A Defter Entry from 1489 about the Fortress of Tešanj in Bosni

Ursinus, Michael

English

Universität Wien: OJS-Service

| 92 A	Defter	Entry	from	1489	about	the	Fortress	of		Tešanj	in	Bosnia	Michael	Ursinus				Author:	Faculty	 Member,	 Department	 of	 Islamic	 Studies	 (Ottoman	 Studies),	 University	 of	Heidelberg.		michael.ursinus@ori.uni-heidelberg.de				Keywords:	Tešanj,	Bosansko	Kraljevstvo,	Christian	timar-holder,	tax	exemption,	Mehmed	II,	Bayezid	II,	yiğit,	yoldaşlık,	15th	century			Cite	this	article:	Ursinus,	Michael.	“A	Defter	Entry	from	1489	about	the	Fortress	of	Tešanj	in	Bosnia”	Keshif:	E-Journal	for	Ottoman-Turkish	Micro	Editions	2/2	(Summer	2024):	92-101.		Available	under	https://doi.org/10.25365/kshf-24-02-12.			_____________________________________________	Article	DOI	10.25365/kshf-24-02-12	Published	online	September	30,	2024	©	2024	Michael	Ursinus,	published	by	Keshif:	E-Journal	for	Ottoman-Turkish	Micro	Editions.	This	is	an	Open	Access	article	licensed	under	the	Creative	Commons	Attribution	4.0.	International	License	(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Michael	Ursinus,	A	Defter	Entry	from	1489	│93 Context	The	earliest	Ottoman	evidence	for	the	fortress	of	Tešanj1	can	be	found	in	BOA	TD	24	(p.	870).	The	significance	of	this	defter	entry	for	the	early	history	of	this	fortress	and	the	question	of	the	“Bosansko	Kraljevstvo”	(the	Ottoman-installed	“Kingdom	of	Bosnia”)	has	recently	been	emphasized	by	Aladin	Husić.2	The	relevant	text	(like	TD	24	as	a	whole	still	unpublished)	contains	information	about	the	time	and	circumstances	when	this	fortress	was	apparently	put	under	 siege	 (kapanub)	while	being	bravely	defended	by	a	certain	Dobrešin3	who,	in	recognition	of	his	(defensive)	yoldaşlık	or	fortress	duties,	had	been	awarded	 an	 imperial	 decree	 by	 Sultan	Mehmed	 II,	 exempting	 him	 from	 the	 poll-tax	(haraç),	the	field-tax	(ispençe),	the	sheep-tax	(koyun	adeti)	as	well	as	all	extraordinary	taxes	(avarız-i	divaniye).	This	bravery	award	can	be	dated	to	the	time	before	Muhiyuddin	Efendi	(alias	Mevlâna	Vildan),	the	official	responsible	for	the	survey	(tahrir)	of	Herzego-vina,4	had	completed	work	on	the	survey	of	the	sanjak	of	Bosna	by	the	autumn	of	1477	(neither	the	detailed	[mufassal]	nor	the	corresponding	synoptical	[icmal]	register	appear	to	have	survived,	but	are	referred	to	repeatedly	in	BOA	TD	24	as	the	“old	register”	[def-ter-i	atik]	or	even	“Mevlâna	Vildan’s	defter”).5	The	(retrospect)	mentioning,	in	BOA	TD	24	(dated	evail	Ramazan	894/	29	July	-	7	August	1489),	of	Mevlâna	Vildan	as	having	re-corded	 Dobrešin’s	 sultanic	 exemption	 in	 his	 survey	 register	 for	 Bosnia,	 and	 having	handed	him	a	hüccet	enabling	him	to	further	document	his	exemption	status,	makes	it	clear	that	the	bravery	episode	must	pre-date	the	autumn	of	1477,	if	not	the	summer	of	1475	when	Vildan’s	new	survey	of	Bosnia	had	just	begun	or	was	about	to	begin.6			 1		 Here	spelt	“Tişan”	instead	of	the	usual	“Teşne”,	probably	as	the	result	of	ikavica	influence.	