Haraç ( hy, խարջ, kharj, mk, арач, arač, gr, χαράτσι, charatsi, sh-Cyrl-Latn, харач, harač) was a land tax levied on non-Muslims in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
.
''Haraç'' was developed from an earlier form of land taxation, ''
kharaj'' (''harac''), and was, in principle, only payable by non-Muslims; it was seen as a counterpart to
zakat
Zakat ( ar, زكاة; , "that which purifies", also Zakat al-mal , "zakat on wealth", or Zakah) is a form of almsgiving, often collected by the Muslim Ummah. It is considered in Islam as a religious obligation, and by Quranic ranking, is ...
paid by
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
.
[Hunter, Malik and Senturk, p. 77] The ''haraç'' system later merged into the
cizye taxation system. While the taxes collected from non Muslims were higher than those collected from Muslims, the rights and opportunities provided to non Muslims were much more limited. It often incentivised people to convert to Islam.
Haraç collection was reformed by a
firman of 1834, which abolished the old levying system, and required that ''haraç'' be raised by a commission composed of the
kadı and the ''ayans'', or municipal chiefs of ''
rayas'' in each district. The firman made several other changes to taxation.
References
Sources
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Taxation in the Ottoman Empire
Christianity in the Ottoman Empire
History of taxation
Disabilities (Jewish)
Zakat