In the Ottoman Empire, one of the officials within the hierarchical structure of the Orthodox Greek Patriarchate was the metropolitans. Metropolitans were responsible for the administration of churches and communities in various regions within the jurisdiction of the patriarchate. Their duties included organizing and managing religious ceremonies, providing religious education, overseeing the administration of the church and its properties, supervising the priests, and maintaining internal discipline. This article examines the roles and relationships of metropolitans affiliated with the Istanbul Greek Patriarchate during the Ottoman period. The research analyzes the structure in the XVIIIth century based on contemporary sources. Metropolitans were individuals who served in both religious and administrative capacities within the Ottoman administrative system and the patriarchate. As part of the patriarchal system, metropolitans not only fulfilled religious duties but also performed non-religious tasks such as tax collection and maintaining social balance. Thus, the role of metropolitans extended beyond religious leadership, encompassing significant responsibilities in various aspects of society. For this study, original documents from various classifications in the Ottoman archives of the State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey were meticulously examined, and in-depth research was conducted using the historical analysis method based on cause and effect relationships. The findings, along with the existing literature, were evaluated and presented from a scholarly perspective.
Based on these investigations, it has been determined and confirmed from Ottoman sources that metropolitans held institutional authority at the spiritual, social, and administrative levels. While fulfilling their responsibilities in line with the relationships between the Patriarchate and the central government, they carried responsibilities towards both authorities. The appointment of metropolitans was subject to the approval of the Patriarchate and the central government, granting them an official status. This confirms that metropolitans possessed both spiritual and official qualities. They operated under the authority of the Patriarchate, implementing its decisions and policies. Additionally, they maintained an indirect relationship with the central bureaucracy of the Ottoman state. However, the pervasive nature of central authority in the Ottoman system meant that this indirect relationship could readily evolve into direct contact. During the XVIIIth century, as cooperation between Ottoman administrative institutions and church institutions increased, the prominence of such roles for metropolitans aligned with the developments of the period.
In conclusion, within the Ottoman administrative structure, metropolitans were not solely responsible to the Patriarchate but also held obligations towards the central government. They played significant roles as influential figures assuming both religious and official functions in Ottoman society. Through their direct relations with the Patriarchate and indirect connections with the Ottoman state, they effectively regulated the religious and social life of the community. This duality in their responsibilities derived from the nature of their role, shaping their institutional attributes, and reflected the centralizing tendencies of the Ottoman society's complex structure.
Osmanlı Devleti'nde, Ortodoks Rum Patrikhanesi’nin hiyerarşik düzeni içinde yer alan görevlilerden biri olan metropolitler patrikhanenin yetki alanı içindeki farklı bölgelerde bulunan kiliselerin ve cemaatlerin idaresinden sorumluydular. Dini ayinler, dini eğitim, kilisenin yönetimi, mülklerinin idaresi gibi çeşitli görevleri yerine getirmekteydiler. Bu makalede, İstanbul Rum patrikhanesine bağlı metropolitlerin Osmanlı dönemindeki görevleri incelenmektedir. Tanzimat dönemi öncesindeki yapının incelendiği bu çalışma kapsamında, Başbakanlık Osmanlı arşivindeki çeşitli tasniflere ait belgeler titizlikle incelenmiş ve sebep-sonuç ilişkisi çerçevesinde tarihsel analiz yöntemi kullanılarak elde edilen bulgular, mevcut literatürle birlikte değerlendirilmiş ve bilimsel bir perspektifle sunulmuştur.
Bu incelemeler ışığında, metropolitlerin kurumsal düzeyde ruhani, toplumsal ve yönetsel nitelikte yetkilere sahip oldukları Osmanlı kaynaklarından tespit ve teyit edilmiştir. Patrikhane ve merkezi devlet arasındaki ilişkileri doğrultusunda görevlerini yerine getirirken, her iki otoriteye karşı sorumluluk taşıdıkları gözlenmektedir. Sonuç olarak, Osmanlı idari yapısı içerisinde metropolitler, yanlızca patrikhaneye karşı sorumluluk üstlenmiş olan görevliler değildi aynı zamanda merkezi devlete karşı da sorumlulukları olan yetkililerdi. Hem patrikhaneyle doğrudan ilişkileri hem de Osmanlı devletiyle dolaylı ilişkileri aracılığıyla toplumun dini ve sosyal hayatını düzenlemekte etkiliydiler. Bu ikili ilişki, metropolitlerin çift yönlü sorumluluklarının doğasından kaynaklanmaktadır. Bu ilişki biçimi, metropolitlerin kurumsal niteliklerinin şekillenmesinde etkili olmuş ve Osmanlı toplumunun karma yapısında merkeziyetçi bir düzenin yansımalarını gösteren önemli faktörlerden biridir.
Birincil Dil | Türkçe |
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Konular | Yeniçağ Osmanlı Tarihi |
Bölüm | Araştırma Makalesi |
Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 30 Eylül 2023 |
Gönderilme Tarihi | 20 Haziran 2023 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2023 Cilt: 8 Sayı: 2 |
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