2		 “Tešanj	u	XVI.	stoljeću”,	Prilozi	za	orijentalnu	filologiju	61	(Sarajevo,	2012),	301	–	318.	3		 Written	“Dûbrâşin”,	from	the	village	of	Ričica	near	Kraljeva	Sutjeska.	4		 Resulting	in	defter	BOA	TD	5	dated	evail	Ramazan	882/	7	–	16	December	1477.	5		 A	copy	of	it	had	apparently	arrived	in	Istanbul	by	18	November	1477.	This	is	supported	by	a	note	in	O.76,	edited	in	translation	by	Ahmed	S.	Aličić	entitled	Sumarni	popis	sandžaka	Bosna	iz	1468/69.	godine	(Mostar,	2008),	p.	200,	which	makes	it	quite	clear	that	the	new	survey	of	Bosnia	had	been	completed	by	then:	“sada	je	u	novom	defteru	ovoj	timar	upisan	u	iznosu	od	4.163	akče”	-	“now	this	timar	was	recorded	in	the	new	register	with	a	hasıl	figure	of	4,163	aspres”.		6		 See	Ćiro	Truhelka,	“Tursko-slovjenski	spomenici	dubrovačke	arhive”,	in	Glasnik	Zemaljskog	muzej	Bosni	i	Hercegovini	XXIII	[Sarajevo,	1911],	p.1-484;	here:	319.	94 | Keshif:	E-Journal	for	Ottoman-Turkish	Micro	Editions,	Summer	2024,	vol.	2/2 	 At	least	a	decade	later,	probably	by	about	1485,	Dobrešin	had	petitioned	the	new	ruler,	Sultan	Bayezid	II,	to	confirm	Mehmed	Fatih’s	exemption	act,	but	Bayezid	declined.	Dobrešin’s	tax	exemptions	were	not	to	be	renewed,	so	in	the	survey	of	1489	he	was	re-corded,	under	the	name	of	Dobraşin	veled-i	Golubik	(Golubić),	as	the	first	householder	among	 the	 taxpaying	 inhabitants	of	Ričica	 village.7	At	 this	 time,	Ričica	near	Kraljeva	Sutjeska	formed	the	fiefdom	(timar)	of	bölükbaşı	Yusuf	from	Yeleč,	one	of	the	personnel	of	Bobovac	fortress	nearby.	Ričica	had	already	been	in	his	hands	by	1485,8	having	been	transferred	 from	 (an	 tahvil-i)	 Veli	 Beğ.	 At	 the	 same	 time,	 in	 1485,	 we	 find	 a	 certain	Dobraşin	birader-i	Hasan	Ağa	holding	the	village	of	Tişine	 (Tišina	near	Zenica)	as	his	timar	with	a	revenue	(hasıl)	of	11,528	akçe	–	the	same	village	which,	by	1489,	was	to	be	in	the	 hands	 of	 two	 joint	 occupants	 (müşterek),	 Dama[d]	 Halil	 and	 Mehmedî	 veled-i	Dobraşin,9	 again	 with	 a	 revenue	 of	 11,528	 akçe.	 Husić	 assumes	 the	 identity	 of	 these	Dobrešins	without	further	discussion.10	 If	correct,	we	would	be	able	to	argue,	as	does	Husić,	that	“our”	Dobrešin	was	rewarded	not	only	with	tax	exemptions	for	his	bravery	at	Tešanj,	but	with	a	(for	a	Christian	unusually)	sizable	timar,	a	sign	of	considerable	ad-vancement	within	the	Ottoman	system,	which	Mehmedî	veled-i	Dobraşin	(his	son?)	was	to	partly	‘inherit’.	This	Tišina	timar,	albeit	with	less	than	half	of	its	later	revenue,	can	be	traced	back	to	the	late	1460s/early	1470s.11	As	the	timar	of	a	certain	Mehmedî	veled-i	Şeyh	it	was	passed	on	to	aşçı	Ali	on	4	–	13	March	1470;	to	be	handed	over	to	Ali,	son	of	the	dizdar,	 on	 31	December	 1472.	 