Development of Some Towns in Bosnia in the 16th Century (The Role of the State and the “Waqufs”)

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that the development of towns in the period of Ottoman rule, especially in its early period, cannot be treated separately from the history and the role of waqufs. The present author, however, dealt with the initial phase of the process, i. e., he on the basis of the earliest sources explained the role of waqufs in the formation of towns (kasabas) in Bosnia. The coordination of the state and the institution of waquf in the formation of towns is especially emphas1sed. The state was the main subject in that process, i. e., it was of the primary state importance (strategic, communication, economic) to form towns at certain locations, while, on the other hand, the “waquf” had the executive role in erecting of the cultural and educational institutions, by which the founding of any town began. Thus, although the erecting of the “waquf” structures had been the free realization of the pious will of their founders, the founding of towns, the beginning of w:hich had been marked by the building of a mosque, was not a random process.

As a proof of the fact that the state policy in the founding of towns was of the primary importance, numerous towns in Bosnia, the founding of which had started by the building of a mosque in the period between the XVth and the end of the XVIth century, are mentioned. Those were the following towns: Sarajevo, Zvornik, Foča, Višegrad, Srebrenica, Travnik, Prusac, Prozor, Knežina, Doboj, Bijeljina, Gradiška, Kamengrad, Oborci, Glamoč, Drniš, Dobrun and Kulen-Vakuf. It is proved here that ·those mosques were called “Sultan's”, i. e., they had been built by the order of the Sultan, but they had actually been the state mosques, built with the state funds. The fact that so far not a single waqufnama on the Sultan's waqufs has been found, and mosques in Bosnia, is given as a proof. Besides, there is evidence that all those mosques were kept in good repair and their imams paid from state funds.

The towns founded by the prominent personalities, or the high officials of the state, who built their waqufs that consisted of the cultural and educational structures (mosques, mektebs) were the different sort of towns. The founding of those towns by private individuals, usually took place after the order of the state authorities.

The present paper gives the examples of the founding of such waqufs, or rather, the founding of several towns, founded in that way has been studied. Thus, on the basis of the order of the central government, kasaba Glasinac at the Romanija mountain had been founded in the second half of the XVIth century. It was founded by the local official Hadj Ibrahim-aga, by building of his waquf-buildings. In the same manner, the sandjak-bey from Klis, Ferhad-bey Sokolović (the later beylerbey of Bosnia) founded the kasaba Hrvatci on the road between Sinj and Knin, and kasaba Zemunik in the vicinity of Zadar. Similarly, zaim Mehmed-bey of Stolac founded the kasaba Cesta, as the present town of Gornji Vakuf had originally been called. Ibrahim-bey, the son of Malkoch-bey, founded the kasaba of Novosel, as the present town of Donji Vakuf in the sale area had originally been called. Some other kasabas, such as: Varcar Vakuf, the present town of Mrkonjić Grad; the kasaba of Dičevo as the present town of Sanski Most had been called; kasaba Rudo; Nova Kasaba on the river Jadar and other towns had been founded in the same way.