In Light of the Tax Records of 1260-61/1844-45, the Social and Economic Profile Of Bahşılı Village in Bala District of Ankara Province

Abstract

In this study, the social and economic situation of Bahşılı village, which was part of Bala town in Ankara province during H. 1260-1261 / M. 1844-1845, has been examined based on the records found in register number 237 of the Ottoman Archive of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, State Archives. According to the records in the village register, Bahşılı village had a total of 87 households, whose primary livelihood was based on agriculture and animal husbandry. The main agricultural products cultivated in Bahşılı during the period under review were wheat, barley, and cotton, while livestock farming included sheep, cattle, and draft animals. When examining the occupational groups in the village, it was understood that the majority of household heads were farmers. Apart from farming, other occupations in the village included day laboring, trading, serving as servants, shepherding, and barbering.

From the records in the temettuat (tax census) register used in our study, it was possible to determine the demographic structure of the village, the names and nicknames used by household heads, as well as the agricultural, livestock, and occupational incomes of the household owners in the village. Additionally, the amount of cultivated land in the village and the types of taxes that household heads were obligated to pay were identified, revealing the tax burdens of these individuals. At the conclusion of our study, the total annual temettuat incomes of household heads living in the village were also reported.