THE DEFTER OF THE BUREAU GRAND FORTRESSES: THE PAYROLL OF THE LOCAL ARMY IN THE ŠABAC FORTRESS (1793‒1794)

Abstract

According to the analized data from a defters, we can talk about the valuable kind of
historical documents. The research of the fortresses garissons on the frontiers and the
others on the banks of rivers, could not be possible without these defters. The previous
research of Šabac fortress in the XVIII century have been added by new data. The Šabac
garisson had a different structure in the middle and in the end of century. According to the
defter, there were unites of guards (mustahfiz), canoneer and captans. The unit of captans
was separated between the soldiers and seamans. For the first time was mentioned seamans
as a garisson members in the payroll. The most imporatant data about soldiers, discovered
in the defter is their orgin place. All of them, according to name „yerli“, were domestic
people from Eyalet of Bosnia or Sancak of Smederevo. In the period before 1788. in the
fotress were 300 soldiers but after that 272. The salaries were lower than after 1788, but it
could be consequence of currency inflation not increase of the slaries.
From the point of view of research could be conclusion, in period after last Оttoman-
Habsburg war and ten years before the First Serbian Uprising, Šabac fortrress had been in
the new role. According to the number of the soldiers it was further significant fort in the
Sancak of Zvornik but under the patronage of the Belgrade muhafiz-vizier. However,
according to the structure of garisson, it seems as fotress became a guardian of the river
way not a part of the Danube bulwark for defence against the Habsburg army. In the
coming years, the Šabac fortress and his garisson had been the main stronghold of the
Izvornik administration оn the territory affected by uprising.