Examining age structure and estimating mortality rates in Ottoman Bursa using Mid-Nineteenth-Century population registers

Abstract

This study aims to document the age structure and mortality by age in the Ottoman city of Bursa that served as a politically and commercially significant urban center over centuries. It uses a set of hitherto unexamined Ottoman population registers kept in 1839 and updated until 1842 that provide detailed self-reported data on all male inhabitants regardless of age, including deaths, births, and migration. The study tests the quality of age and mortality data in conjunction with the Coale and Demeny regional model life tables and compares the results to historical demographic studies conducted for European regions. The results point to a demographic structure marked by high birth and death rates and prove promising for extending back the study of Ottoman demographic transition and establishing historical comparison points with the global experience.