Hereditary succession in the mütevelli office: the case of the Menteşe region (1913–1920)

This article examines the institutional transformation of the mütevelli office in the late Ottoman period, with particular emphasis on the implementation of the Appointment to Offices Regulation of 1913 (Tevcih-i Cihat Nizamnamesi) in the Menteşe region. It explores the gradual transition from inheritance practices grounded in familial continuity within family waqfs to a more formalized appointment process structured around state-supervised examinations. The study argues that the Ottoman state’s efforts at centralization in the field of waqf administration did not aim to eliminate established waqf families; rather, they produced an administrative framework in which hereditary claims were re-legitimized through bureaucratic procedures and merit-based evaluation mechanisms. By analyzing the interaction between family, local networks and central regulatory mechanisms, this article offers a new perspective on the negotiated and multi-layered nature of Ottoman administrative institutionalization.