16. YÜZYILIN İLK YARISINDA GÖCEK NAHİYESİ
GÖCEK DISTRICT IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY

Summary/Abstract: The annexation of Kiğı and its environs to the Ottoman Empire was a direct result of the military campaigns following the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514, when Sultan Selim I’s forces triumphed over Shah Ismail. Initially as a classical sanjak under the province of Diyarbekir, Kiğı was later annexed to the province of Erzurum under the same administrative structure in 1535. The region was subjected to systematic surveys in 1518, 1523 and 1553, and the findings were meticulously documented in the relevant books. It is noteworthy that Göcek, which appears as a sub-district of Kiğı in all three registers, is the most populous sub-district after the central kaza of Kiğı. Göcek also stood out as a center for nomadic tribes living on livestock. Geographically, the Göcek district encompassed what is now known as the Yayladere district of northwestern Bingöl province and the Nazımiye district of Tunceli province, and served as the primary settlement area for tribes and communities in the sanjak of Kiğı. Between 1518 and 1553, the subdistrict of Göcek witnessed a remarkable population growth of approximately 110%, while its economic base, particularly its sources of income, expanded by an estimated 20%. This demographic and economic growth suggests that, although the subdistrict suffered from the Ottoman-Iranian conflicts at the turn of the century, it gradually overcame these adversities after the consolidation of Ottoman rule. Despite this progress, Göcek remained as a town rather than a full-fledged administrative center, lacking important institutional structures with administrative functions.

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