The Vilayets (Turkish pronunciation: [vilaːˈjet]) of the Ottoman Empire were introduced with the promulgation of the "Vilayet Law" (Turkish: Teskil-i Vilayet Nizamnamesi)^[1] in 1864, as part of the administrative reforms that were being enacted throughout the empire.^[2] The term vilayet is derived from Arabic wilayah.

Unlike the previous eyalet system, the 1864 law established a hierarchy of administrative units: the vilayet, liva/sanjak, kaza and village council, to which the 1871 Vilayet Law added the nabiye.^[3] The 1864 law also specified the responsibilities of the governor (wāli) of the vilayet and their councils.^[3]

At the same time, the law left to the governors vast scope for independent action as well as responsibility, as part of a system intended to achieve a large degree of efficiency in ruling the provinces.^[2] The livas or sanjaks were headed by a mutasarrif, who was accountable to the wāli.^[2]

Labelled Map[link]

Vilayets of the Ottoman Empire in the year 1900:

Adana

Ankara

Aidin

Baghdad

Basra

Beirut

Bosnia

Archipelago

Archipelago

Archipelago

Cretan State

Sanjak of Zor

Diyâr-ı Bekr

Adrianople

Erzurum

Aleppo

Hejaz

Hüdavendigâr

Istanbul

Scutari

Kastamonu

Konya

Kosovo

Mamuret-ul-Aziz

Monastir

Mosul

Salonica

Sivas

Syria

Tripolitania

Trebizond

Janina

Khedivate of Egypt

Van

Sanjak of
Jerusalem

Eastern Rumelia

Bitlis

List[link]

Vilayets[link]

Vassals and autonomies[link]

Vilayets and independent sanjaks in 1917[link]

Vilayets and independent sanjaks in 1917:^[6]

Encyclopædia Britannica on the late Ottoman administration[link]

For administrative purposes the immediate possessions of the sultan are divided into vilayets (provinces), which are again subdivided into sanjaks or mutessarifliks (arrondissements), these into kazas (cantons), and the kazas into nahies (parishes or communes). A vali or governor-general, nominated by the sultan, stands at the head of the vilayet, and on him are directly dependent the kaimakams, mutassarifs, deftardars and other administrators of the minor divisions. All these officials unite in their own persons the judicial and executive functions, under the " Law of the Vilayets," which made its appearance in 1861, and purported, and was really intended by its framers, to confer on the provinces a large measure of self-government, in which both Mussulmans and non-Mussulmans should take part. It really, however, had the effect of centralizing the whole power of the country more absolutely than ever in the sultan's hands, since the Valis were wholly in his undisputed power, while the ex officio official members of the local councils secured a perpetual Mussulman majority.^[7]

Maps[link]

• 

  Vilayets of Europe in 1870

• 

  Vilayets in 1877

• 

  Vilayets of Europe in 1893

• 

  Vilayets of Asia in 1897

• 

  Vilayets of Asia in 1909

• 

  Vilayets of Europe in 1910

• 

  Vilayets of Asia in 1911

References[link]

See also[link]

• Provinces of Turkey

v t e Administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire   Eyalets (1363–1864) Africa Algiers Egypt Habesh Tripolitania Tunis Anatolia Adana Aidin Anatolia Ankara Archipelago Diyarbekir Dulkadir Erzurum Hüdavendigâr Karaman Karasi Kars Kastamonu Rum Trebizond Van Asia Aleppo Baghdad Basra Childir Cyprus Damascus Lahsa Mosul Rakka Sharazor Sidon Tripoli Yemen Europe Adrianople Bosnia Budin Crete Egir Herzegovina Kanije Kefe Monastir Morea Niš Yanina Podolia Rumelia Salonica Silistra Temeşvar Uyvar Varat Widdin Zigetvar   Vilayets (1864–1922) Anatolia Adana Aidin Ankara Archipelago Bitlis Diyâr-ı Bekr Erzurum Hüdavendigâr Istanbul Kastamonu Konya Mamuret-ul-Aziz Sivas Trebizond Van Europe Adrianople Bosnia Crete Danube Janina Kosovo Monastir Salonica Scutari Elsewhere Aleppo Baghdad Basra Beirut Hejaz Mosul Syria Tripolitania Yemen   Vassals and autonomies Cossack Hetmanate Cretan State Crimean Khanate Khedivate of Egypt Sharifate of Mecca Principality of Moldavia Republic of Ragusa Eastern Rumelia Principality of Samos Serbian Despotate Duchy of Syrmia Principality of Transylvania Principality of Wallachia See also the list of short-lived Ottoman provinces