Factors in the analysis of the population of Anatolia 1800-1878.

Abstract

An historical demographer tried to provide general estimates of the population of Anatolia before 1878 since only poor readily available data exist. Besides Ottomans only collected data on males. Obstacles to collecting existing data include collection of district vital events registers and tying them with a summary population register would be overwhelming for scholars and the Bas Bakanlik Arsivi in Istanbul Turkey has not catalogued many remaining uncatalogued population registers. The Ottomans did compile registration data however but only the 1831 census provided the most valuable and extensive data even down to the local level. The other 2 complications included the 1844 census and population data in the 1877-1878 government yearbook. The historical demographer used 8 vital events registers to observe the distribution of male deaths by age groups and found an unexpectedly high number of deaths in the 15-34 year old age group. He estimated that about 50% of the population died before age 5. Further the data showed a life expectancy at birth of 25-30 year. Data on endemic diseases in Anatolia were essentially nonexistent but data from Istanbul in the early 1900s showed tuberculosis to be a leading cause of death. The 1847-1848 cholera epidemic claimed more lives than the other 4 cholera epidemics in the 1800s. The plaque occurred so often in Anatolia that it could be considered an endemic disease. Despite many men being in the many Ottoman wars in the 1800s fertility in Anatolia remained relatively high due to serial polygamy and husbands periodically returning to their homes. Injuries and disease caused more deaths than did enemy fire. After the Crimean War Muslim migrations from the Crimea and the Caucasus to Anatolia and Armenian migration from Anatolia to the Caucasus occurred. Estimated mortality among refugee populations was about 30%. Due to large scale migrations into and out of Anatolia the 1800-1878 population remained relatively stable.