Land, Tax and Power in the Ottoman Provinces: The Malikane-Mukataa of Esma Sultan in Alasonya (c.1780-1825)

This article focuses on Esma Sultan's malikane-mukataa of Alasonya, which was among the estates of Istanbul Bahcekapusu Valide Sultan Vakfi, during c. 1780 to 1825. It aims to discuss the effects of the malikane system on the Ottoman provincial political-economy. It also highlights the institutional organization of a malikane in the province by focusing on actors and their relations in the case of controversies. It claims that vakif-malikanes of absentee landlords, together with the estates of the local notables, played an important role in the process of ciftlik formation in the Balkans.