Change Visible from a Distance: Digital Analysis of theFetvas of OttomanŞeyhülislams in the Early Modern Era

Abstract

AbstractUsing a distant reading methodology, the article examines the thematic compositions offetvacompilations by four Ottomanşeyhülislams in the early modern era. Our analysis of thefetvas from the late 17th and early 18th centuries reveal that the majority of these opinions concerned a small number of issues, including women, family problems, contractual matters, and disputes and litigations. The article also demonstrates that the representation offetvas with such concerns increased compared to what we find in the opinions of Ebussuud Efendi, a 16th-centuryşeyhülislam. But interest in religious issues, non-Muslims, and taxation declined over time. Finally, the article proposes computational procedures to identify the complex contextual characteristics of theşeyhülislams’ opinions.