It	 was	 then	 recorded	 as	 being	 in	 possession	 of	 Radoja	Krajčinović,	from	whom	it	was	transferred	to	the	brave	youth	(hrabri	mladić)	Hamza	on	12	September	1476,	who	is	likely	to	have	held	it	for	a	number	of	years.		No	word	of	Dobra-şin	birader-i	Hasan	Ağa	until	the	end	of	the	defter’s	recording	span,12	which	suggests	that	he	was	awarded	the	Tišina	timar	only	at	some	point	during	the	late	1470s	or	early	1480s.	 7		 BOA	TD	24,	p.	868-9.	8		 BOA	TD	18,	p.	183.	9		 BOA	TD	24,	p.	356-7.	10		 Husić,	“Tešanj”,	p.	301.	11		 Aličić,	Sumarni	popis,	p.	79.	12		 The	latest	derkenar	entry	in	O.76	dates	from	10	–	19	June	1478;	see	Aličić,	Sumarni	popis,	p.	97:	evasıt	Rebiyülevvel	883.		Michael	Ursinus,	A	Defter	Entry	from	1489	│95 While	any	exact	date	cannot	be	established	with	certainty,	we	can	say	with	confidence	that	Dobraşin	birader-i	Hasan	Ağa	must	have	lost	his	Tišina	timar	at	some	point	between	1485	and	1489,	by	which	later	date	it	was	already	in	the	joint	hands	of	Halil	and	Mehmedî.	This	is	the	same	period	during	which	“our”	Dobrešin	(Golubić)	lost	his	tax	exemption	status	and	was	recorded	as	tax-paying	inhabitant	of	Ričica,	apparently	his	native	village	near	Kraljeva	Sutjeska,	not	far	from	Bobovac,	the	old	residence	of	the	kings	of	Bosnia.	If	“our”	Dobrešin	were	to	be	identical	with	Dobraşin	birader-i	Hasan	Ağa,	he	would	have	experienced	a	kind	of	“free-fall”	demotion	from	being	the	recipient	of	a	bravery	award	for	 gallantry	 at	 the	 frontier	 with	 Hungary,	 then	 being	 granted	 a	 prestigious	 and	substantial	 timar	 unrivalled	 by	most	 other	 Christian-held	 assignments,	 before	 being	reduced	to	a	tax-paying	reaya	duly	recorded	under	his	native	village	“back	home”.	Or	was	it	merely	a	case	of	demobilisation,	of	old-age	retirement?	The	untimely	and	rather	laconic	 rejection	 of	 his	 appeal,	 submitted	 to	 Sultan	 Bayezid	 II	with	 the	 intention	 of	having	his	tax	exemptions	confirmed,	makes	this	rather	unlikely.	The	answer	may	lie	hidden	in	the	defter	entry	itself	(see	below).	It	opens	with	the	information	 that	 Dobrešin,	 a	 Christian	 “man	 of	 the	 sword”	 from	 Ričica	 village,	 had	fought	 bravely	 while	 being	 put	 under	 siege	 by	 the	 enemy	 in	 the	 fortress	 of	 Tešanj	“together	with	his	 lord	 of	 hero	warriors	 (yiğit	 beğiyle)”.	 This	 seems	 a	 rather	 unusual	expression	to	refer	to	what	in	effect	must	have	been	the	chief	commanding	officer	of	Tešanj	fortress	at	the	time.	One	would	perhaps	expect	the	term	“yiğit	başı”	(head	hero	warrior)	or,	less	poetically,	“kale	dizdarı”	(fortress	commander)	when	allusion	is	made	to	his	superior	rank.	Yet	the	entry	leaves	little	doubt	as	to	its	correct	interpretation:	“yiğit	beği”.	Why	use	such	a	colourful	expression	in	a	matter-of-fact	defter	entry?	