View source for Danube vilayet

{{Short description|First-level administrative division of the Ottoman Empire}}
{{Infobox Former Subdivision
|native_name = {{lang|ota|ولايت طونه}}<br />''Vilâyet-i Tûna''<br>{{langx|bg|Дунавска област}}
|common_name = Danube Vilayet
|subdivision = [[Vilayet]]
|nation      = the Ottoman Empire
|year_start  = 1864
|year_end    = 1878
|event_start = [[Vilayet Law]]
|event_end   = [[Congress of Berlin]]
|p1          = Nis Eyalet
|flag_p1=
|p2          = Vidin Eyalet
|flag_p2=
|p3          = Ozu Eyalet
|flag_p3=
|s1          = Principality of Bulgaria
|flag_s1     = Flag of Bulgaria.svg
|s2          = Principality of Serbia
|flag_s2     = Flag of Serbia (1835–1882).svg
|s3          = Kingdom of Romania
|flag_s3     = Flag of Romania.svg
|s4          = Eastern Rumelia
|flag_s4     = Flag of Eastern Rumelia.svg
|image_flag=Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844–1922).svg
|flag_type=
|image_coat=
|image_map   = Danube Vilayet, Ottoman Balkans (1860s).png
|image_map_caption = The Danube Vilayet in 1877
|capital     = [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Rusçuk]]
|coordinates = {{Coord|43|0|N|25|0|E|display=inline,title}}
|stat_year1  = 1864
|stat_area1=
|stat_pop1   = 1,995,000<ref name=beewd>{{cite book|last=Palairet|first=Michael R.|title=The Balkan Economies c.1800-1914: Evolution without Development|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hkQytxTkZcoC&pg=PA8|isbn=9780521522564|date=2003-11-13|publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref> 
|stat_year2=
|stat_area2=
|stat_pop2=
|today       = Romania<br>Serbia<br>Bulgaria

|footnotes=
|conventional_long_name=Vilayet of the Danube|title_leader=Governor|leader1=[[Midhat Pasha|Hafiz Ahmed Midhat Shefik Pasha]]|year_leader1=1864-1868|leader2=Oman Mazhar Ahmed|year_leader2=1876-1877}}
The '''Vilayet of the Danube''' or '''Danubian Vilayet''' ({{langx|ota|ولايت طونه|Vilâyet-i Tuna}};<ref>[http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003517733 Hathi Trust Digital Library - Holdings: Salname-yi Vilâyet-i Tuna]</ref> {{langx|bg|Дунавска област}}, Dunavska(ta) oblast,<ref name=Straussp42>{{cite book |last=Strauss |first=Johann|url=https://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/menalib/download/pdf/2734659?originalFilename=true |year=2010 |chapter=A Constitution for a Multilingual Empire: Translations of the ''Kanun-ı Esasi'' and Other Official Texts into Minority Languages | editor=Herzog, Christoph|editor2=Malek Sharif|title= The First Ottoman Experiment in Democracy|publisher=[[Orient-Institut Istanbul]] |location= [[Wurzburg]]|pages= 21–51 }} ([http://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/urn/urn:nbn:de:gbv:3:5-91645 info page on book] at [[Martin Luther University]]) // CITED: p. 42 (PDF p. 44/338).</ref> more commonly Дунавски вилает, Danube Vilayet) was a first-level administrative division ([[vilayet]]) of the [[Ottoman Empire]] from 1864 to 1878.<ref name="rm-eb">{{Britannica|512682|Rumelia}}</ref> In the late 19th century it reportedly had an area of {{convert|34120|sqmi|km2}}.<ref name="asia">[https://archive.org/stream/earth01recluoft#page/152/mode/1up Europe] by [[Éliseé Reclus]], page 152</ref>

The vilayet was created from the northern parts of [[Silistra Province, Ottoman Empire|Silistra Province]] along the [[Danube]] River and eyalets of [[Niš Eyalet|Niš]], [[Vidin Eyalet|Vidin]] and [[Silistra Eyalet|Silistra]]. This vilayet was meant to become a model province, showcasing all the progress achieved by the [[Ottoman Porte|Porte]] through the modernising [[Tanzimat]] reforms.<ref name="otm-enc"/> Other vilayets modelled on the vilayet of the Danube were ultimately established throughout the empire by 1876, with the exception of the [[Arabian Peninsula]] and the by then semi-independent Egypt.<ref name="otm-enc"/> Rusçuk, today [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Ruse]] in Bulgaria, was chosen as the capital of the vilayet due to its position as a key Ottoman port on the Danube.<ref name="otm-enc"/>

The province disappeared after the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–78)|Russo-Turkish War of 1877&ndash;78]], when its north-eastern part ([[Northern Dobruja]]) was incorporated into [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]], some of its western territories into [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]], while the central and southern regions made up most of the autonomous [[Principality of Bulgaria]] and a part of [[Eastern Rumelia]].

