Ottoman land registration practices in B’ir al-sabʿ (Beersheba) as a case of transition to private property and their reflections in the Mandate period

During the Tanzimat period, the Ottoman bureaucracy initiated a series of reforms across all domains of governance. The implementation of property reforms was a determined endeavour, and as a consequence, private ownership gained ground alongside mîrî and waqf properties. The implementation of property reforms in B’ir al-Sabʿ (Beersheba) could only commence with the establishment of a kaza (district) administrative structure in 1900. The primary aim of this article is to facilitate a more profound comprehension of the novel property regulations established by the Ottoman state in Beersheba. These insights are drawn primarily from the analysis of pertinent Ottoman land registry records. It also seeks to examine the transformation of mîrî lands under the usufruct of Bedouins within the new legal framework, and to explore how private ownership became increasingly prevalent. The analysis is conducted through a detailed examination and mapping of the extensive ownership data found in Ottoman land registry records. The article concludes by exploring the impact of the property system on the subsequent British Mandate administration. In doing so, a new model for the study of property systems in the Ottoman context is proposed.