Yoruk Organizations, Roots and Features in Ottoman Rumeli

In this article, the roots, evolution and features of the military organization of the yörüks of Rumelia are discussed through the examples from the Western Thrace region. It aims to bring an alternative approach to the origins and the qualifications of the yörüks who had a significant role from the beginning of the conquests in Rumelia both as a military force and as a demographic element. In this aspect, upon the origins of the organization, the connection between the yörük organization and the routes of the first conquests together with the military groups which took part in the conquests is stressed. Then, the evolution of the organization in time and the meaning of the structural changes are evaluated through the laws on the organization and their changes in time. Lastly, the connection of the yörük organization with the yörük population in Rumelia is discussed through the literature on the issue. In parallel with it, it is questioned whether the yörük registers and cadastral surveys could give an answer to the problem of the extent of the military yörüks in the region.