Locust Plague in Late Ottoman Herzegovina (1866–1878)

Abstract

Climate change and modernization processes during the 19th century significantly affected the environment of the Ottoman Empire and the living beings inhabiting it. Natural disasters increasingly posed a challenge that both the Ottoman administration and the populations of affected regions had to address, with locust plagues proving particularly devastating. From the mid–19th century until the end of World War I, there was scarcely a period in which some imperial province was not grappling with the problem of excessive locust plagues. The Bosnian Vilayet, as a frontier province on the northern Balkans, encountered this problem several times from the establishment of the vilayet until the Austro–Hungarian occupation of 1878, even though earlier periods had not witnessed locust plagues as a characteristic phenomenon in this region. This study presents and analyzes documented evidence of locust threats recorded in 1866, 1873, and 1878 in the Mostar area. Owing to its geographical and climatic conditions, this area was particularly susceptible to locust invasions, which contributed to the Bosnian Vilayet joining other Ottoman provinces in experiencing a form of crisis that necessitated organized action against the pests. The research suggests that the intensity of locust plagues and the resulting damage in parts of the Sanjak of Herzegovina between 1866 and 1878 was not as destructive as the consequences recorded from similar natural disasters during the same or comparable periods in the Middle East, Cyprus, or Western Anatolia. The methods of combating locusts in the Bosnian Vilayet were similar to those employed in other parts of the Ottoman Empire. Measures taken in other vilayets, such as those in Cyprus, were reported in provincial newspapers where they were praised for their effectiveness and recommended for implementation. The authorities of the Bosnian Vilayet took the problem seriously. The records show that efforts to fight locusts began promptly, with the participation not only of the local population but also of sanjak administrators. Through the example of locust plagues, this study illustrates how natural disasters, in conjunction with climatic, social, and institutional factors, could pose a serious threat to agricultural production and consequently affect other aspects of everyday life in the Ottoman Empire. Although parts of the Bosnian Vilayet directly experienced the “fear of locusts,” this province, despite the recorded damage, avoided the fate of other regions where such natural calamities had devastating consequences during the last century of Ottoman rule.