Meşrebzâde arif efendi, a şeyhülislâm of the tanzimat period, and the problem of unemployment in the institution of the qadi

Abstract

From the classical age onwards, a problem of unemployment emerged in the town qadi institutions due to the job rotation system implemented in the Ottoman Ilmiyye as well as the increase in the number of candidates waiting to be appointed to existing posts. This problem became even more acute in the postclassical age together with the widely used niyabet system. With the declaration of the Tanzimat, the iltizam system was abolished, and this led to the termination of income sharing between the qadi and the naib. The period of Şeyhülislâm Meşrebzâde Arif Efendi, who adopted the Tanzimat reforms, was important for the Ilmiyye. The Nüvvâb Nizamnâme, which was passed in 1855, enabled the centralization of the status of the naib, and following this, Muallimhâne-i Nüvvâb, a school for training naibs, was established. All these developments initiated the transition from the institution of the qadi to that of the naib, eventually leading to the weakening of the qadi institution. The passing of the Tevcîhât Nizamnâme also made significant contributions to solving the unemployment problem. © Ahmet Yesevi University Board of Trustees.