مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - The Exile of State Officials in the Ottoman Empire: The Example of 19th Century Cyprus

Abstract :

Exile, meaning the expelling by the ruling power of an individual or of a whole community to another place, has been employed for various purposes. The aim of exile is to punish the individual and to remove him from the place where the event that led to his exile occurred. A noticeable increase in the number of punishments through exile was witnessed during the period of stagnation and recession in the Ottoman Sultanate as a result of socio-economic depressions. During this period, the harmony between state institutions deteriorated, a factor which also influenced state officials. It is understood from archive documentation that, taking into consideration the complaints made regarding officials, the state chose to punish these officials, and one method of punishment was to send them into exile. It is clear that islands and other places with harsh conditions were chosen for the exile of individuals. Cyprus became an important island for those undergoing exile. Exile to Cyprus became a tradition following its incorporation into Ottoman territory. Cyprus became one of the places where state officials were sent into exile and this tradition continued throughout the 19th century.