Research Article

The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition

Volume: 11 Number: 2 September 30, 2026
TR EN

The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition

Abstract

Studies on family in the Ottoman State are quite limited. Because family-related records, which constitute an important core of the social fabric, do not go beyond the records created for tax purposes. Some data written about the Ottoman family can be found in the Ottoman Sharia Registers and Fatwas. In the Sharia Registers, it is possible to access the types, quantities and prices of animals in Ottoman families in the provisions on inheritance, which are about the sharing of property of the deceased. Thanks to the Sharia Registers that existed in every city in the Ottoman State, it is possible to access the records of all animals with economic value. The fatwas, which regulate the social structure for Ottoman Muslims and derive their sources from Hadith and the Quran, also include some provisions regarding animals. Animals also have great benefits in terms of people's survival during natural disasters. In our study, animals in the core of the Ottoman family are examined by taking Islamic elements into account. Important data on pets and animal husbandry in the Ottoman family has been presented to the attention of academics working in this field through archival sources, sharia records, fatwas and travelers’ narratives.

Keywords

References

  1. Ankara Vilayet Salnamesi (Annuale of Ankara), 1311.
  2. Arbel, Benjamin “The Attitude of Muslims to Amnimals: Renaissance perceptions and beyonds”, Animals and People in the Ottoman Empire, Eren Yayınları, İstanbul 2010.
  3. Baytimur, Oguz Suha, Osmanlı Devleti’nde Çekirge İ-İstilaları ve Sosyo-Ekonomik Hayata Etkileri (1789- 1839), Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi, Cilt 8, Sayı 23, Eylül 2020,s 325-347.
  4. Belon, Pierre, Pierre Belon Seyahatnemesi, Çev. Hazal Yalın, Kitap Yayınevi, İstanbul 2020.
  5. Bor, Adil, Kuran’da Hayvan Hakları, Düşün Yayıncılık, İstanbul 2012.
  6. Bozkurt, Ozancan. “Plague and Empire in the Early Modern Mediterranean World The Ottoman Experience (1347-1600)”, The Journal of Universial History, 5(1).
  7. Busbeq, Ogier Ghiselin de, Türk Mektupları, Kanuni Döneminde Bir Elçinin Gözlemleri (1555- 1560), Çev. Derin Türkömer, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, 2011.
  8. Şeyhülislâm Çatalcalı Ali Efendi, Fetava-yı Ali Efendi, Büyük Millet Meclisi Kütüphanesi, Eser No. 1937: 1006, Remiz. K-K-4-a, 10 Şubat 1937,

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Historical Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 30, 2026

Submission Date

October 22, 2025

Acceptance Date

June 17, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 2

APA
Gün Canik, E. (2026). The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi, 11(2), 1562-1581. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1808649
AMA
1.Gün Canik E. The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition. VAKANUVIS. 2026;11(2):1562-1581. doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1808649
Chicago
Gün Canik, Elçin. 2026. “The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 11 (2): 1562-81. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1808649.
EndNote
Gün Canik E (September 1, 2026) The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 11 2 1562–1581.
IEEE
[1]E. Gün Canik, “The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition”, VAKANUVIS, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1562–1581, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.24186/vakanuvis.1808649.
ISNAD
Gün Canik, Elçin. “The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 11/2 (September 1, 2026): 1562-1581. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1808649.
JAMA
1.Gün Canik E. The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition. VAKANUVIS. 2026;11:1562–1581.
MLA
Gün Canik, Elçin. “The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 11, no. 2, Sept. 2026, pp. 1562-81, doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1808649.
Vancouver
1.Elçin Gün Canik. The Place and Importance of Domestic Animals in Ottoman Family Life in Terms of Islamic Law and Tradition. VAKANUVIS. 2026 Sep. 1;11(2):1562-81. doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1808649


 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 (Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike).