Demographic and Religious Trends in Central Bosnia From the Early 17th Century Until Mid-19th Century

Abstract

Historical processes lead to significant changes in specific areas and in specific periods of time. This paper focuses on demographic and religious changes that took place in the greater region of Central Bosnia from the beginning of the 17th century until mid-19th century. In terms of territory, the paper focuses on the area of the valley of the River Lašva, with comparison of the processes in a wider context, particularly in terms of territory. The analysis covers almost three centuries and it examines causes, factors and methods that led to the changes. By analysing specific populated areas as well as the region as a whole, the paper establishes the exact time of certain changes, the pace and the reflection of those changes in the field. The corpus includes documents of different origin, from Ottoman as well as church sources. They are not contradictory in terms of basic demographic indicators, and there are no major discrepancies. The level of correspondence between Ottoman sources and those produced by visitors may be deemed very high. On the other hand, interpretation of travel writing and other sources mainly established through oral tradition are rich in free assessment and often shows no correspondence, and such sources cannot sustain critical analysis.