A Note on Transliteration

Transliterations are based on a modified version of the system used in the International Journal of Middle East Studies. All Ottoman Turkish terms are transliterated into their contemporary Turkish equivalents. To avoid confusion and to offer more uniformity in the text the Arabic term fatwa (Ottoman Turkish fetva) is used throughout. Ottoman transliteration is used in Ottoman texts. Names of plaintiffs and defendants are transliterated exactly as they appeared in the court record. For clarification, an example of a woman’s name is Fatima bint Muhammad, which literally means “Fatima the daughter of Muhammad.” Similarly, a man’s name such as Taha ibn Husayn literally means “Taha the son of Husayn.” The father’s name is provided in the lineage, as last names were not widely used until the nineteenth century. Only prominent notable families such as the Amirzade and Kawakabi families had recognizable last names in earlier periods.