Kırım Mahkemelerinin Görünen Yüzleri: Hanlığın Toplumsal Yapısında Unvan Sahipliği (17. Yüzyıl)

Tribal aristocracy plays an important role in both the administration and the social structure of the Crimean Khanate. In this sense, the principal affiliations occupying a central place in the construction of an individual’s identity are elements such as clan, tribe, and family, which derive their origins from an aristocratic structure. Belonging to these elements not only serves to define the individual; it also transforms into a title borne alongside one’s name, thereby becoming an indicator of social status and influence. Thus, the possession of a title—having transformed into a form of social capital at an individual’s disposal—also affects the degree of representational power individuals hold within society. Ultimately, when the names of those who would appear in court as witnesses or legal representatives, or who would be included among the şuhûdü’l-hâl, come under consideration, it is anticipated that preferences would generally be given to titleholders. Indeed, the present study aims to demonstrate the extent to which social capital affects levels of social visibility by arguing that those selected to undertake the aforementioned roles were predominantly drawn from among titleholders. In this context, numerous court records were examined in order to identify the titles commonly used within the social structure of the khanate, with attention paid not only to titles deriving from the aristocratic structure but also to those acquired later. Moreover, in Crimean Court Register vol. 22, the individuals listed among the şuhûdü’l-hâl, eyewitnesses, and legal representatives were identified, and the frequency of name repetition as well as the proportion of titleholders were analyzed using Python. Hence, it has been determined that although titles became more widespread over time, they continued to serve as an important criterion within the social structure of the Crimean Khanate.