AN EFFECTIVE AYAN FAMILY IN TRABZON IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: ŞATIRZADES

By the early 17th century, the ottoman government had to make some arrangements and new regulations changing its military, administrative and economic system. with this new transformation from its classical system, ottoman empires started one of its most remarkable periods of its history allowing a new age called “ayans age” rise and presented local powers growing provincially. meeting all needs of government, this new class was formed in provinces, which led to changes of the balance of power in the ottoman empire. in this new system, new provincial ayan families tried to spread and set up their powers on the lands of the ottoman empire. some ayan families tried to protect their benefits by acting together with government while others did not. one of the close families with the government was şatırzades from trabzon province. şatırzades who did not involve any bandits activity set up good relationships with canikli ali pasha, the governor of trabzon. thus, the family became rich by holding the tax-farm of the customs of trabzon. in addition, şatırzades played a vital role in the collection of extra-ordinary taxes of the trabzon province such as avarız and bedel-i nüzul.