Попис џелепа Пиротског кадилука из 1581. године
Inventory of Pirot Kaza’ş Celeps from the Year 1581

Summary/Abstract: Celeps were persons chosen by the Ottoman officials, who had to provide a particular number of sheep each year and to drive them to Istanbul for sale as per determined redemption price. This obligation was regarded as a kind of special tax and consequently celeps were excluded from certain types of exquisite tributes. Some of the celeps were sheep farmers but rather as wealthy men from all walks of life. Ottoman administration conducted census of celeps, in order to control number of sheeps and persons obliged to provide them. Inventory of the celeps in Pirot (Şehirköy) kazâ from the year 1581., presented in this article, is a part of the inventory that covers following Rumelia kazâs: Pirot, Breznik, Kjustendil, Radomir, Sirishnik, Sophia, Dubnica, Plovdiv and Tatarpazar. Celeps were registered in approximately one third of the Pirot kazâ’s villages (141), while in the rest they were not. In total 380 celeps were obliged to handover 12.865 sheep annually. Average number of sheep per celep was 25, and some individuals would have handed over as 80 and 100 sheep. Among celeps, besides farmers, there were craftsman, soldiers and priests.

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