Confiscation in Ottoman Empire was performed by the government by seizing all personal assets of a certain citizen due to undeserved gain of theirs. From 17th century on, it was also adopted that this confiscation process is also performed on cervants of high-degree who has died or has been executed. However, this adoption was abolished by Mahmut II.
Confiscation, depending on the law stating that all property gained during governmental service belongs to public, was enspoused by Ottomans when Fatih Sultan Mehmet was on the throne. The objective of confiscation was to prevent high-degree servants of accumulating huge amounts of assets and to make them carry out their governmental service properly. But, later on, governors of rural area implemented the confiscation process upon local affluent people in order to offer presents to Sultan and Grand vizier. Mahmud the Second reinforced a new law, stating that confiscation would be only through permission of court.
In 1839, confiscation in Ottoman Empire was abolished altogether after the Rescript of Gülhane had been declared.