MIGRATION INTO ANATOLIA FROM THE CAUCASUS (AN EXAMPLE OF SİVAS PROVINCE)

Abstract

As it is a general known fact that the Ottoman Empire’s settlement politics is mainly based on outer places untill the XVI. Century. In other words citizens were sent from Anatolia to the conquered lands. But this policy became towards the inner places because of obligations. Today a lot of villages in Anatolia were built with the migrations to the inner lands. The migrations from the Caucasia to the inner lands play an important role in the foundation of our country, and this subject is our article’s main theme. In this paper, the migration in XIX. Century, towards Ottoman Empire from Caucasia, especially towards Anatolia are being examined. Information is given about the places where they have been settled in Anatolia and about Cherkess villages created by immigrants in Sivas, in middle Anatolia. The Caucasians settled in Sivas are mostly found in: Sarkılsa, Yıldızeli, Kangal and Zara towns.

Keywords

• Migration
• Caucasia
• Anatolia
• Ottoman Empire
• Settling areas