Akşehir Prison Within The Framework of The Ottoman Empire's Prison Reform

Nazik Betül Güney

Makale detayları

Akşehir Prison Within The Framework of The Ottoman Empire's Prison Reform

Yazarlar:

Nazik Betül Güney

Yayıncı:

Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University

Ana Başlıklar:

Osmanlı Kurumları ve Medeniyeti (Diğer) | Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Dergi:

Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.8 Issue 1, pp.179-202

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001334182

pISSN:

2667-4424

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Abstract With the proclamation of the Tanzimat Edict, the changing concept of punishment manifested itself in the new penal codes, and the penal codes of 1840, 1851, and 1858 introduced new regulations regarding the definition of crime, the duration and nature of punishments, and the rights of convicts. As prison sentences increased, prisons gained greater importance. However, the places where sentences were carried out in the Ottoman Empire, known as mahbes, did not conform to the modern concept of prisons. The transition from mahbes to modern prisons was far from easy. The Ottoman statesmen considered prisons as symbols of civilization and thus attached great importance to prison reform. Nevertheless, due to the financial difficulties faced by the Ottoman Empire, the repair and reuse of existing mahbes was preferred over the construction of new prisons. The Akşehir prison, which is the subject of this study, was one such provincial prison that was sought to be brought into compliance with new laws and regulations through renovations. What makes the Akşehir prison particularly noteworthy is that it was among the prisons inspected by the Allied Powers during the Armistice period and that Akşehir frequently hosted foreign merchants due to its commercial capacity. From this perspective, this study addresses issues such as the physical conditions of Akşehir prison within the framework of the prison reform, outcomes of the renovation efforts, attitudes of the local administrators, number of the prisoners, living conditions of the inmates, and crime distributions. In doing so, it aims to shed light on the reform process experienced by the Akşehir prison. Keywords: Ottoman Empire, Akşehir, Prison, Prisoner.

 Abstract With the proclamation of the Tanzimat Edict, the changing concept of punishment manifested itself in the new penal codes, and the penal codes of 1840, 1851, and 1858 introduced new regulations regarding the definition of crime, the duration and nature of punishments, and the rights of convicts. As prison sentences increased, prisons gained greater importance. However, the places where sentences were carried out in the Ottoman Empire, known as mahbes, did not conform to the modern concept of prisons. The transition from mahbes to modern prisons was far from easy. The Ottoman statesmen considered prisons as symbols of civilization and thus attached great importance to prison reform. Nevertheless, due to the financial difficulties faced by the Ottoman Empire, the repair and reuse of existing mahbes was preferred over the construction of new prisons. The Akşehir prison, which is the subject of this study, was one such provincial prison that was sought to be brought into compliance with new laws and regulations through renovations. What makes the Akşehir prison particularly noteworthy is that it was among the prisons inspected by the Allied Powers during the Armistice period and that Akşehir frequently hosted foreign merchants due to its commercial capacity. From this perspective, this study addresses issues such as the physical conditions of Akşehir prison within the framework of the prison reform, outcomes of the renovation efforts, attitudes of the local administrators, number of the prisoners, living conditions of the inmates, and crime distributions. In doing so, it aims to shed light on the reform process experienced by the Akşehir prison. Keywords: Ottoman Empire, Akşehir, Prison, Prisoner.

