The Ottoman Land Code of 1858: How a Tax Reform Shaped Palestine

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Ottoman Land Code of 1858, a seemingly bureaucratic reform that fundamentally reshaped land ownership in Palestine. They discuss how the code aimed to increase tax revenue but instead led to widespread dispossession of fellahin (peasant farmers), the rise of absentee landlords in Beirut and Jaffa, and the creation of large estates (miri land) that later became central to Zionist land purchases. The conversation covers key figures like Sultan Abdulmejid I, the role of local notables (a'yan), and how the code's requirement for registration in the capital (Constantinople) left many peasants vulnerable. They also touch on the legacy of the code in the 20th century, including its role in the 1910 Jaffa Orange Boycott and the legal framework for land disputes today. This episode connects a 19th-century administrative measure to the long arc of Palestinian history.

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