Settlement and population in the Menderes Basin in the 15th and 16th centuries

"The purpose of our thesis titled "Settlement and Population in the Menderes Basin in the 15th and 16th Centuries" is to identify the settlements included in the Menderes Basin and to determine its population. The study is limited by identifying the districts and sub-districts included in the Menderes Basin from Aydın, Menteşe and Kütahya Sanjaks. The study, based on the tahrir registers used as the primary source to reveal the region's settlement and population, naturally allowed us to uncover the commercial road network of the region. The eastern trade route passing through the Menderes region had been influential on the political and economic fate of Anatolia for centuries. Thanks to the transit transportation conducted on the Menderes rivers, the region served as a commercial road. As seen from the examined archive records, changes in the trade route also led to changes in the administrative division of the sanjaks. It was determined how influential the Menderes rivers were on the settlements and whether they affected population density. As seen from the archival sources, the region was affected by political events, which caused the settlements to become vacant. Additionally, some natural disasters in the Meander rivers caused the disappearance of settlements. The entire Aydın Sanjak covers almost all of both the Büyük Menderes and Küçük Menderes Basins. In other sanjaks, the study was carried out by addressing the districts and sub-districts included in the basin. Thus, the settlements in the Meander Basin were identified, the administrative division's change over time, and consequently, the population was determined. Due to its location, the Menderes Basin has had large migrations and populations since ancient times. Considering the impact of the Menderes Basin on geography, we directed our studies by providing information about the historical geography of the region. The settlement and population data of the sanjaks in the Menderes Basin were comparatively evaluated. Key Words : Menderes Basin, Menteşe, Aydın, Kütahya, Settlement, Population.