In Arabic, the term qāḍī (قاضي) typically refers to judges who preside over matters in accordance with sharia Islamic law; under Ottoman rule, however, the kadi also became a crucial part of the imperial administration.
After Mehmed II codified his Kanun, kadis relied on this dynastic secular law, local customs, and sharia to guide their rulings.
These territories were initially identical with kazas, the subdivisions of the empire's sanjuks, and the kadi oversaw a great deal of administrative work.
Over time and particularly after the Tanzimat reforms of the 19th century, the administrative tasks of the kaza were given to a separate kaymakam and the kadi became solely occupied with legal matters.
For example, judgments by kadi concerning certain cash endowments (waqf), which came under scrutiny due to the connection with interest and usury, eventually helped legitimize the practice.