Governing structure Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina

1 governing structure

1.1 administrative
1.2 religion
1.3 taxation

governing structure

the ottoman rule saw many architectural investments in bosnia , creation , development of many new cities including sarajevo , mostar. because of high esteem bosniaks held in eyes of sultans , turks. empire promoted close relations between turks , bosniaks, , many turks during ottoman times felt trust , kinship bosniaks.

administrative

the area of current bosnia , herzegovina part of ottoman rumelia province (beylerbeylik) , divided between 3 sanjaks (second-level administrative units) of bosnia (bosna), herzegovina (hersek), , zvornik (İzvornik). in 1580, ottomans created bosnia eyalet subdivided sanjaks of bosnia , herzegovina, among others. introduced so-called spahi system (actually timar holder system) changed local administration , agriculture, arrangement similar european feudal fiefs.

later part of ottoman tanzimat reforms, region became bosnia vilayet , herzegovina vilayet encompassed present-day bosnia , herzegovina along sandžak region (then sanjak of novi pazar).

religion

all of bosnian church adherents converted islam. there conflicting claims on exact ratios or whether or how of voluntary or not. since earliest turkish defters distinguish bosnian christians catholics or orthodox, general consensus number of christians adherents in times during ottoman rule did not exceed few hundred people, due islamic converts.

ottoman rule changed ethnic , religious makeup of bosnia , herzegovina. many catholic bosnians retreated croatia, controlled habsburg austria after ottoman conquest of of kingdom of hungary, , dalmatia, controlled republic of venice after fall of hungary. conversely, during couple of centuries croatia under austro-hungarian rule , bosnia under ottoman rule, muslims north , west migrated bosnia, forming heavily-muslim pocket in northwest corner around bihać. other unconverted bosniak catholics started identify bosnian croats, although process not complete until 20th century (the 19th century catholic writer ivan franjo jukić, example, considered himself bosniak , not croat). orthodox serbs , vlachs herzegovina , neighboring sanjak of smederevo (belgrade pashaluk) migrated parts of bosnia. many vlachs later assimilated local serb, bosniak, , croat populations. ottoman period saw development of sephardic jewish community in bosnia, chiefly in sarajevo. sephardic jews persecuted in , expelled catholic spain @ end of 15th century, , many resettled in ottoman empire because of tolerance towards other religions (especially towards people of book), in , around istanbul. first synagogue built in sarajevo in 1581.

taxation

during ottoman period, christians treated dhimmis ottoman authorities otherwise subject same restrictions muslim subjects. dhimmis not required join army, paid special tax called jizya (glavarina in bosnia).

during ottoman rule, many children of christian parents, regardless of whether orthodox or catholic, separated families , raised members of janissary corps (this practice known devşirme system, devşirmek meaning gather or recruit ). while of course forcibly @ first, later on in ottoman history, christian , muslim parents began bribe ottoman officials take children. however, practice heavily resented of people of area. because of high position janissary held in ottoman society. owing education (for taught arts, science, maths, poetry, literature , many of languages spoken in ottoman empire, such arabic, serbian, greek , turkish), janissaries work way becoming governors or grand viziers.