The province of Batumi under the rule of Tsarist Russia (1878-1914)

The province of Batumi in Tsarist Russia included the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in modern Georgia and the part of Artvin Kemalpaşa. When the related period is taken into consideration, the region, especially Batum city, has shown a rapid change in terms of population and ethnicity depending on its industrial activities. The Batum Province, established by the Treaty Berlin signed at the end of 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian War, was an administrative unit consisting of three sanjak, called "okrug", which were Batumi, Adjara and Artvin. The governing center of the province, which was attached to the General Governorate of the Caucasus, was the city of Batumi. The province was connected to Kutais Governorate for a period between the years 1883-1903 and then re-established as Batum Province. Batumi Province, which was governed by a military administration, became one of the most important oil ports in the world in 1883 when it was connected to Tbilisi and Baku by rail. Batumi, where commercial capital is gathered, has become one of the important centers of the Caucasus with its industrial establishments, infrastructure, cultural and social environment. Since it is a region on the Ottoman-Russian border, Batumi, the center of the province, which is an important transit route and point of interaction, has opened many foreign representations. One of these representatives, the Ottoman State's Batumi Consulate ensured that the important social and political developments in the region were followed by the Ottoman authorities. In this thesis, the administrative, economic, and social structure of the province of Batumi between 1878-1914 are evaluated in the light of the main sources.