali Cemali Efendi (1445-1526), Ibn-i Kemal (Kemalpaşazade) (1468-1533), Ebussuud Efendi (1491-1574) and al-Kawthari (1879-1952).[1]

Structure

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The Sheikh-ul-Islam was appointed by the Sultan. His office was known as the Şeyhülislâm Kapısı, or the Bab-ı Meşihat, which during the Tanzimat was housed in the old quarters of the Agha of the Janissaries. The office was quite large, the Sheikh-ul-Islams' rank was checked only by the Grand Vizier or the Serasker. Several departments were devoted to the legal systems in Anatolia and Rumeli, which were headed by Kazasker, or Sadr. Inside this ministry was the Supreme Religious Court (Fetvahane-i Celile) making the Sheikh-ul-Islam the supreme jurisconsult (grand mufti), and as last resort of appeal from lower religious courts. Another department, headed by the ders vekili, supervised the training of ulema and the education of teachers in primary mektebs and secondary madrasas. The fetva emini would issue opinions and judgements. The imperial mint (Darphane), the Ministry of the Sultan's privy treasury (Hazine-i Hassa) and the administration of the holy cities' foundations (waqf) all reported to the Sheikh-ul-Islam, though the 19th century would see these departments separate from the Bab-ı Meşihat.[2]

Following the Young Turk Revolution the office lost more of its power, which accelerated in the period after 1913. In 1916 the Sheikh-ul-Islam was removed from the cabinet. The next year the authority to administer Sharia courts was put under the Justice Ministry's purview, while the madrasas were modernized and put under the Ministry of Education, and foundations were put into a new ministry: Evkaf. Administration of family law received reform in 1917.[3]

List

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During the existence of the office (from 1424 to 1922), there were in total 131 Sheikh-ul-Islams. The longest-serving officeholder was Ebussuud Efendi for 29 years, the shortest was Memikzade Mustafa Efendi for 13 hours.[4][5] The following is a list of Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire.

References

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  1. ^ Yurdakul, İlhami."Şeyhülislam (shaykhulislam)". Gábor Ágoston and Bruce Alan Masters, eds. Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire, pp. 524–25. Facts on File, 2009.
  2. ^ Shaw & Shaw 1977, pp. 74–75.
  3. ^ Zürcher 1993.
  4. ^ Yakut 2005, p. 38
  5. ^ For a list of şeyḫülislāmları, see Yakut 2005, pp. 242–247

Sources

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  • Yakut, Esra. Şeyhülislamlık: yenileşme döneminde devlet ve din. Istanbul: Kitap Yayınevi, 2005. For a list of şeyḫülislāmları, see pp. 242–247.
  • Shaw, Stanford; Shaw, Ezel (1977). History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Vol. II. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-29166-6.
  • Zürcher, Erik (1993). Turkey: A Modern History (2nd ed.). New York, NY: I. B. Tauris. ISBN 1-86064-222-5.
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