MANUSCRIT. GOVERNMENT AND OTTOMAN LAW. - Lot 40

MANUSCRIT. GOVERNMENT AND OTTOMAN LAW. A collection of four French manuscripts from the early 19th century, forming a coherent and numbered whole, relating to Ottoman law and its applications, particularly in government. One might think of this as a working manuscript for a French-speaking author seeking to gain a thorough understanding of the workings of the Ottoman Empire around 1810. 4 small in-4 volumes in a homogeneous burgundy basane bias binding with 19th-century marbled paper boards. Neat, legible writing, with margins, on the front and back over approximately 24 lines, in brown ink on azure watermarked laid paper. Notebook 1: Old table of the Ottoman monarchy, taken from the annals of the famous Aly Mohamed Efendy, [11] ff. The text describes the organization of society from the viziers to a fourth class that includes falconers; there is even mention of eunuchs. Book 2: Ottoman militias. [41] ff. Composed of 26 chapters or paragraphs. The first, "Of the Janissaries", constitutes the bulk of the volume (ff. 1 to 23); subsequent chapters are unevenly developed, ranging from a few lines to several pages. Book 3: Political code. [24] ff. Divided into 5 chapters: Des droits & des devoirs du souverain ; Des sujets tributaires Zimmy ; Des étrangers en pays musulman ; Des musulmans en pays étranger et Des loix fiscales ; this last part is the most extensive (12 ff.). Book 4: Military Code (25) ff. Divided into chapters: Rights of War (Seïr); Legal Spoils, Ghanime(tt); Captives; Rights of Conquest & Possession and Rebels. In fine, 2 ff. of numbered notes. Slight wear to corners and boards, spine worn with occasional small lack or extended worm work in margins, not serious.