Interestingly,	Ottoman	 archival	 sources,	when	 referring	 to	Venetian	military	 or	 civil	 potentates	 or	officials,	sometimes	employ	equally	vivid	expressions	such	as	“derya	beğleri”	(Lords	of	the	Sea).	Usages	of	this	type	appear	to	carry	the	notion	of	sovereignty	and/or	allied	status	in	the	Christian	person	or	group	of	persons	thus	entitled,	and	it	shows	once	again	that	in	Ottoman	chancery	practice,	the	title	“beğ”	is	not	restricted	to	Muslims.	Might	perhaps	the	chief	commander	of	Tešanj	fortress,	in	the	run-up	to	Mevlâna	Vildan’s	land	survey	96 | Keshif:	E-Journal	for	Ottoman-Turkish	Micro	Editions,	Summer	2024,	vol.	2/2 (il	yazısı)	of	1475-77,	have	been	a	Christian	lord,	with	the	Christian	“man	of	the	sword”	by	the	name	of	Dobrešin	(Golubić)	under	his	command	bravely	defending	his	fortress?		 According	to	Aladin	Husić,	several	reasons	can	be	quoted	for	suggesting	that	the	residence	 of	 the	Ottoman-installed	 King	 of	 Bosnia,	 like	 that	 of	 the	 voivode	 Radivoj	Ostojić	(Kotromanić,	died	1463),	the	anti-king	of	Bosnia	from	1432	until	1435	before	him,	was	situated	in	Tešanj	during	the	years	1465	–	1476,	before	the	fortress	was	taken	by	the	Hungarians	in	1476,	possibly	together	with	the	fortress	of	Doboj.13	It	is	therefore	possible	that	the	expression	“yiğit	beği”	alludes	to	Matija	(Matthias),	the	Ottoman-installed	King	of	Bosnia	and	 lord	over	Tešanj	 fortress	during	 these	years,	or	his	deputy	 (kethüda).14	With	the	end	of	this	era,	and	the	disappearance	of	the	Ottoman-installed	‘Kingdom	of	Bosnia’	from	history,	“our”	Dobrešin	(Golubić)	must	have	looked	elsewhere	for	his	live-lihood,	intensifying	his	efforts	to	make	his	fortune	in	the	Ottoman	system	“proper”.	But	it	must	be	remembered	that	Sultan	Mehmed	Fatih	had	evidently	already	considered	the	Tešanj	warriors	sufficiently	integrated	into	the	Ottoman	military	organisation	to	grant	one	of	them	a	bravery	award	by	tax	exemption,	being	confirmed	by	means	of	a	hüccet	and	recorded	in	his	defter	by	Mevlâna	Vildan,	the	il	yazıcı.	If	Husić	is	correct,	he	was	to	prove	very	successful	indeed	–	at	least	for	as	long	as	Mehmed	Fatih	lived!		 Because	of	the	importance	of	the	defter	entry	for	any	wider	discussion	of	our	topic,	the	full	text	of	the	relevant	entry	and	the	corresponding	facsimiles	are	given	below:			 	 13		 Husić,	op.cit.,	p.	302-3	14  For	a	map	of	what	is	presently	considered	the	territorial	extent	of	the	‘Bosansko	Kraljevstvo’	see.	Dubravko	Lovrenović,	Na	klizištu	povijesti	(sveta	kruna	ugarska	i	sveta	kruna	bosanska)	1387-1463		(Synopsis:	Zagreb	–	Sarajevo,	2006),	karta	13.	This	map	shows	the	fortresses	of	Doboj,	Tešanj,	Maglaj	and	Žepče	as	part	of	the	‘Bosansko	Kraljevstvo’.	For	the	king’s	deputy	see.	