Living Together in a Tolerant Society: Non-Muslim Armenian Citizens and Law in the Ottoman Society: A Case Study of Kayseri

Tolerance occupying an important place in our cultural and civilized life is often described as overlooking the faults, respecting different ideas and cultures, and forgiving everything that is forgivable. However, nobody should have the right to act tolerantly on behalf of tolerance under the conditions where the law of others are in the foreground. As individuals, we may behave in an altruistic manner on the matters concerning us; nevertheless, within the concept of tolerance, it is not only wrong to assess the conceding of public rights to the individuals unilaterally, but it is also assessed as an offence commited against the society. Relying on the Court Records of Kayseri this paper will examine nonMuslim Armenian citizens living in the Ottoman society and struggling for seeking their rights and their search for justice. It will also analyze how their desires for the issues causing complaints within the society are handled in the case study of Kayseri. Our objective is to bring out the concept of seeking and conceding justice concerning the problems that the people living in the Ottoman social life encounter; therefore, we aim to make a modest contribution to the settled and incorrect opinions on the matter whether at home or abroad by depending on the limits of the matter and making use of the methodology that science and scholars require within the historical framework of the concept of intercommunal tolerance and living together.