While this manuscript was in the advanced stages of preparation, my continuing researches in the Ottoman archives yielded several types of documents related to village administration which I had not previously seen concerning the villages in this study. All of these documents relate to the administration of the endowment of Hurrem Sultan in Jerusalem. In all likelihood, they will add a further dimension to our understanding of how rural administration was effected. However, my present assessment is that they will not modify significantly the basic propositions and conclusions of this study. Therefore, it seems proper to leave their presentation and analysis to future publications.

Likewise, during this same period, new works on peasants in the Ottoman empire, on peasants in other societies and ages, and on Ottoman history have appeared which I have not been able to consider in the present work. Doubtless, they would have further enriched the discussion in my study; my future work will benefit from their insights. Such is the nature of scholarship.

Bernard Lewis was my principal advisor for the dissertation which engendered this book, and to him I owe my deepest gratitude for the enormous commitment and wisdom with which he fulfilled that role.