TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Society
Also known as: provincial notables
The notables of the provinces; local leaders who gained power in their regions in the 18th century.
The ayan were at first respected figures who acted as intermediaries between the people and the state in towns and cities. They grew stronger as they took control of tax sources through malikane and tax farming; by the end of the 18th century some had become regional rulers with armies of their own. Alemdar Mustafa Pasha, the ayan of Ruse, put Mahmud II on the throne in 1808 and became grand vizier.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “ÂYAN” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.