Kouloughlis, also spelled Koulouglis,[Răileanu, Viorica. "Éléments de compositions turcs et grecs dans les anthroponymes." Studii şi cercetări de onomastică şi lexicologie (SCOL) 1-2 (2014): 100-105.][Procházka, Stephan. "Les mots turcs dans l’arabe marocain." Dynamiques langagières en Arabophonies: Variations, contacts, migrations et créations artistique. Hommage offert à Dominique Caubet par ses élèves et collègues. Zaragoza-Paris (2012): 201-222. p.216.] or "servant" + Turkish language "son of", but the translation of the word "kul" as slave is misleading since in the Ottoman Empire context, it referred to one's special status as being in the special service of the sultan[Mergen Türk, Nazlı Esim. "The notion of hassa soldiery and kul identity in the early Ottoman state–example of the janissary corps a comparative study." PhD diss., Bilkent University, 2022.]) was a term used during the period of Ottoman influence in North Africa that usually designated the mixed offspring of Ottoman officials[ Algeria: A Study in Competing Ideologies - Kay Adamson, A&C Black][ The Tunisian Ulama 1873-1915: Social Structure and Response to Ideological Currents - Arnold H. Green, Brill Archive]
Definition
The word Kouloughli or Kuloglu referred to children of janissaries and local women.
[Shuval, Tal. "Cezayir-i Garp: Bringing Algeria Back into Ottoman History." New Perspectives on Turkey 22 (2000): 85-114.][Spyropoulos, Yannis. "Janissaries: A Key Institution for Writing the Economic and Political History of Ottoman Muslims in the Early Modern Period." Исторический вестник 29 (2019): 104-133.][Oualdi, M'hamed. "Mamluks in Ottoman Tunisia: A Category Connecting State and Social Forces." International Journal of Middle East Studies 48, no. 3 (2016): 473-490.] Some sources refer to Kouloughlis as children of any Ottoman man and a North African woman.
It was only those from
acemi ocagi or
devshirme that could become
Kul or Kouloughli, in fact it was a rule to not allow anyone but those from
devshirme or
acemi ocagi to be the “kul” of the sultan.
[
]
The title of Kouloughli went from father to child. For example Ahmed Bey of Constantine was the son of a Kouloughli, and thus he himself was a Kouloughli.
History
Migration to North Africa
According to the Turco-Libyan historian Orhan Koloğlu, throughout the 400 years of Ottoman Empire rule in the Maghreb and more generally North Africa, the Ottoman administration ensured that Ottoman soldiers from the Odjak of Tripoli, formed at least 5% of the population in Ottoman Tripolitania.
Ottoman women in North Africa
Although the term "köleoğlu" implied the term "son of", the Turkish population in North Africa was not solely made up of men. Indeed, Ottoman women also migrated to the region, although in much lower numbers than men. There also existed Kouloughlis born of North African men, and Turkish women, such as Ibn Hamza al-Maghribi, an Algerian mathematician.[.]
Legacy
Religion
The majority of Turkish-speaking Ottoman Muslims adhered to the Hanafi school of Islam, in contrast to the majority of the North African subjects, who followed the Maliki school.[.] Today the Hanafi school is still followed by the descendants of Turkish families who remain in the region.[.] Traditionally, their mosques are in the Ottoman architectural style and are particularly identifiable from their Turkish-style octagonal minarets.
Language
Words and expressions from the Turkish language, to varying degrees, are still used in most varieties of the Maghrebi Arabic and spoken Arabic in North Africa and the Middle East. For example, in Algeria an estimated 634 Turkish words are still used today in Algerian Arabic.[.] Turkish loanwords have also been influential in countries which were never conquered by the Ottomans, such as in Moroccan Arabic. Furthermore, the Turks also introduced words from the Persian language to the region, which were originally borrowed for the Ottoman Turkish language.[.]
The majority of Turkish loanwords in Arabic are used for private life (such as food and tools), law and government, and the military.
Food
Ottoman rule left a profound influence on the cuisine of North Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans. Even today, many dishes produced in different countries throughout these regions are derived from the same name, usually a variation of a Turkish word (such as baklava or dolma).[.]
|
|
Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya[.] |
Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia |
Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia |
Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia |
Egypt, Libya, Tunisia |
Egypt |
Algeria, Egypt |
Egypt, Tunisia |
Algeria, Egypt, Libya |
Egypt[.] |
Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia |
Tools
|
|
| axe |
| pot |
| hook |
| cauldron |
| guide, leader |
| pan |
| wire, fiber, string |
| mallet, door-knocker, wooden pestle |
| straight or curved spring |
Military
Other words
|
|
wallet |
bag |
hammer |
tap, fountain |
paper |
spoon |
shoe |
bottle |
Caftan |
|
Arts and literature
The capital of the Ottoman Empire, Constantinople (Istanbul), was the central location where specialists in art, literature, and the scientists from all over the provinces would gather to present their work. Hence, many people were influenced here and would borrow from the masterpieces they came into contact with. Consequently, the Arabic language adopted several technical terms of Turkish origin as well as artistic influences.[.]
Music
The cultural interaction between the Arabs and Turks influenced the music of the Arab provinces significantly. New Arabic maqam in Arabic music emerged (i.e. Turkish makam, a Turkish system of melody types), such as al-Hijazkar, Shahnaz and Naw’athar, as well as technical music terminologies.
Theatre
The Turks introduced the Karagöz puppet show, which concerns the adventures of two stock characters: Karagöz (meaning "black-eyed" in Turkish) and Hacivat (meaning "İvaz the Pilgrim"). Evening performances of the show are particularly popular during Ramadan in North Africa.[.]
See also
Notes
Bibliography
