Transcription And evaluation Of the Population Book of Kayseri Sanjak Incesu District no 1978 and 1979 (H.1260)

Censuses, which aim to observe the total population living in a country, a region, or a household, have been conducted not only today but also throughout history by many states and civilizations. In the Ottoman Empire, the first census in the true sense was carried out during the reign of Mahmud II, after the abolition of the Janissary Corps, with the purpose of determining both those to be recruited for military service and those liable to taxation. The census practices that began in 1831 continued in the following years as well. The registers containing the results of these censuses provide rich data not only about the period but also about the demographic characteristics of the region, as well as its economic and sociological structure. They also offer important information regarding the history, culture, climate, names of settlements, and various other aspects of the region where the population was recorded. In this study, two register numbers 1978 and 1979 within the series of the Presidential Ottoman Archives, belonging to the Muslim and Non-Muslim population of the İncesu district, were examined and transcribed. In the registers we examined, in addition to the information mentioned above, records begin with the entries of imam, priest, first muhtar, and second muhtar, followed by individuals' names, physical characteristics, nicknames, professions, ages, dates of birth and death, notes on those who migrated or left for work, military status, and many other details. Thus, based on the data obtained from the examined registers, it is aimed to shed light on the demographic structure and population movements of the neighborhoods and villages of İncesu district in Kayseri province, thereby contributing to the history of the region.