Strengthening the Family: Legal Reform in Marriage in the Late Ottoman Empire

This study examines how rising marriage expenses in the late Ottoman Empire became a socio-legal problem and analyzes subsequent reform proposals. Based on the Hacı Adil Bey Papers, the research focuses on the views of Zekeriya Zihni Bey and Süleyman Efendi regarding registration, dower (mehr), and divorce. Analyzing archival documents alongside fiqh and legislation, the study reveals a shift from moral exhortation to a legalized reform agenda. Findings contrast Zekariya Zihni Bey's court-supervised models with Süleyman Efendi's itinerant marriage officers. Both converged on the necessity of registration and deterrence to strengthen the family institution.