Sultan’s Berat on the Rights of the Keeper of the Gunpowder Magazine of the Fortress of Jajce (1709)

Transcript of the most exalted, honorable imperial berat

The command of the honorable, most exalted, glorious sultanic sign and tughra of the ruler, the conqueror of the world—may it be fulfilled with God’s help.

This imperial order, close to good fortune, has long been held by 15 soldiers, keepers of the gunpowder magazine of the fortress of Jajce in the Bosnian eyalet. It records that their daily wages are 170 akçe,¹ and that from their annual wages of 44,460 akçe, every 200 akçe amounts to 1 kuruş²—thus, their annual wages amount to 202 kuruş, and it is decreed that this sum shall be taken from the amount of the jizya³ of the town of Jajce, which belongs to the Bosnian eyalet.

In the year 1119,⁴ in accordance with the new registration defter by which an inspection was carried out and order established, the amount of the daily wage of the said group was reduced by three akçe, which is 114 akçe annually; the said soldiers are entitled to 167 akçe, and their annual wages—since every 200 akçe equals 1 kuruş—amount to 198.5 kuruş and 44 akçe. Since a most exalted ferman has been issued that a berat be granted on the basis of the petition submitted to the Sultan for a new ocaklık berat, so that the old berats which they possess and keep in their office may be replaced, and so that the annual wages that have been calculated and written in the margin may be taken from the sum of the jizya, great imperial favor is shown to them. Thus, on the 15th of Rebiulevvel 1121,⁵ I issued this glorious imperial ferman and ordered that the 198 kuruş and 44 akçe to which the said soldiers are entitled be taken every year from the jizya collectors, as before, from the sum of the Jajce jizya, as confirmed by the text of the most exalted berat. And the jizya collectors, during the accounting, are to enter everything into the imperial daybook (defter) of daily affairs and have it certified. On this matter care must be taken that they are not hindered by others in what they hold as their ocaklık, and that others do not prevent them in this, so that they may know to rely on the honorable sign. Written on the 14th of Rebiulevvel 1120.⁶

In the guarded city of Constantinople, 22 Şevval 1121 / 25 December 1709.

Conforms to the exalted text
Written by the poor one—may he be honored—
Ahmed Lalizade, kadı of the city of Sarajevo
May God have mercy on him.

Significant entries of the jizya defter […]
Wages of the keepers of the gunpowder magazine of the fortress of Jajce […]
Year 1121 […]
Soldiers 15 Amount 167 […]
39,742
198 42

200
42

[…] – illegible

Bulgarian Historical Archive at the “Ivan Vazov” National Library in Plovdiv, inventory number 184.

Translated by Books of Jeremiah

1. Tran. note: akçe is an Ottoman silver coin, around 0.13 grams at the time of the berat. Also known as an asper. ↩︎
2. Tran. note: kuruş is a type of larger silver coin which replaced the akçe as the main unit of account. ↩︎
3. Tran. note: a tax paid by non-Muslims. ↩︎
4. Tran. note: 1707 or 1708. ↩︎
5. Tran. note: 25 May 1709. ↩︎
6. Tran. note: 3 June 1708. ↩︎