n an event organized by the Aksaray University Graduate School of Social Sciences in collaboration with the ASÜ YÖK Science Communication Office, Res. Asst. Dr. Bahar Kaymaz, a faculty member of our department, gave a talk titled "State and Society in Ottoman Aksaray."
The seminar scrutinized the social and administrative structure of Central Anatolia during the Ottoman era. There was a high level of interest in the program, which was held at the historical Zinciriye Madrasa. During the event, Dr. Bahar Kaymaz shared the findings of her doctoral dissertation, which she successfully completed in February 2026.
Drawing on her thesis, "State and Society in Central Anatolia (Aksaray, Kırşehir, Niğde, Nevşehir) (1650-1750)," Dr. Kaymaz discussed a critical century of change and transformation within the Ottoman Empire. Some of the key highlights of the talk included:
Center-Periphery Relations: The demands for soldiers and taxes by the state—then under the financial burden of prolonged wars—from Aksaray and surrounding sanjaks, and the impact of this process on the local population.
Social Dynamics: Banditry activities in the region, the status of nomadic tribes, and the struggles of the people for justice against the misuse of authority by state officials.
Daily Life and Economy: Concrete examples of debt-credit relations, trade, and inheritance law in the region, based on the Mühimme (General Decrees), Şikâyet (Complaints), and Ahkâm (Legal Rulings) registers from the Ottoman Archives.
The talk, moderated by Asst. Prof. Dr. Selim Karagöz, Vice Director of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, concluded with an interactive Q&A session. At the end of the program, a certificate of appreciation was presented to Dr. Bahar Kaymaz for her successful research and presentation.
Additionally, thanks were extended to Prof. Dr. Necmettin Aygün, the thesis advisor, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Ergin Altunsabak, Coordinator of the ASÜ Science Communication Office, for their contributions to the event.
