NEFS-İ ŞAM ÖRNEĞİNDE GAYRİMÜSLİMLERİN NÜFÛS VE MESLEKLERİNE DAİR BİR ARAŞTIRMA (1674-1700) - A Study on Population and Occupations of Non-Muslims in Damascus between 1674 and 1700

Avârızhâne and Jızya registers are the main resources setting light to 17th century taxpayers’ quantity and tahrîr system. This study has been prepared based upon icmâl avârızhâne register dated 1084/1674, mufassal avârızhâne register dated 1086/1675-1676, tenzilât tevzi register dated 1110-1111/1699, jizya register dated 1107/1695-1696 and some court records of Damascus. The quality and scope of terms belonging to records, and the aim and method of tahrîr system have been explained. The method and difference of terminology and the results of it have been referred. More realistic values have been tried to obtain by emphasizing elements which will affect numerical values given connected with the demography of 17th century. The household (hâne/beyt) was divided into two categories in the register dated 1086/1675-1676: realistic and representative. Household was saved as hawsh in realistic one, and hawsh is synonym of household in representative one. This situation shows unity of household. Surrounded Residences where different people and families live are called hawsh. That it was considered equivalent with a representative household points out a common representative household. That is to say, a surrounded house where different people live separately are refered as a representational common household. This method has been called as unity of household in tahrîr system. The register dated 1110-1111/1699 is different from other ones in terms of aim and content. It is mucmel in fact, but is partially mufassal register because of the fact that ruined houses were saved according to person. The register dated 1107/1695-1696 has been surveyed according to the scope of person. The portion of taxpayers in city centers versus the overall province is 53,9 %. It has been understood that numerical datas won’t be able to be turned into population values by using coefficient. While the Jews were busy with these occupations ? respectively ? peddling, matchselling and dyeing; Christians were busy with firstly weavering, being a laborer, forging, architecture, jewellery, weaving tailoring and silk spinning.