Muslim and Christian Communities in Bilecik in 1843: A Comparative Analysis through Demography, Naming, and Anthropometric Characteristics

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

 This article presents the historical demography of Bilecik during the Ottoman era. It provides the exact profile of the population based on the 1843 census, including information on gender, age, height, religion, names, and physical characteristics. The thorough study aims to identify the city's Muslim to Christian population ratio.

The study has no flaws, with the possible exception of the bibliography, which is predominately composed of Turkish sources. Since this article is intended for a global audience of researchers, it would be advantageous to include Ottoman history works by historians who are not Turkish. This would give the reader a broader perspective on the population of Bilecik from a variety of angles.

 

Furthermore, please take the time to thoroughly read the text as there are a few minor errors, such "Zamzam water rolü" on page 12. Zamzam water is clear but not rolü.

Additionally, the author states on the same page that Haremu'l-Halil is the source of the name Halil. Not really. Ibrahim al-Khalil, or Abraham the loyal, is the true ancestor of the name Halil (because he was regarded faithful to God). The Arabic term for a devoted friend is "Khalil," which is where the name "al-Khalil" originated.

To ensure that every name is accurately described, please verify other instances.

Author Response

Comments: This article presents the historical demography of Bilecik during the Ottoman era. It provides the exact profile of the population based on the 1843 census, including information on gender, age, height, religion, names, and physical characteristics. The thorough study aims to identify the city's Muslim to Christian population ratio.

The study has no flaws, with the possible exception of the bibliography, which is predominately composed of Turkish sources. Since this article is intended for a global audience of researchers, it would be advantageous to include Ottoman history works by historians who are not Turkish. This would give the reader a broader perspective on the population of Bilecik from a variety of angles.

 

Furthermore, please take the time to thoroughly read the text as there are a few minor errors, such "Zamzam water rolü" on page 12. Zamzam water is clear but not rolü.

Additionally, the author states on the same page that Haremu'l-Halil is the source of the name Halil. Not really. Ibrahim al-Khalil, or Abraham the loyal, is the true ancestor of the name Halil (because he was regarded faithful to God). The Arabic term for a devoted friend is "Khalil," which is where the name "al-Khalil" originated.

To ensure that every name is accurately described, please verify other instances.                                     

Response: 

Dear Reviewer,

First and foremost, we sincerely thank you for your valuable comments and constructive criticism. The manuscript has been meticulously reviewed from start to finish in accordance with your suggestions.

1. We have taken into consideration the points you mentioned regarding our manuscript’s references section. We also want to emphasize that we agree with you on the necessity for the manuscript to appeal to an international readership and to incorporate various perspectives. However, this study particularly focuses on demographic data from the Ottoman period pertaining to Bilecik. Consequently, the predominance of sources in Turkish arises from utilizing archives and records that offer detailed insights specific to this period and geography. Unfortunately, there are no sufficient foreign sources specifically concerning this topic in Bilecik.
2. The phrase "Zamzam water rolü" mentioned by you has been adjusted in the relevant section (Lines 432-433).
3. The information regarding "Haremu'l-Halil" has also been revised (Lines 425 and 428). The text has been carefully reviewed to ensure each name is accurately defined, and examples have been re-verified.

We thank you for your understanding and guidance, and wish to assure you that we have carefully considered your recommendations for further enhancing our manuscript.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article submitted for evaluation is interesting. It has been written in understandable language. Its structure is clear, correct and transparent. The research conducted by the authors is based on archival sources. The research methods have been correctly applied. The literature has been appropriately selected. The results of the research conducted are clearly and lucidly presented.

However, there are a few questionable issues in the article that should have been addressed by the authors before publication.

1. The most serious doubt is the lack of a clear scientific purpose for this article. In the introduction and conclusions, the authors should clearly indicate for what purpose they wrote this article and what scientific significance it has. Presenting the data present in the archival resources is not enough. It should be clear what contribution the authors are making by writing this article and what scientific (cognitive) significance it has. 

