Bingöl University Journal of Social Sciences Institute

Abstract

Cases of document forgery have been encountered in the Ottoman Empire since the 16th century. These types of irregularities reflected in the sources were generally committed by clerks working in the Divan and the Finance (Maliye) offices. The types of diplomatics in which forgery was common were texts such as decrees and warrants. These crimes committed by clerks were detected in different periods and attempts were made to prevent them through punishment. However, the measures taken were often ineffective and such abuses could not be prevented.
One of the places where allegations of document forgery were seen in the Ottoman Empire was Cizre. In the struggle for dominance between Mir Sharaf III and Mir Mohammed from the sons of Khan Abdal in Cizre, which was governed as a hukumet sanjak at the end of the 16th century, accusations of document forgery were voiced. As a result of Mir Sharaf's failure to find acceptance in the Ottoman center after he overthrew and killed Mir Aziz, his brother Mir Mohammed was appointed in his place. It was alleged that Mir Sharaf III did not accept this situation and prepared forged documents in order to come to power. During this period, it was claimed that Mir Sharaf III had two forged decrees prepared through some officials in the state administration in Dersaadet. The first of these was about the murder of his brother Mir Mohammed. This document, prepared by a clerk named Sari Ali, was determined to be forged. In addition, the clerk Sari Ali, who prepared the forged document, was punished by having his hand cut off. The second forged document was about the granting of the Cizre beylik to Mir Sharaf III. The second forged document was that the Cizre principality was given to Mir Sharaf III. The Ottoman capital declared that both documents were forged and requested that they be sealed in a purse and sent to the capital. It was frequently reported to the governors of the surrounding provinces that the principality of Cizre was given to Mir Muhammed.
This study focuses on the forgery of documents that took place in the struggle between Mir Sharaf III, a member of the sons Khan Abdal, and his brother Mir Mohammed, who were engaged in a struggle for dominance in Cizre, and the manifestations of this phenomenon in the Ottoman administration.