Week 1 - Theoretical
Introduction to Ottoman Document Typology and Classification Methods
We transition the theoretical clause knowledge acquired in Diplomatics I into practical application. This week introduces the general classification logic of Ottoman administrative, fiscal, judicial, and diplomatic documents, detailing how they are categorized by function.
Week 2 - Theoretical
Diplomatics of Imperial Decrees I: Sovereign Wills of the Classical Era
We begin our study of fermans, the lifeblood of imperial commands. Focusing on the classical period (15th–17th centuries), we will analyze the linguistic properties, the flawless alignment of clauses, and the formulaic wording used in decrees addressed to provincial governors and judges.
Week 3 - Theoretical
Diplomatics of Imperial Decrees II: Late Era Transformations and Sovereign Rescripts
This week examines how the modernization of the bureaucracy left its mark on documents. We will analyze structural and stylistic shifts in 18th and 19th-century fermans, alongside the diplomatic characteristics of Hatt-ı Hümâyûns (personal imperial rescripts inscribed directly onto decrees or issued independently).
Week 4 - Theoretical
Diplomatics of Patents (Berats): Legal Appointments, Exemptions, and Privileges
We focus on berats, instruments through which the state granted status, property, or tax exemptions. We will study the structural formulas of military fief (tımar) and civil service patents, contrast them with nişan and menşur forms, and analyze patents granted to non-Muslim community leaders and foreign consular dragomans.
Week 5 - Theoretical
The Language of the Grand Vizierate: Diplomatics of the Buyruldu We study the executive orders issued by grand viziers, viziers, and commanders-in-chief (seraskers). The lecture highlights how the paleographic and diplomatic features of buyruldus differed from imperial decrees, examining the practical administrative roles of sub-types like open (açık) and margin-inscribed (üzerine) buyruldus.
Week 6 - Theoretical
Dialogue Between Center and Periphery: The Diplomatics of Arz, Telhis, and Takrir We examine the evolution of administrative decisions. Students will decode the diplomatic forms of field reports (arz) and the executive summaries (telhis) crafted by the Grand Vizier for royal approval, exploring the calculated linguistic strategies embedded in this high-level political correspondence.
Week 7 - Theoretical
Voices from Below: The Diplomatics of Individual (Arzuhal) and Collective (Mahzar) Petitions
This week explores the channels through which common subjects and local elites communicated with the state. We will analyze the strict formulaic structure of individual petitions (arzuhal), the processing of marginal annotations (derkenar), and analyze collective petitions (mahzar) submitted with multiple signs or seals.
Week 8 - Theoretical
Anatomy of Judicial Records: Court Registers (Şer'iyye Sicilleri), Notarial Deeds, and Judgements
We focus on the legal and administrative documents produced within the jurisdiction of the Kadı (judge). Students will look into the recording logic of court registers, contrasting the diplomatic clauses and linguistic formulas of notarial deeds (hüccets) with those of judicial decrees (ilams).
Week 9 - Theoretical
Documents of Religious-Legal Legitimacy: The Office of the Şeyhülislam and the Diplomatics of Fetvas
We examine how Islamic jurisprudence intersected with the Ottoman administrative mechanism through the study of fetvas (legal opinions). The lecture analyzes the diplomatic layout of the question (sual) formulated with pseudonyms (Zeyd, Amr, Hind) and the concise, authoritative response (cevap) appended by the Şeyhülislam.
Week 10 - Theoretical
Codicology and Registry Systems I: Diplomatic Profile of Survey, Council, and Justice Registers
We enter the extensive register series that stored the Ottoman administrative memory. This week covers the compilation practices of detailed (mufassal) and synoptic (icmal) cadastral surveys, the diplomatic codes of Imperial Council registers (mühimme), and the regional distribution of Justice registers (ahkâm).
Week 11 - Theoretical
Codicology and Registry Systems II: Fiscal Archives, Siyâkat Diplomatics, and Ledger Analysis
Stepping into the complex domain of the Bâb-ı Defterî (Finance Department), we will analyze the paleographic structure of Siyâkat—the shorthand, cryptographic script of the financial bureaucracy. We will study its specialized numerical system and structurally dissect fiscal records like daybooks (ruznamçe), property surveys (temettuat), and tax-farming (mukataa) ledgers.
Week 12 - Theoretical
Texts of International Law: The Diplomatics of Imperial Capitulations and Treaties (Ahitnâmes)
We examine the trade capitulations and peace treaties (ahitnâme) granted by the Ottoman State to foreign powers. This lecture analyzes the global diplomatic idiom that distinguished these acts from domestic ones, the internal hierarchy of treaty clauses, and the textual expression of the legal concept of eman (safe-conduct).
Week 13 - Theoretical
Transnational Correspondence: Royal Letters (Nâme-i Hümâyûn) and Foreign Office Letters
We analyze the highly rhetorical structure of imperial letters (Nâme-i Hümâyûn) dispatched by sultans to foreign monarchs. The course looks into the translation processes managed by the Court Dragomans for incoming letters, and tracks the linguistic strategies of the Bureau of Correspondence (Mektûbî Kalemi) prior to the Tanzimat reforms.
Week 14 - Theoretical
Applied Diplomatic Criticism and Synthesis of Archival Documents
In this final week, we synthesize all the paleographic and diplomatic instruments acquired over both semesters by testing them on a mixed archival collection. Students will engage in a holistic workshop, identifying the specific typologies, validating the clauses, and establishing the historical periods of randomly selected original documents.
