Some Notes on the Syriac Christians of Diyarbekir in the Late 19th Century: A Preliminary Investigation of Some Primary Sources

Abstract

Based on Ottoman sources, this chapter aims to make a contribution to our knowledge of the social, cultural, economic and political condition of the Syriac community of Diyarbekir in the latter part of the nineteenth century, when the city still had all the four Syriac communities within its borders. They shed light on the under-researched disputes between the various communities that belonged to the Syriac group, and the relationship between Syriac and Armenian Orthodox Christians. The information analyzed here is organized into five sections, on demographics, economics, education, press activities, and the social relations both among Syriac Christian communities and between them and other groups living in Diyarbekir during this period. In the report, the Syriac Orthodox gives an account of the assaults by Kurdish tribes on several villages in Midyat. Keywords:cultural; demographics; disputes; Diyarbekir; economic and political condition; education; Kurdish tribes; Preliminary Investigation; social; Syriac Christians