Procreation, family and 'progress': Administrative and economic aspects of Ottoman population policies in the 19th century

► The Ottoman state categorized 'population' as a source of wealth in the 19th century. ► The Ottoman government considered population growth as the primary cause of prosperity. ► The Ottoman state sought to protect and procreate population by effective institutional measures and arrangements. ► Labor scarcity and technological backwardness led the Ottoman state to secure peasants and control the movement of people. ► The procreation policies promoted marriage and reproduction while they discouraged traditional birth control practices.