'A handbook of Syria (including Palestine). London: Naval Staff Intelligence Department, June 1919' [‎122r] (248/738)

TURKISH ADMINISTRATION
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European powers, a complete system of ‘ regulated courts ’
(mehdkim-i-nizdmlye) was established throughout Syria and
the empire for the trial of cases under the new law. It is
misleading to say, without qualification, that the nizdmiye
courts were secular and the shen l ah courts religious. The
jurisdiction of the sheri‘ah courts was partly secular and partly
religious, the jurisdiction of the nizdmiye courts was purely
secular but did not cover the whole field of secular affairs.
One result of the establishment of the nizdmiye courts was
to diminish the resort of Christians and Jews to their own
special courts. They were satisfied with the jurisdiction of
the nizdmiye courts in those matters for which they were
competent.
The needs of foreign residents and the treaties made with
foreign powers led to the constitution in the Ottoman Empire
of a fourth jurisdiction, that of the consular tribunals. Cases
arising between foreigners were tried with few exceptions by
these consular courts, according to the laws of the countries
they represented. Where Ottoman subjects and foreigners
were involved cases were tried by the nizdmiye courts with
a consul or dragoman as assessor.
Administrative Divisions
During most of the period of the Turkish occupation of
Syria (from 1517 onwards) the provincial governors exercised
a large amount of independent authority (see p. 155 f.). During
the nineteenth century the control of the central government
in Constantinople was strengthened and the constitution of
the provinces was more strictly defined. The system here
described was based upon fundamental laws which date from
1864 and 1871. According to these the Ottoman Empire
was divided into provinces called vilayets (Arab, wildyah),
each under a vali (Arab. wdli). The subdivisions of the vilayets
were called sanjaqs (mutesarrifiyeh or mutesarrifliq or liwa)
and their governors mutesarrif. Sanjaqs were divided into
kazas (Arab, qadha), each governed by a kaimmakam (qd’im-
maqdm), and these again into nahiyehs (Arab, mudiriyeh and