(2) Sometimes, the authors' terminology is unclear and makes the article impossible to understand. This applies, for example, to the term 'neighbourhood'. My guess is that, in the article, it means some part of the city since the city is divided into 'neighbourhoods'. However, it is essential to define this term so the reader can properly interpret the presented data.

(3) In lines 186-187, the authors write, "According to the [1831] census, the total male population in Bilecik was determined to 186 be 8,755". On the other hand, in lines 196-198, the authors write, "Analysis of the population registers shows that the male population in the city centre was approximately 2,000, with the total city population, including the estimated female population, reaching around 4,000". There is a lack of precision here in defining a 'city centre' and what does not belong to it. In addition, it is unclear to which population (of the city centre or other parts) the figures in Table 1 refer.

(4) I understand the authors' intention to present religious motivations for naming in Bilecik. However, the extensive explanation of the etymology of the names in section 3 is unnecessary; it makes the article very long without contributing anything substantial to its content.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The language of the article is understandable. I have no objections to it.

Author Response

Comments: 

The article submitted for evaluation is interesting. It has been written in understandable language. Its structure is clear, correct and transparent. The research conducted by the authors is based on archival sources. The research methods have been correctly applied. The literature has been appropriately selected. The results of the research conducted are clearly and lucidly presented.

However, there are a few questionable issues in the article that should have been addressed by the authors before publication.

1. The most serious doubt is the lack of a clear scientific purpose for this article. In the introduction and conclusions, the authors should clearly indicate for what purpose they wrote this article and what scientific significance it has. Presenting the data present in the archival resources is not enough. It should be clear what contribution the authors are making by writing this article and what scientific (cognitive) significance it has. 

(2) Sometimes, the authors' terminology is unclear and makes the article impossible to understand. This applies, for example, to the term 'neighbourhood'. My guess is that, in the article, it means some part of the city since the city is divided into 'neighbourhoods'. However, it is essential to define this term so the reader can properly interpret the presented data.

(3) In lines 186-187, the authors write, "According to the [1831] census, the total male population in Bilecik was determined to 186 be 8,755". On the other hand, in lines 196-198, the authors write, "Analysis of the population registers shows that the male population in the city centre was approximately 2,000, with the total city population, including the estimated female population, reaching around 4,000". There is a lack of precision here in defining a 'city centre' and what does not belong to it. In addition, it is unclear to which population (of the city centre or other parts) the figures in Table 1 refer.

(4) I understand the authors' intention to present religious motivations for naming in Bilecik. However, the extensive explanation of the etymology of the names in section 3 is unnecessary; it makes the article very long without contributing anything substantial to its content.

Response: 

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your valuable feedback and suggestions. In response to your constructive criticism, we have meticulously reviewed our entire manuscript.

1. We have added a paragraph to the introduction (Lines 132-145) that clarifies the scientific purpose, significance, and contribution of our article to the field.
2. Additionally, to resolve ambiguities related to the definition of the term 'mahalle,' we have included a note in Line 111, which can be further seen in Lines 858-864. This adjustment has been made to enhance understanding of the term in its scientific and historical context.
3. Corrections related to the 1831 census have been implemented in Lines 200 and 201. Adjustments to Table 1 can also be seen in Lines 206 and 207.
4. We have carefully considered your concerns regarding the length added by detailed explanations of etymology in Section 3. However, we believe that this section is crucial for illuminating the connections between the naming traditions of religious and ethnic groups in Bilecik and for understanding the social and cultural dynamics of the period. Additionally, this section helps in understanding the interactions within the Muslim and Christian communities in Bilecik, offering a comprehensive framework for analyzing the period's social and cultural dynamics and explaining how these communities positioned themselves within the broader Ottoman social structure.

For these reasons, and to understand the motivations you highlighted, the detailed analysis of names' etymology constitutes an indispensable and integrative part of our manuscript. We believe it is crucial to retain this section in the article.

We thank you again for your patience and guidance throughout this process and assure you that we are thoroughly considering your suggestions for further improving our manuscript.

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf