Ottoman Duâgûys in the 17th Century: The Institutionalized Practice of Appointed Prayers Officers in Its Historical, Financial and Social Dimensions
Ömer İşbilir, Songül ŞenlikIn the Ottoman Empire, salaried duâgûys were employed starting predominantly from the 17th century. The identification of these individuals responsible for praying for the well-being of the state, the Sultan or the endowment (waqf) for both worldly and the hereafter, for a certain fee, has been neglected in academic studies to date. Despite this uncertainty, the literature reveals various definitions, estimations, and speculations about the duâgûys. Was the institution of the duâgûy present since the establishment of the state? What were their sources of income? Whose prayers were considered important? This article based on these questions, aims to provide a better understanding of the identities and roles of duâgûys, their positions within the collective memory of 17th century Ottoman society and offering a different perspective to other disciplines connected to the history.
17. Yüzyılda Osmanlı Duâgûyânı: Tarihî, Malî ve Sosyal Boyutlarıyla Kadrolu Duâcılık Müessesesi
Ömer İşbilir, Songül ŞenlikOsmanlı Devleti’nde ağırlıkla 17. yüzyıldan itibaren kadrolu duâgûyân istihdam edilmiştir. Muayyen bir ücret karşılığında devletin ve padişahın ya da vâkıfın dünya ve ahiret saadeti için dua etmekle mükellef bu kimselerin kimliğinin belirlenmesi bugüne kadar ihmal edilmiştir. Bu belirsizliğe karşın, literatür tarandığında duâgûyân hakkında çok çeşitli tanımlamalar, tahminler ve zanlar olduğu görülmektedir. Duâgûyluk devletin kuruluşuyla var mıydı? Gelirleri nasıldı? Kimlerin duâsını almak önemliydi? Bu sorulardan hareketle kaleme alınmış bu makale ile duâgûyânın kimlikleri, ne iş yaptıkları ve özellikle 17. yüzyıl Osmanlı toplum hafızasındaki konumları daha iyi anlaşılacak; tarih ilmi ile bağlantılı diğer disiplinlere farklı bir bakış açısı kazandırılacaktır.
This article examines the role and development of the concept of “duâgûy” in Ottoman history which seen in sources from the 16th century onwards. Initially, the conceptual explanation of the term “duâgûy” is provided, followed by an investigation into the roles and societal positions of “hâssa duâgûy” and “waqf duâgûy” under their respective headings. This article covers the period from the establishment to the late 17th century when the institution of duâgûy became clearly visible. It aims to provide detailed information on the subject by examining tahrir, ruus and mühimme register, waqf accounting books within the Ottoman archives, and studies on the state treasury and endowments. Various privileges, including tax exemption, have been granted to those whose prayers are valued and those who hold official berat (askerî). These mentioned individuals have been gradually tracked with more systematic records over time, among whom are those known as duâgûy. Consequently, registration and inspection procedures have developed. The aim of this article is to understand the processes of appointment and dismissal of those referred to as duâgûy.
The term “hâssa duâgûyânı or duâgûyân-ı hâssa” refers to the historical, cultural, and social phenomenon that denotes the sultan’s prayers. This class, existing since the establishment of the state, began to be clearly observed only towards the end of the 16th century with the formation of regular records. When appointing a hâssa duâgûy, the matter was presented to a higher authority, and details such as who, where, when, and for what purpose this duty would be given were recorded. Request for position of duâgûy were made through petitions, letters and official correspondences (arz, arz-ı hal, tezkire, ilam). Judges (kadi), governors (beylerbeyi), treasurers (defterdar), inspectors (müfettiş), viziers, sheikhulislam, the Khan of Crimea, the chief of the imperial household (darüssaade ağası), the treasurer (hazinedarbaşı), companion (müsahip) were officials who acted as intermediaries for obtaining these positions. However, it was also customary for individuals to directly make request without any intermediaries. The salaries of the hâssa duâgûyân were financed by various units of the state treasury and were mainly between 6 to 10 akçes. Although there were some who earned much more, this was exceptional. The primary factors determining the salary of a hâssa duâgûyân were the individual’s social status and the conditions of that day. If interruptions were made in duties like that the role of prayer callers (duâgûyluk), this caused discontent among the people. The reason for this dissatisfaction was mainly because those receiving salaries as duâgûy were mostly individuals from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
The waqf duâgûy (endowed prayer callers), whose income came from the revenues of foundations, shared similar characteristics with the hâssa duâgûy (imperial prayer callers). Waqf duâgûy, existing since the establishment of the state, was a product of a philosophy aimed at helping foundations. These individuals prayed for the worldly and spiritual happiness of the foundation’s benefactor(s) (wâqif) and received salaries from the surplus income of the foundation. Similar to the hâssa duâgûy, waqf duâgûy was subject to comparable methods of appointment, dismissal, and inspection. Their incomes were concentrated between 1 to 10 akçes. Since they received their salaries from the surplus income of the foundation, during times of financial difficulty, the salaries of waqf duâgûy were the first to be cut. Through a practice known as “rakabe”, if the revenues of a foundation were insufficient to cover its expenses, the salaries of the waqf duâgûy were redirected to meet the foundation’s needs.
In Ottoman society, in the religious realm, sheikhs (spiritual leaders), sayyids and sharifs (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad), in the realm of knowledge, ulama (scholars), in social life, sulehâ (virtuous individuals), zâde-gân (nobles), mevâli-gân (descendants of highranking kadi), zevâid-horân (emoluments or perquisites), havâtin (hatuns, honourable lady), artist, as well as fukara (the poor), gureba (the needy), talebe (students), eytâm (orphans), the sick, and the needy, were the initial members of the duâgûyân’s. Officials employed in state positions, such as kâtib (scribe), şâkird (student or intern), and khalifa (officer), soldiers, pensioners, recipients of mutekaid pension (retirees), constituted the other members of the duâgûyân’s. It wasn’t emphasized in society the differences in occupation, gender, race, education, age, or financial status among those granted the duâgûyân status. What was expected of them were qualities such as being members of the Islamic faith and fulfilling their ethical responsibilities.
According to the findings, institution of duâgûy in the Ottoman Empire emerged with the establishment of the state. It differed from the duâgûy who employed in the palace, army, guilds, and Sufi orders. Its main elements were institution of duâgûy who sustained themselves through aids such as student scholarships, retirement pensions, allowances for widows and orphans, disability benefits, and financial aid.
