SOME LITTLE-KNOWN ASPECTS OF OTTOMAN WAQFS AND THEIR FUNCTION IN SOCIAL WELFARE ECONOMY

The expression of for the benefit of society or, ibadullahin terfihi ahvalleri which appeared in the court registers was a brief but nevertheless powerful summary of Ottoman economic and social perceptions. The Ottomans genuinely believed in this principle and, their whole social and economic life revolved around it. In this way, while they maintained the balance between rich and poor in social life, they benefited from Islamic pious foundations, waqfs, as a tool for delivering social projects. From education to health, the waqf institution provided all the services for the public, obviously supported by the Ottoman sultans. They built hospitals, soup-kitchens, universities and many other buildings, hayrat, under the management of waqfs, and they encouraged their families and government officials to do the same. Although the hayrat was the visual representation of the institution, waqf meant much more than just a building in the Ottoman economic and social understanding. In this chapter, I dig a bit deeper and, analyse some little-known aspects of Ottoman waqfs, specifically the waqfs of the state officials, referred to in the literature as sultanic and vizirate waqfs. The purpose of this study is to set out details from works which have analysed original archival sources and, to present a wide perspective on Ottoman waqf practice.