II. Mahmud'un Beyaz üzerine Hatt-ı Hümayunları

Three kinds of Imperial rescripts were used in the correspondances of the Ottoman State. 1- TelhTs: (which was submitted to the sultan in a summerized form) Takrîr (which was sent either from the provinces, or from the capital, to be given the approval of the sultan), and imperial rescripts on some documents. 2. Hatt-ı hümayunla müvesseh ferman: (the writing of the sultan on the important imperial decrees - ferman and berat-that were sent to the provinces, aimed at encouraging or inciting the addressed person). 3- Beyaz üzerine hatt-ı hümayun : This document, most ly written by the sultan himself, consisted of the answers to the issues put forward by higher bureaucrats and statesmen, together with the personal opinions of the sultan on any issue that he considered worthy of mentioning, depending on his uwn observations. Generally, researchers have pointed at the 16th Century as the beginning date for the prevalent using of imperial rescripts-The widespread usage of imperial rescripts can be percieved to be a result of finantial difficulties of the state, long- lasting wars, or as an effort of the sultan to re-establish the centralized order as opposed to the decentralization in the classical system. However, the basic reason should be sought behind the movement away from the no longer efficient Divân-ı Hümayun towards Bab~ı 31 i. Moreover, the using of imperial rescripts was also a new method of correspondance employed by the bureaucracy. The opinions of the sultan were carried to the provinces via imperial decrees on the types of documents such as telhis and takrîr. However, what we are aiming to put forward were, is that in this era, the general process of issuing fermans came to be manipulated by the considerably lengthy opinions of the sultans written on documents. Beyaz üzerine hatt-ı hümayun is the type of document on which the above- mentioned opinions are most frequently seen. The imperial rescripts were widely used during the reign of Mahmut I. (1730-1745) and did not loose their popularity during the ...