Hunter Bird Breeding / Bâzdârânlık in the Ottoman Empire (Western Anatolia Example)

Hunting, which emerged as a means of subsistence, turned into a military training, sport and entertainment for the state and dynasties in parallel with the development of human-centered civilization. In the social and cultural lives of the Turkish States and their communities, which have a steppe tradition, hunting and hunting cult have a greater fluence as a philosophy of life. Sultans, princes, and high-level bureaucrats have continued the old hunting tradition since the founding years of the Ottoman Empire. Changes in the palace administration in the classical age also affected the hunting establishment. Organization: In the Birun part of the palace, "Shikar Agaligi" and in Enderun "Dogancibasi" reached a structure closest to Sultan in groups of cakirci, sahinci, atmacaci and doganci. In the countryside, the people who feed hunters and game birds for the palace are called “bazdaran”. The provincial organization consists of separate units under the leadership of “Ser Bazdaran”, namely sayyâd, seer, taker, trapper, poultry, nest-maker, tulle, and puppy. Each member of the organization was assigned by the administration with a certificate and saved timar (fief) for their services. Bâzdârâns were exempted from customary and religious taxes and wars in return for their services. Independent detailed and icmal tahrir registers were kept for the bazdaran timar, which were given throughout the imperial geography. In these registers, the bazdaran fiefs given in districts, townships, and villages and by whom these fiefs were appointed for which duty were recorded. In our article, it will be revealed that the bazdaran timar found in Biga, Karesi, Saruhan, Karahisar-ı Sahib, Sultanönü, Mentese, Kastamonu and Hüdavendigâr, by whom these fiefs were saved, and which hunting birds were. In addition, the organization's structuring in Western Anatolia will be revealed