Haraç
Encyclopedia
The Haraç, or Harač, was a poll-tax in the Ottoman empire
.
It developed from an earlier form of land taxation and was, in principle, only payable by non-Muslims; it was seen as a counterpart to zakat
paid by Muslims. The Haraç system later merged into the Cizye taxation system.
Haraç collection was reformed by a firman
of 1834, which abolished the old levying system, and required that haraç should be raised by a commission composed of the Kadı
and the Ayans, or municipal chiefs of Rayas in each district. The firman made several other changes to taxation.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
It developed from an earlier form of land taxation and was, in principle, only payable by non-Muslims; it was seen as a counterpart to zakat
Zakat
Zakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...
paid by Muslims. The Haraç system later merged into the Cizye taxation system.
Haraç collection was reformed by a firman
Firman
A firman is a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in certain historical Islamic states, including the Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, State of Hyderabad, and Iran under Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The word firman comes from the meaning "decree" or "order"...
of 1834, which abolished the old levying system, and required that haraç should be raised by a commission composed of the Kadı
Kadı
A kadı was an official in the Ottoman empire. Based on the Islamic concept of a judge, the Ottoman official also had extra duties; they performed local administrative tasks, and they were involved in taxation and conscription...
and the Ayans, or municipal chiefs of Rayas in each district. The firman made several other changes to taxation.