An Evaluation on the Madrasa Careers of the Muderris from the Ulemâ Family in the Hagia Sophia Madrasa in the XIXth Century

Abstract

In the Ottoman Empire, all muderris candidates entered the profession within a
system and continued their madrasa careers with a certain hierarchy. However, it was
observed that the names coming from the ulema family could advance up the career
ladder in a shorter time than their colleagues with the privileges granted to them. These
privileges, which had been granted to some ulemā families since the mid-15th century,
were eventually extended to other ulemā families; however, this practice was carried
to different points through abuses and became one of the important reasons for the
deterioration of the scholarship. This situation was criticized in various works during
the period when the practice continued, and it was also evaluated from various angles
after the Ottoman period. However, the first studies on the subject mainly focused on the
examples in the early Ottoman period, and as a result, the belief that the names belonging
to the ulemā family formed an aristocratic structure in the ilmiye class and that there
was a monopoly in the ilmiye gained weight. Recent studies focusing on ulemās from
different time periods of the nineteenth century, on the other hand, have found that the
ilmiye class offers an open career opportunity to names from various family backgrounds.
In this study, unlike other studies on the subject, the issue of privilege is approached
through the muderris of a madrasah. The aim of the study is to follow the madrasa careers
of the muderris belonging to the ulemā family who were appointed to the Hagia Sophia
Madrasa in the nineteenth century and to reveal the privileges of the other muderris who
were appointed to this madrasa in the same century. The main source of data for this study
is the Tarik Books.