timar

Timar was a land-revenue grant used by the Ottoman Empire to organize military and administrative power. Issued by the sultan, timars were allocated to soldiers and officials as part of a broader fiscal-military system that developed from the 14th century and remained central into the 16th century.

The holder did not own the land. The sultan retained sovereignty over the realm, while the timar granted the right to collect a fixed portion of the land’s tax revenue each year, usually measured in akçe. The value and size of a timar varied by province and circumstance. In return for the grant, the timar holder was obligated to provide military service—typically as cavalry—and to maintain order and governance in the timar area. In many cases, the rights were inheritable within limits, creating a hereditary class of timarlı sipahis, though the state retained overarching authority to reallocate timars if obligations were not fulfilled.

Timars were part of a hierarchy that included larger estates such as zeamet and hass, reflecting differences in revenue and tenure. The system linked provincial elites directly to the central sultanate, aligning local loyalty with imperial interests and enabling the mobilization of troops from diverse regions.

From the late 16th century onward, the timar system began to decline as the Ottoman state shifted toward different forms of revenue collection and landholding. By the 17th century, the classic timar structure had faded, though its influence persisted in Ottoman administrative practice and military organization.