THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC PICTURE AND POLITICAL SITUATION OF THE EASTERN PROVINCES OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN THE 1830s AND 1840s (ACCORDING TO THE ENGLISH DIPLOMAT JAMES BRANT)
The study aims to uncover the real objectives behind the creation of the British consular network in the Ottoman Empire by analyzing the travel publications of James Brant, the British Consul in Erzurum. These records allow for the clarification of his position, particularly regarding the Armenians and the Kurds, as well as the stereotypes about the “East” prevalent in Europe at the time that influenced his observations.
The demographic shifts recorded by Brant, to the detriment of Armenians and the benefit of Kurds and other ethnic groups, reflect the structural changes that took place in the region after the Russo-Turkish wars. His meetings with Kurdish tribal leaders and local chiefs reveal the power dynamics in the region: Turko-Kurdish and Armeno-Kurdish relations, as well as the position of the Armenians towards these realities. Brant’s observations also contain keen insights into the economic and social life of the region.
Thus, J. Brant’s travelogues reflect the activation of the British presence in the region starting from the 1830s as a factor that played an important role in the subsequent developments of the region.
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