Samples of Translated Texts 491
... Moreover, the janissaries should wear something that demonstrates their
identity when they do not wear their felt caps, since they fear entering a quarrel
or some other problem. It is appropriate that they wear a nightcap (made) from
red felt; if they like or if they belong to the elders of the corps, it is fitting that
they should also wrap these nightcaps in a short turban. Furthermore, the ar-
morers should wear purple nightcaps and the gunners nightcaps from black felt;
thus, when they go out in the streets and in the market without their felt caps
they will wear these garments. The same should goes for other militaries, [for
instance] the carriers of the cannons should wear blue nightcaps. In this way,
they will all be easy to control: no one will start an argument or begin any kind
of oppression or mischief. And if they do, they will have no way of denying it;
their garments will testify against them and all Muslims will have seen them.
... There is another great and manifest oppression for the peasants, which
makes them most unhappy. If, during the winter, a heavenly accident [i.e. a thun-
derbolt] kills a Muslim’s or an infidel’s sheep, then the collector of the sheep tax
(koyun hakçısı) comes and takes the taxes for the dead sheep in full, as he found
them in the registers, saying “last year you had so many sheep, you absolutely
must give their tax in full”. What can the poor man do? He lost his sheep and he
gives his money in vain ... Thank God, what need has His Excellency the sultan
for this sinful money? All the more so since, from this money, not even a
thousandth goes to the treasury: it constitutes the personal income of the tax-
collector ... If, in the days of His Excellency the grand vizier this tyranny is abol-
ished, and according to the old law the tax for one’s sheep is collected on the
basis of their actual number and not according to the old registers, so that no-
one is oppressed, this act will be extremely meritorious in God’s eyes.11 Anonymous, Hırzü’l-mülûk (See Chapter 4)
From Hırzü’l-mülûk (“Stronghold [or, amulet] of the kings”):13
Maintaining rulership comes through justice and brave soldiers, and if the sol-
diers are to be kept obedient, they should be granted fiefs according to their
worth. To achieve obedience in such a way, vast territories and a sufficient trea-
sury are needed so that other [soldiers] take salaries and others zeamet, timars,
and similar high posts. While, for this, most of the towns and villages in the
“Protected Domains” should be imperial domains, zeamet, and timars, nowadays
the majority either belongs to vakfs or is private property; nothing has been left13 Yücel 1988, 176–178.