ASȂKİR-İ SERHAD – GUARDIANS OF THE EMPIRE IN AN AGE OF UNCERTAINTY: THE OTTOMAN FRONTIER ON THE SAVA AND THE MIDDLE DANUBE IN THE 18th CENTURY

Abstract

After the establishment of the border with the Habsburg Empire, the defense of the Ottoman Empire along the Danube and Sava rivers necessitated the establishment of new mechanisms. This study presents a structuralist attempt to systematize the incoherent military organization at the border in various border provinces; define the structure, means, and forms of administration; and, most importantly, to trace the changes in military organization throughout the 18th century. The frontier was divided into separate sectors in accordance with information collected from archival sources along with minor historiographical additions in accordance with consideration of the longue durée. The institutions of the kapudan and the muhafız, how they were related to one another, and their position within the military organization will be more closely investigated and new interpretations will be given. The question of how the military capacity was organized will be meticulously examined, and lists of fortress garrisons will be presented with a focus on differences between times of war and peace. These will establish frameworks for further research.

Keywords

• Danube, Sava, 18th century, serhad, serhad kulu, kapudan, muhafız