Famine and drought in the upper Firat region (19th and 20th centuries)

As seen from the title of this thesis, the limitation and content of the study is the famine caused by natural and man-made factors in the Upper-Euphrates Basin, one of the arid regions of Anatolia. Our work area covers a wide area extending to Erzincan, Kemah, Eğin, Dersim, Gercanis and Arabgir. Considering the irregularity and insufficiency of the region's rainfall regime, the results of meteorological statistics indicate that it is one of the driest regions of Anatolia. Settlements in the region were established next to or near many rivers and water sources, especially the Euphrates River (Karasu). Cities, towns, villages and sub-village settlements (except Erzincan) are located on a damaged geography where there is not enough agricultural land. Generally, agricultural lands were cultivated without water and with primitive techniques. Although it is rare in the region, it is seen that vineyards and gardening come to the forefront where there are water resources. In this respect, settlements have faced intense famine throughout history. When we look at the concept of disaster, it is possible to divide it into two: natural and human-made disasters. Famine, which is the subject of the study and is a consequence of the disaster, generally occurs as a result of natural disasters. Natural disasters are natural events such as earthquakes, locust invasions, floods, extreme cold or irregular rainfall regimes. The main characteristic of these disasters is that they are unpredictable natural events with unknown consequences. Among these natural events, drought and the subsequent famine constitute the main theme of this study. The expression of famine, which is referred to as kaht ü gala in archival documents, generally emphasizes the lack of grain and basic subsistence. When the Ottoman archives are examined, it is observed that while there is no extensive material on natural disasters in the records of the classical period, there is an increase in the number of such documents with the development of bureaucracy in the records of the recent period. For this reason, the study covers the period from the mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. It is aimed to reveal in which settlement units and in which time intervals the famine events in the Upper Euphrates Region were more effective, the effects and consequences of the famine, and how the state managed the disaster. In addition to archival records, the study also makes use of research and analysis works. The findings of the subject, which are examined in detail in the text, are presented in general terms in the conclusion.