Последице укидања влашког статуса у Београдској нахији на демографску слику тог подручја

Abstract

У овом истраживању акценат је стављен на последице промене социјалног и пореског статуса становништва по демографску слику простора. Обрађене су демографске промене настале у трећој и четвртој деценији XVI века на подручју Београдске управне области. Указано је на специфичности у насељености и структури насеља, као и на популационе мера које су спроведене после успостављања османске власти. Посебно је размотрено укидања статуса влаха као узрок промена у насељености. Сагледани су подаци које пружају османски пописни дефтери из периода непосредно пре и после укидања повлашћеног положаја за становништво овог подручја. Посебна пажња посвећена је упоређивању података из пописа влаха из 1528. године и два пописа из четврте деценије XVI века. Изнети су закључци о насељености и демографским кретањима, такође, указано је на процесе прилагођавања раније влашког становништва статусу раје.

This study deals with the consequences of changing the social and tax status of the population for the demographic picture of the area. The abolition of the status of vlachs, as a cause of certain population change, has been especially considered. In order to get an overview as precise as possible, a smaller area has been observed, and it belonged to only one nahiya – the Belgrade one. The suitability of the area of the Belgrade nahiya for this type of research is reflected in the fact that there are a few preserved census defters from the period 1521-1536, i.e. several years before and after the abolition of the status of vlachs. Firstly, the question of the general population of the observed area in the first decades of the 16th century has been considered. It has been noticed that there were significant changes in the structure of population shortly after the conquest of Belgrade in 1521. This phenomenon was of such great proportions that it could be perceived as a certain change of population. One of the important population measures of the Ottoman authorities was giving the status of vlachs to the local people. However, as a result of spreading the Empire to the north, there was no more need for this type of organization, and thus, the status of vlachs for the people of the sanjaks of Smederevo, Krusevac and Zvornik, was abolished around 1531/1532. This change of the social status of a large group of population had to lead to certain demographic consequences. In the historiography, the prevalent belief is that population moved away looking for better living conditions after the abolition of the status of vlachs. The census records of the Belgrade nahiya from 1528, 1532, 1536 and 1560 have been compared and it has provided a more detailed picture of the population and its structure. Due to differences in the way of registering vlachs and ordinary people, it is not possible to compare data quite accurately. It is necessary to take into consideration the tabis from the census of vlachs in 1528 in order to compare them with the census of ordinary people from the next decade. It was noticed that a lot of men were registered as added members of a household (taby) in 1528, while they were mentioned as owners of a household around two years after that. The census taken in 1532 only brought new taxes to the previously vlach population, so that in this short period of time, there was no place for a change in population. The comparison of census records from 1532 and 1536 leads to a very important conclusion that the moving of population did not happen in this period. Certain demographic growth was recorded during these four years, and the number of houses increased in even 54% of populated places. The impression is that the population accepted the status of ordinary people and stayed in their homes. The data from census from 1560 indicates that in the next few decades the demographic picture is stable, although the total number of inhabitants has decreased. The basic conclusion that there was no decline in the number of inhabitants in the first years after the abolition of the status of vlachs was compared with well-known studies of the demographic conditions in the neighbouring areas. It turned out that the data which suggested the decline in the number of inhabitants referred to a larger area of the Balkan Peninsula. There are not many areas where there are preserved census records shortly before and after the abolition of the status of vlachs, so that it is not possible to say that the previously mentioned depopulation and this event were connected. Accepting the position of ordinary people was only one of the elements which had an influence on the demographic changes, but it is also necessary to take into account the plague epidemic, economic conditions, political and military stability of a particular area, as well as other conditions.