 Abstract With the proclamation of the Tanzimat Edict, the changing concept of punishment manifested itself in the new penal codes, and the penal codes of 1840, 1851, and 1858 introduced new regulations regarding the definition of crime, the duration and nature of punishments, and the rights of convicts. As prison sentences increased, prisons gained greater importance. However, the places where sentences were carried out in the Ottoman Empire, known as mahbes, did not conform to the modern concept of prisons. The transition from mahbes to modern prisons was far from easy. The Ottoman statesmen considered prisons as symbols of civilization and thus attached great importance to prison reform. Nevertheless, due to the financial difficulties faced by the Ottoman Empire, the repair and reuse of existing mahbes was preferred over the construction of new prisons. The Akşehir prison, which is the subject of this study, was one such provincial prison that was sought to be brought into compliance with new laws and regulations through renovations. What makes the Akşehir prison particularly noteworthy is that it was among the prisons inspected by the Allied Powers during the Armistice period and that Akşehir frequently hosted foreign merchants due to its commercial capacity. From this perspective, this study addresses issues such as the physical conditions of Akşehir prison within the framework of the prison reform, outcomes of the renovation efforts, attitudes of the local administrators, number of the prisoners, living conditions of the inmates, and crime distributions. In doing so, it aims to shed light on the reform process experienced by the Akşehir prison. Keywords: Ottoman Empire, Akşehir, Prison, Prisoner.

 Öz Tanzimat Fermanının ilanıyla birlikte değişen ceza mefhumu kendini yeni ceza kanunlarında göstermiş, hazırlanan 1840, 1851 ve 1858 ceza kanunlarıyla suçun tanımı, cezaların süreleri, niteliği, mahkum hakları gibi konularda yeni düzenlemeler yapılmıştı. Hapis cezasının artmasıyla hapishaneler de önem kazandı. Ne var ki Osmanlı Devletinde hapis cezalarının uygulandığı yerler olan mahbesler modern hapishane anlayışına uygun değildi. Mahbeslerden modern hapishanelere geçiş ise kolay olmadı. Osmanlı devlet adamları hapishaneleri birer medeniyet nişanı olarak nitelendiriyor, bu nedenle hapishane reformunu oldukça önemsiyorlardı. Ancak Osmanlı Devletinin içinde bulunduğu malî sıkıntılar, yeni hapishaneler yerine var olan mahbeslerin tamir edilerek kullanılmasını mümkün kılıyordu. Çalışmanın konusu olan Akşehir hapishanesi de tamirler yoluyla yeni kanun ve nizamlara uygun hale getirilmek istenen taşra hapishanelerindendi. Akşehir hapishanesini ilgi çekici yapan ise mütareke döneminde İtilaf Devletlerinin teftiş ettiği hapishanelerden olması ve Akşehirin ticarî kapasitesi nedeniyle şehre sıklıkla yabancı tüccarların gelmesiydi. Bu noktadan hareketle çalışmada, hapishane ıslahatı çerçevesinde Akşehir hapishanesinin fizikî şartlarının nasıl olduğu, yenileme çalışmalarının sonuçları, yerel yöneticilerin bu konudaki yaklaşımları, mahkum sayıları, mahkumların yaşam koşulları ve suç dağılımları gibi meseleler ele alınmıştır. Böylece Akşehir hapishanesinin yaşadığı dönüşüm süreci açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Osmanlı Devleti, Akşehir, Hapishane, Mahkum.

Makale detayları

Akşehir Prison Within The Framework of The Ottoman Empire's Prison Reform

Yazarlar:

Nazik Betül Güney

Yayıncı:

Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University

Ana Başlıklar:

Osmanlı Kurumları ve Medeniyeti (Diğer) | Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Dergi:

Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.8 Issue 1, pp.179-202

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001334182

pISSN:

2667-4424

Ottoman Empire

Akşehir

prison

prisonerOsmanlı Devleti

Akşehir

hapishane

mahkum

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Nazik Betül Güney

Yayıncı: Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University

Ana Başlıklar: Osmanlı Kurumları ve Medeniyeti (Diğer) | Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Dergi: Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.8 Issue 1, pp.179-202

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 6/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001334182

pISSN: 2667-4424

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Nazik Betül Güney

Yayıncı:

Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University

Ana Başlıklar:

Osmanlı Kurumları ve Medeniyeti (Diğer) | Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Dergi:

Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.8 Issue 1, pp.179-202

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001334182

pISSN:

2667-4424