Local elite and provincial administration: social networks in the province of Nish in the early Tanzimat Era

Abstract

The Tanzimat era (1839–1876) marked a significant period of reform with far-reaching implications across the provinces. These reforms transformed administrative structures, centralized state governance, established new bureaucratic systems, and had profound impacts on social, political, and economic dynamics. Within this context, the Tanzimat state intervened in existing local structures within the provinces, endeavoring to reshape them by favoring certain actors while disadvantaging others. This chapter investigates the social networks among local elites and state authorities in the province of Nish, encompassing the districts of Pirot (Şehirköy) and Leskovac (Leskofça), during the early Tanzimat era.