The Role of the Ottoman Rulers in Algeria in Supporting the Endowments (Awqāf) of Public Facilities and Charitable Institutions

Abstract

This study examines the pivotal role played by the Ottoman rulers and political elite in the Regency of Algeria (Eyālat al-Jazāʼir) in establishing, regulating, and expanding the institution of pious endowments (awqāf). Positioned as a key strategic bastion against European naval incursions in the Western Mediterranean, the Regency relied heavily on endowments to sustain its public utilities, urban infrastructure, and defense apparatus. Rather than functioning solely as a traditional religious practice, the endowment system evolved into a dynamic model of public governance and financial management. This paper analyzes the institutional framework of key endowment bodies—such as the Endowments of Springs and Roads (Aḥbās al-ʻUyūn wa-al-Ṭuruqāt), the Paths of Good Deeds (Subul al-Khayrāt), the Office of the Two Holy Sanctuaries (Dukkān al-Ḥaramayn al-Sharīfayn), and the specialized military endowments of the Janissary Corps (Al-Ojaq). It demonstrates how endowment revenues systematically funded vital urban projects (aqueducts, public fountains, thoroughfares), social welfare initiatives (poor relief, healthcare, ransoming captives), and military readiness (fortresses, defense towers, barracks maintenance). By fulfilling the higher objectives of Islamic law (maqāṣid al-sharīʻah) through the preservation of public interest, life, and territorial defense, the waqf system provided a self-sustaining mechanism that significantly relieved the financial burdens of the state treasury throughout the Ottoman era.