Internal Migration in the Ottoman Empire in the 1830s: The Example of Skopje

Abstract

Domestic migration refers to the temporary or permanent process of people travelling from one place to another within the borders of the same country. People living in Skopje and its hinterland provided for their livelihood by means of agricultural activities. Families suffering from financial difficulties found that one solution to this problem was domestic migration. Migrants who went to the towns and cities closest to their hometown worked in various positions such as public servants, laborers, apprentices, or journeymen. Some of these people were even able to open their own businesses at a later date. The another reason for domestic migration was education. Those who left their hometown went to a nearby town and city or madrasah in Istanbul. In this article, the movements of domestic migration are described and evaluated based on foreign population notebooks.