MEJELLET AL-AHKAM AL-ADLIYYA FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

The nineteenth century is recognized as an era of modernization in the Ottoman Empire. At the forefront of this process was the Tanzimat Edict. Based on the principles of the French Civil Code, the Tanzimat Edict necessitated other legal reforms. Alongside commercial legislation, the second half of the 19th century also witnessed the beginning of legal regulations concerning civil rights. The Mecelle-i Ahkâm-ı Adliyye was the first comprehensive legal codex prepared within the framework of either commercial or civil law, based on the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence. Rather than adopting Western legal traditions, its content was formulated through the systematic organization of Islamic law. The Mecelle remained in force in various countries across the former Ottoman territories well into later periods