Demographic History of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

During and shortly after the Ottomans' conquest of Bosnia, between 1463–1557, it is estimated that the Ottoman forces took around 100,000 of Bosnia's inhabitants into captivity and 30,000 young into the Janissaries as a result of the devshirmeh (also known as blood tax).

The Official population census by religion in Bosnia:

During the year of 1489 the official population census by religion for Bosnian Sandžak was:

Contemporary Byzantine historian Michael Critobulus of Imbros described Bosnia and its endings in the first half of the 15th century. He calls Bosnia "land of Vostri" and its population Vostri (or Bostri, Bostni), clearly distinguishing Bosnia population from populations of its neighbors, as even Serbian scholar Radić Radivoj cites and explains in his study "Bosnia in historical work of Critobulus of Imbros":

Critobulus has extremely negative opinion of the Latins, while for other nations as to the Romeji, Serbs, Hungarians, and inhabitants of Bosnia - except Albanians and Vlachs for whom he has some hostilities - has a certain sympathy.

And later cites author writing of Bosnians as people called Vostri; Albanians called Illirians; and Serbs called Tribali:

"Encouraged by all these benefits, Vostri never intend to comply to the Sultan or make contracts and pay him annual tribute, as did other neighbors Illyrians (as author called Albanians) and Tribals (as author called Serbs), nor to subordinate themselves to him in any way." .

Turkish historian Ömer Lütfü Barkan conducted a population census based on religion in the Bosnian Sandžak during 1520 - 1530. At which time there were over 334,325 inhabitants of whom 38,7% were followers of Islam.

During the late 16th century and early 17th century, according to various Austrian and Ottoman sources, Bosnia's entire nobility, the greater part of her citizenry and a part of the serfdom were Muslims, around 75% of the population of the Bosnian pashadom.

The Islamic population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during Late 18th century to the Early 19th century, started to gradually drop due to frequent wars fought by the Ottoman Empire. Muslims were required by Ottoman law to serve in the military, whereas Christians were not part of the army. With the created of independent states of Serbia and Montenegro, migrations of Serbs to the two states were in massive waves in the 1810s, 1820s and 1870s.

Both Muslim and Christian populations were considerably thinned in the 18th century due to frequent plagues. In particular, a huge plague epidemic reportedly halved the entire population of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1813 and 1815.

According to the Penny Cyclopaedia the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1829. consisted of:

• 450,000 Muslims
• 250,000 Catholics
• 220,000 Orthodox
• 2,000 Jews
• 800 Armenians

Johann Roskiewicz estimated the ethnic composition of the population in 1867 as:

• In Bosnia:
  • 782,000 Slavs (which he called "Croatians and Serbs")
  • 9,000 Roma (which he called "Gipsies")
  • 5,000 Jews
• In Herzegovina:
  • 227,000 Slavs
  • 2,500 Roma
  • 500 Jews

During the period of 1875/1876 an Ottoman population census by religion was conducted, but with vague, imprecise and varying figures, often favoring Muslims over Christians :

Final results of Ottoman administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina was rearranging most of its religious and ethnical map. New empire created mostly Muslim elites which made up the majority in most of the cities, as in the westernmost and easternmost borderparts of Bosnia (Cazin area, parts of Drina valley and larger area around Tuzla). Prewar catholic majority west of Vrbas (area was part of Croatian Kingdom before the ottomans) had disappeared and was exchanged by orthodox majority, due to constant immigration of Orthodox, shortage of Catholic priesthood and emigrations of Catholics from that area. Catholics also mostly disappeared from Eastern Bosnia (Srebrenica region was one of Hungarian banates) and dropped to a minority in northern Bosnia (except for large parts of Bosnian Posavina). In central Bosnia Catholics dropped roughly to about one half of the population, and Herzegovina was basically divided into Catholic and Orthodox parts with a Muslim majority in most of the cities.