A high-ranking official in the Ottoman Empire responsible for financial administration and tax collection.
From Ottoman Turkish defter-dar, combining defter (register/ledger, from Persian) and dar (holder/keeper). The word reflects the Ottoman administrative hierarchy where record-keepers held significant power over state finances.
The defterdar was essentially the Ottoman Empire's accountant-in-chief, and their position was so crucial that they often wielded more practical power than generals—proving that controlling the money matters more than controlling the sword.
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