levend

The term "levend" refers to rebel bands that emerged in the Ottoman Empire during its period of decline, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries. These groups formed as a result of social unrest, fueled by population growth that outstripped available resources and exacerbated by anarchic political and economic conditions.12

Landless and jobless peasants, along with cultivators burdened by heavy taxation, fled their lands. Many joined these rebel bands, known as levends, or the Jelālīs, who engaged in revolts. These groups often seized resources from those who continued to cultivate and trade, further destabilizing the empire by taking tax revenues and disrupting food supplies to cities and armies. The proliferation of such revolts weakened the central government's ability to administer the empire effectively.12