Ottoman 1898 Ottoman Estate Inventory and Inheritance Record Edirne Islam Army Law
Ottoman Tereke Hücceti – Estate Inventory and Inheritance Record of Yakub Efendi, Edirne (1898)
Description:
This Ottoman Turkish tereke hücceti records the estate and inheritance proceedings following the death of Yakub Efendi, son of Hüseyin Ağa, son of Abdullah, who was a provisions contractor (erzak müteahhidi) for the Second Imperial Ottoman Army (İkinci Ordu-yi Hümâyûn). He was a resident of the Hızır Ağa neighbourhood of Edirne and died on the 13th day of Shawwal 1314. The document is dated 13 August 1314 (25 August 1898).
A tereke hücceti was an official judicial inheritance record in which the property, cash, debts, receivables and other assets left by a deceased person were formally recorded and evaluated by the Ottoman court. In this case, the inheritance includes rights and receivables arising from an earlier commercial partnership between the heirs and other parties that had not yet been fully liquidated. The document records the settlement and distribution of these assets and claims in Ottoman kuruş.
The proceedings were conducted before the court with guardians and legal representatives appointed to protect the rights and interests of minor heirs. The court calculated the assets and liabilities of the estate and determined the portions belonging to each heir according to their legally established shares. The record therefore provides a detailed example of how inheritance, commercial claims and the legal protection of minors were handled through the Ottoman judicial system.
The numbered section at the bottom of the document represents the mathematical calculations made by the kassam, the official responsible for calculating and distributing an estate. This section demonstrates how the total inheritance was divided according to Islamic inheritance law through fractional shares such as sülüs and sümen. It records the values of inherited assets including cash, shops, vineyards, gardens, houses and household goods, together with debts and receivables and the amounts or shares allocated to the individual heirs.
As an original Ottoman judicial document bearing stamps and seals, this tereke hücceti is a particularly valuable primary source for the study of Ottoman legal history, Islamic inheritance law and the social and economic history of Edirne. Its detailed estate inventory and kassam calculations offer an unusually informative record of the practical application of Islamic inheritance principles and Ottoman court procedure at the end of the nineteenth century.
Key Features:
• Type: Ottoman tereke hücceti (estate inventory and inheritance record)
• Date: 13 August 1314 (25 August 1898)
• Location: Hızır Ağa Neighbourhood, Edirne
• Deceased: Yakub Efendi, son of Hüseyin Ağa, son of Abdullah
• Occupation: Provisions contractor for the Second Imperial Ottoman Army (İkinci Ordu-yi Hümâyûn)
• Subject: Estate inventory, debts, receivables and inheritance distribution
• Legal Framework: Ottoman judicial procedure and Islamic inheritance law
• Commercial Context: Includes rights and receivables arising from an earlier, unsettled commercial partnership
• Protection of Minors: Guardians and legal representatives were appointed to safeguard the rights of minor heirs
• Currency: Ottoman kuruş
• Kassam Calculations: Detailed mathematical calculations showing the fractional distribution of the estate among the heirs
• Estate Contents: Includes recorded values of cash, shops, vineyards, gardens, houses, household goods, debts and receivables
• Documentation: Stamps and seals present
• Historical Significance: An important primary source for Ottoman legal history, Edirne history, commercial relations and the practical application of Islamic inheritance law
• Collectible Significance: Particularly valuable for collectors and researchers of Ottoman legal documents, Islamic inheritance law, Edirne history, Ottoman commercial history and late Ottoman judicial records.