| Taxation in the Ottoman Empire |
|---|
| Taxes |
| Adet-i Ağnam · Adet-i deştbani · Ashar · Avarız · Bac-i pazar · Bedl-i askeri · Cizye · Cürm-ü cinayet · Damga resmi · Gümrük resmi · Haraç · Ihtisab · İspençe · Istira · Maktu · Mururiye resmi · Muskirat resmi · Nüzül · Otlak resmi · Rav akçesi · Resm-i arusane · Resm-i bennâk · Resm-i bostan · Resm-i çift · Resm-i dönüm · Resm-i ganem · Resm-i hınzır · Resm-i mücerred · Resm-i sicill · Rusum-e-eflak · Selamet isni · Tapu resmi · Tekalif-i orfiye · Temettu · Tuz resmi · Zakāt |
| Implementation |
| Ahidnâme · Defter · Düyun-ı Umumiye · Emin · Hazine-i Hassa · Hane · Iltizam · Istira · Kadı · Kanun-i Raya · Kanunname · Malikane · Millet · Muafiyet · Muhassil · Muqata'ah · Ottoman Public Debt Administration · Regie Company · Sursat · Tahrir · Waqf |
Muafiyet was a tax exemption mechanism for Ottoman towns or villages; an individual decree of tax exemption was called a muafname.[1]
After a muafname was issued to a town, the urban population would be exempted from some of the taxes on raya, such as resm-i çift. Taxation in the Ottoman Empire was complex, including various routine and extraordinary taxes, and different rates for social groups; a muafname might apply to one or more of these taxes.[2]
The Muafiyet system was a deliberate policy of the Sublime Porte, working to encourage the growth of urban populations from the 15th century onwards,[3] although forgoing some tax revenue.
Tax exemption was prized by locals; so, the granting of a muafname was subject to "pull" as well as "push". Muafname might be requested by the local bey or kadı. Enforcement of the complex patchwork of taxes and exemptions could vary; in one case, taxes were collected from villages despite a muafname, and the local kadı wrote that subsequent legitimate taxes were held back to compensate for the wrongful taxation.[4]
A muafiyet emri, or tax exemption order, might even be given to an individual ship's captain.[8]