Lot 125
125
AN OTTOMAN FIRMAN OF SULTAN MAHMUD II (R. 1808-39)
AN OTTOMAN FIRMAN OF SULTAN MAHMUD II (R. 1808-39)

OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED THE BEGINNING OF DHU'L HIJJA AH 1231/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1816 AD

Details
AN OTTOMAN FIRMAN OF SULTAN MAHMUD II (R. 1808-39)
OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED THE BEGINNING OF DHU'L HIJJA AH 1231/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1816 AD
Ink and gold on burnished paper, with the tughra of Sultan Mahmud II in red surmounting 26ll. of elegant diwani in alternating black, gold and red, a small line in red at the end and a series of gold comma-shapes at the top, occasional notes on the reverse, repairs to upper edge
56¼ x 23½in. (142.9 x 59.7cm.)
Literature
M.Sofianou and F.Stefanidi. The Dowry, Athens, 2014

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Lot Essay

This firman concerns the regulation of a group of Christian and Jewish merchants in the Ottoman Empire granted license to trade with foreign merchants. It touches on such issues as the yearly election of their representatives (vekilleri) and matters of taxation. The document ends with the organization of the payment of the cizye (poll-tax).

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