Non-Muslims in the Kaza of Oltu Under Ottoman Rule (1599- 1656)

Oltu is a developed town located in the northeast of Erzurum Province. The Oltu district, which is geographically at the intersection of Eastern Anatolia and the Eastern Black Sea Region, had been under the sovereignty of many states throughout history. After the Mongol invasion, the administration of the Kipchak chiefs, who were given the title Atabeg, has a special importance in terms of the history of the region. In 1537, Oltu and its surroundings were conquered by the Ottomans. Oltu, which was organized as a sandjak affiliated to Erzurum in the first years of the Ottoman rule, was administratively connected to this province with the establishment of the Çıldır Province in 1579. In this study, the general situation of the non-Muslims living in the Kaza of Oltu between 1599 and 1656 was examined. The settlements of non-Muslims in Oltu, the number of households/nefer and the jizya tax collected from them were evaluated in the light of the data in the archive documents. In addition, the changes in the non-Muslim population over time, the effects of the plague epidemic that emerged in the Oltu region on the population and taxes, the conversion records showing that the Islamization process continued in the region, and lastly, the issues related to the non-Muslims who migrated from Oltu were discussed.