Keletkutatás

Hezarfen Hüseyn Efendi on the second siege of Vienna (1683)

Mária Ivanics — 2026-07-13

The article discusses the account of the Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683 by Hezarfen Hüseyn Efendi, one of the most important Ottoman historians of the seventeenth century. It is based on manuscripts preserved in Bologna and Paris, as well as their Italian and French translations. The paper provides new data to support the previous assumption that the unnamed historian of the Bologna manuscript is indeed Hezarfen. The study highlights the features making Hezarfen’s work unique and provides additional information. Through the analysis of these data, the author concludes that Hezarfen’s account − along with the diary of the anonymous Master of Ceremonies and the interpreter of the Porte, Aleksandros Mavrokordatos − is among the earliest reports about the campaign of 1683 and the events of the siege. The study is followed by the translation of Hezarfen’s text, which is based on the Bologna manuscript, with additions from the Paris manuscript.

Kaza and nahiye in Ottoman Hungary

Géza Dávid — 2026-07-13

The importance of nahiyes and kazas in Ottoman Hungary in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries differed greatly. Until the timar system played a key role, cadastral surveys and prebend journals were prepared on sancak and nahiye basis. This is perhaps the main reason why the number of sub-districts was three and a half times higher than that of judicial regions. At the same time, we find only c. half as much kazas per square kilometre in Hungary as in Rumelia. This great difference can be explained by the low number of Muslims above the Drava‒Danube line and by the fact that the Ottomans were unable to fully control the Hungarian territories also in the terms of jurisdiction. In the seventeenth century, when state taxes were collected on kaza level, this institution gained decisive significance.

Haric ez defter as a tool for administering abandoned settlements in the Sancak of Szeged and the regime of unregistered settlements on the Ottoman–Hungarian frontier

Miklós Fóti — 2026-07-13

The study explores the haric ez defter (“outside the register”) category, a specific yet under-researched administrative term in sixteenth-century Ottoman governance. Drawing primarily on the tax registers of the sanjak of Szeged and the subprovinces of the Hungarian–Ottoman frontier, the research demonstrates how the Ottoman administration exploited these “unregistered” estates to integrate deserted, ruined, or newly conquered territories. Through the examples of the resettlement of Kiskunhalas and the Bácska region, the authors prove that the haric ez defter category was not merely a formal administrative remark, but served as a deliberate tool for colonization, and enabled the sanjakbeyis to grant unregistered settlements directly to their own entourage. Finally, the study examines the administrative abuses associated with this category and the central government’s efforts to stabilize fiscal control by incorporating these “invisible” revenues into the imperial has-estates.

Trade, administration, and social tensions in the light of a mühimme defteri entry from 1583: The case of the fair of Túr

Erika Öner — 2026-07-13

In the second half of the sixteenth century, relations between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were characterized by formal peace and constant border skirmishes. Commercial centres – including the fair of Túr – primarily served economic purposes but were occasionally linked to political and military affairs. The conflicts surrounding the fair provide a microhistorical example of the connection between local and central economic interests, as well as pragmatic search for compromise by the Ottoman administration. The raids of frontier soldiers caused serious damage to the market town, and consequently also to the Ottomans, thereby provoking diplomatic disputes between Vienna and Istanbul. The source presented in the study sheds light on the economic role of fairs and the mechanisms of official regulation.

The life of Muslim soldiers in the army of Tsarist Russia and the Monarchy through the eyes of a Crimean Tatar prisoner during the Great War: Evaluation of a forgotten source in terms of oral history and linguistics

Imre Baski — 2026-07-13

This paper presents an unpublished Crimean Tatar source depicting the fate of Muslim soldiers in the Great War. Its author, Fazil Edilerski from Akmescit, recounts his experiences as a prisoner of war, describing inhumane treatment and religious discrimination within the Tsarist army. His narrative details the capture, the journey to the POW camp, and everyday life in captivity. Its value lies in the uncensored voice of a Muslim soldier. The text also offers material for linguistic analysis: Edilerski’s transitional dialect combines Oghuz and Kipchak features in phonology, vocabulary, and morphology, while frequent Russian loanwords reflect his military service and imprisonment. By analyzing selected passages through oral history and comparing them with Russian scholarship, the study contributes to the lesser-known history of Muslim soldiers in World War I and to Crimean Tatar dialectology.

In memoriam Pál Németh (1953‒2025)

Kinga Dévényi — 2026-07-13

In memoriam István Seres (1972–2025)

Dávid Somfai Kara — 2026-07-13

In memoriam Lars Johanson (1936–2025)

András Róna-Tas — 2026-07-13

Varsányi Orsolya: A Hun Történelem Arab Forrásai

Tamás Iványi — 2026-07-13

Bryan K. Miller: Xiongnu. The World’s First Nomadic Empire

Bence Cibere — 2026-07-13