Political, Economic, and Social Life in Erzurum (1901-1904)
Emel Demir GörürErzurum is the only entrance gate of the important roads coming from the Caucasus and Iran to Anatolia. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, Erzurum was the main fortress that determined the destiny of the Anatolian defense against the armies that attempted to enter Anatolia from the east. Erzurum served as a base for the eastward movements of the Ottoman State for an significant portion of the early modern age, had been the main fortification of the state against attacks from Russia since the 19th century, and also suffered great damage in the Ottoman-Russian wars. In the last quarter of the 19th century and early 20th century, the activities of the Armenian committee members, as well as conflicts and natural disasters, adversely affected many aspects of the majority of the eastern provinces, including Erzurum. This study addresses the administrative, social, disciplinary, and economic statuses of Erzurum Province between 1901-1904 and in particular includes the province’s various judicial events, inter-tribal conflicts, income-expenditure items, mineral and forest resources, and public works. The article was prepared using documents from the Ottoman Archives and from the British Consulate, including the reports from Harry H. Lamp, Charles S. Hampson, and Avolon Shipley, who had been British Consuls in Erzurum.
Erzurum’da Siyasi, İktisadi ve İçtimai Hayat (1901-1904)
Emel Demir GörürKafkasya ve İran’dan gelen mühim yolların Anadolu’ya açılan yegâne giriş kapısı olan Erzurum, ilk ve orta çağlarda şarktan Anadolu’ya girme teşebbüsünde bulunan ordulara karşı Anadolu müdafaasının mukadderatını tayin eden başlıca kale olmuştur. Yeniçağın mühim bir kısmında Osmanlı Devleti’nin şarka doğru yaptığı hareketlerde üs hizmeti görmüştür. 19. yüzyıldan itibaren ise Rusya’nın taarruzlarına karşı devletin başlıca istihkâmı olmuş, Osmanlı-Rus savaşlarında ise büyük zarara uğramıştır. Yüzyılın son çeyreğinde ve 20. yüzyılın başlarında Ermeni komitacıların faaliyetleri, yaşanan çatışmalar ve doğal afetler, Erzurum dâhil şark vilayetlerinin ekserisini pek çok açıdan menfi manada etkilemiştir. 1901-1904 yılları arasında Erzurum Vilayeti’nin idari, içtimai, inzibati ve iktisadi durumunun ele alındığı bu çalışmada; hassaten vilayette yaşanan çeşitli adli olaylara, aşiretler arası çatışmalara, vilayetin gelir-gider kalemlerine, mineral-orman kaynaklarına, hayata geçirilen çeşitli bayındırlık hizmetlerine yer verilmiştir. Çalışma, Osmanlı Arşiv vesikaları ve İngiltere’nin Erzurum Konsolosları Harry H. Lamp, Charles S. Hampson ve Avolon Shipley’in raporlarını içeren İngiliz Konsolosluk belgelerinden faydalanılarak hazırlanmıştır.
The city of Erzurum was likely founded to protect from Iranian attacks against Anatolia in 415-422 and had been at the forefront of military and commercial importance due to its position at the intersection of the most important roads and suitable location for defense. Because the city is the only entrance gate opening to Anatolia for the important roads coming from the Caucasus and Iran, it became the location for the main castle that determined the fate of the Anatolian defense against the armies that attempted to enter Anatolia from the east in antiquity and the Middle Ages. The city served as a base for the movements of the Ottoman State toward the east for a large part of th modern age. Since the 19th century, the city had been the Ottoman State’s main fortification against attacks from Russia and its southern expansion. In the Russo- Turkish Wars of 1828-1829 and 1877-1878, Erzurum suffered great losses. The area of the city has grown with commercial activities and shrank due to wars and invasions.
Having maintained its feature of being a lively trade center throughout history, Erzurum was greatly affected by the economic depression of the Ottoman State. The status of the local treasury was partially relieved once taxes started being collected, but these were not enough for meeting the demands. Various commissions were established under the chairmanship of Governor Nazım Bey to prevent the economic crisis, encourage the development of local industry, and make improvements in agriculture, horticulture, and cattle breeding. Most of the 80,000 saplings brought from Tortum were planted on the Pasinler Plain, and every effort was made to get the public interested in tree cultivation. A large number of bulls were imported from Russia in order to improve animal husbandry, and these were put into the service of cattle breeders in Pasinler Plain. Erzurum is a very rich region in terms of mineral deposits, and mining explorations were given priority there in order to meet fuel needs. with significant mineral deposits also having been identified there.
Road construction and repair works were carried out in Erzurum from 1901-1904 within the scope of public works activities. Various public buildings such as Gureba Hospital (for the Poor), Industry School, and Erzurum Prison were built, and in the same period, the transport roads were shifted to Kiği and Erzincan, and repairs were made to the existing roads to Hasankale and Trabzon. Meticulous attention was also paid to the division of labor and control of the work. Repairs and reconstruction of buildings that had been destroyed or damaged as a result of the earthquake were completed in a short time.
The activities of Armenian committees in the Caucasus in Erzurum continued to increase at the beginning of the 20th century. However, Armenian agitators found the most suitable place for their activities to be around Muş, and the group crossed the border from Russia and settled in the Ottoman countryside. Various Armenian organizations and various events that took place on these dates formed the basis of the Sasun Uprising. Constant orders were given from Istanbul to establish tranquility in the region, even asking for the smallest rumor to be investigated. Ensuring and preserving peace in the region became a priority issue. The measures taken prevented the committee members from crossing the Russian border, with even stricter measures being taken to prevent gangs from crossing the border. The regional tours by Governor Nazım Bey were also effective in establishing calm in the city.
Conflicts between Kurdish tribes continued in full violence at the beginning of the 20th century, similar to the previous period. A series of conflicts occurred involving the
Haydaran, Celali (Jalali), and Hasenan tribes, the three most influential tribes in the region, and these clashes resulted in loss of life and property. Full control of the tribes that disturbed the peace in the region was unachievable. This study has only been able to include some of these conflicts, as providing a comprehensive catalog of these conflicts is impossible, even the ones that occurred in Erzurum Province, which was least affected by inter-tribal hostility compared to other regions.
This study discusses the political, administrative, disciplinary, and socioeconomic statuses of Erzurum Province between 1901-1904. In particular, the study includes various judicial events, inter-tribal conflicts, income-expenditure items, mineral deposits, and forest resources of the province, as well as various public works services. The study was prepared by making use of documents from the Ottoman Archives and from the British Consulate involving the reports from Harry H. Lamp, Charles S. Hampson, and Avolon Shipley, who had been British Consuls in Erzurum.