Aličić,	Sumarni	popis,	pp.	82,	99,	104,	106,	108,	172,	173. Michael	Ursinus,	A	Defter	Entry	from	1489	│97 Transcription	1) ḳarye-i	mezbūre	 içinde	Dobraşin	nām	kāfir	Tişan	ḳalʿasında	yigid	begiyle	ḳapanub	emānet	2) ve	istiḳāmetiyle	yoldaşluḳ	itdügi	sebebden	ṣābıḳa	merḥūm		maġfūr	Sulṭān	Meḥemmed	Ḫan	3) tābe	 serāhu	 ḥażretleri	 meẕkūrı	 ḫarācdan	 ve	 ispenceden	 ve	 ḳoyun	 ʿādetinden	 ve	ʿavārıż-i		4) divāniyeden	muʿāf	 ve	müsellem	 ḳılub	ḥükm-i	 hümāyūn	 virilmiş	min	 baʿd	Mevlānā	Vildān		5) daḫı	 bu	 üzre	 deftere	 sebt	 edüb	 eline	 ḥüccet	 virdükden	 ṣoñra	 pādişāhumuz	 ḫalide	ḫilāfetuhu		6) ḫażretlerine	daḫı	ʿarż	olınub	evvelden	muʿāf	ve	müsellem	olıgeldi	gerü	virmiye		7) diyü	ḥükm-i	hümāyūn	virilmiş	gerü	emr-i	pādişāhī	üzre	bu	ḳarār	deftere	sebt	olındı.		Translation	Because	 the	unbeliever	by	 the	name	of	Dobrešin	 [who	 is	 recorded]	 in	 the	aforemen-tioned	village	[Ričica	near	Kraljeva	Sutjeska]	had	fulfilled	[his]	comradeship	(yoldaşlık)	[=	 fortress	 duties]	 with	 trustworthiness	 and	 righteousness	 [while	 being]	 shut	 up	(besieged?)	together	with	his	lord	of	hero	warriors	(yiğit	beğiyle)	in	the	fortress	of	Tešanj,	His	Majesty	the	late	Sultan	Mehemmed	Khan	whose	sins	are	forgiven	(may	his	grave	be	pleasant!)	had	previously	(sabıka)	made	the	aforementioned	privileged	and	exempt	from	the	poll-tax,	 field-tax,	sheep-tax	and	[all]	extraordinary	taxes,	and	an	 imperial	decree	was	issued	[to	this	effect].	Hereafter,	Mevlâna	Vildan	had	accordingly	recorded	this	in	the	survey	register	[of	1475-77]	and,	having	handed	him	a	hüccet,	His	Majesty	our	Padi-shah	(may	his	caliphate	be	eternal!),	was	also	petitioned	[to	renew	his	tax	privileges].	An	imperial	decree	was	 issued,	saying:	 “He	used	to	be	exempt	and	free	beforehand.	One	shall	not	give	[the	privilege]	again!”	This	decision	was,	in	accordance	with	the	imperial	decree,	again	recorded	in	the	survey	register	[now	that	of	1489].			98 | Keshif:	E-Journal	for	Ottoman-Turkish	Micro	Editions,	Summer	2024,	vol.	2/2 Bibliography	BOA	TD	5	BOA	TD	18	BOA	TD	24	Aličić,	Ahmed	S.	Sumarni	popis	sandžaka	Bosna	iz	1468/69.	godine	(Mostar,	2008).	Handžić,	Adem.	“Nahija	Brod	krajem	XV	i	početkom	XVI	vijeka”,	Radovi	III,	Muzej		grada	Zenice	(Zenica,	1973),	383	–	391.	Husić,	Aladin.	“Tešanj	u	XVI.	stoljeću”,	Prilozi	za	orijentalnu	filologiju	61	(Sarajevo,	2012),		301	–	318.	Lovrenović,	Dubravko.	Na	klizištu	povijesti	(sveta	kruna	ugarska	i	sveta	kruna	bosanska)		1387-1463	(Synopsis:	Zagreb	–	Sarajevo,	2006).	Truhelka,	Ćiro.	“Tursko-slovjenski	spomenici	dubrovačke	arhive”,	in	Glasnik	Zemaljskog		muzej	Bosni	i	Hercegovini	XXIII	(Sarajevo,	1911),	p.1-484.		 	Michael	Ursinus,	A	Defter	Entry	from	1489	│99 Facsimiles			100 | Keshif:	E-Journal	for	Ottoman-Turkish	Micro	Editions,	Summer	2024,	vol.	2/2 	Michael	Ursinus,	A	Defter	Entry	from	1489	│101 Detail	from	BOA	TD	24,	p.	870:					

A Defter Entry from 1489 about the Fortress of Tešanj in Bosnia

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A Defter Entry from 1489 about the Fortress of Tešanj in Bosnia

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