== Borders and administrative divisions ==
Upon its establishment in 1864, the Danube Vilayet included the following sanjaks:<ref name="ShawShaw1977">{{cite book|author1=Stanford Jay Shaw|author2=Ezel Kural. Shaw|title=History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AIET_7ji7YAC&pg=PA90|access-date=2013-05-28|year=1977|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-29166-8|page=90}}</ref>
# Sanjak of [[Tulcea]]
# Sanjak of [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]]
# Sanjak of [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Ruse]]
# Sanjak of [[Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria|Tărnovo]]
# [[Sanjak of Vidin]]
# [[Sanjak of Sofia]]
# [[Sanjak of Niš]]

In 1868, the Sanjak of Niš was detached and made part of the Prizren Vilayet.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Grandits|first1=Hannes|title=Conflicting Loyalties in the Balkans The Great Powers, the Ottoman Empire and Nation-building.|publisher=Gardners Books|isbn=978-1-84885-477-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xHEnVxnHIHgC&pg=PA309|author2=Nathalie Clayer, Robert Pichler|access-date=5 May 2011|page=309|year=2010|quote=In 1868 the vilayet of Prizren was created with the sancaks of Prizren, Dibra, Skopje and Niš; it only existed till 1877}}</ref>

In 1876, the Sanjak of Niš and the Sanjak of Sofia were spun off into the short-lived Sofia Vilayet but were subsequently annexed to the Vilayets of [[Adrianople Vilayet|Adrianople]] and [[Kosovo Vilayet]]s only a year later, in 1877.<ref name="koyuncu"/>

==Government==
[[Midhat Pasha]] was the first governor of the vilayet (1864–1868).<ref name="otm-enc">{{Google books|QjzYdCxumFcC|page=172|Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire}} By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters</ref> During his time as a governor, [[steamship line]]s were established on the [[Danube River]]; the [[Ruse-Varna railroad]] was completed; [[agricultural credit]] cooperatives providing farmers with low-interest loans were introduced; [[tax incentive]]s were also offered to encourage new industrial enterprises.<ref name="otm-enc"/>

The first official vilayet newspaper in the Ottoman Empire, ''[[Tuna/Dunav]]'', was published in both Ottoman Turkish and Bulgarian and had both Ottoman and Bulgarian editors. Its editors in chief included [[Ismail Qemali|Ismail Kemal]] and [[Ahmed Midhat Efendi]].<ref name="otm-enc"/><!--==Media==
This also states that the official newspaper of this vilayet was ''[[Dunav/Tuna]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Strauss |first=Johann|url=https://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/menalib/download/pdf/2734659?originalFilename=true |year=2010 |chapter=A Constitution for a Multilingual Empire: Translations of the ''Kanun-ı Esasi'' and Other Official Texts into Minority Languages | editor=Herzog, Christoph|editor2=Malek Sharif|title= The First Ottoman Experiment in Democracy|publication-place= [[Wurzburg]]|page= 21-51 }} ([http://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/urn/urn:nbn:de:gbv:3:5-91645 info page on book] at [[Martin Luther University]]) - Cited: p. 34 (PDF p. 36)</ref>
-->

The vilayet had an Administrative Assembly that included state officials appointed by the Ottoman government as well as six representatives (three Muslims and three non-Muslims) elected from among the inhabitants of the province.<ref name="otm-enc"/> Non-Muslims also participated in the provincial criminal and commercial courts that were based on a secular code of law and justice.<ref name="otm-enc"/> Mixed Muslim-Christian schools were also introduced, but this reform was abolished after it was met by strong opposition by the populace.<ref name="otm-enc"/>

==Governors==
[[File:Takvim-i Vekayi - 0773.pdf|thumb|Ottoman Turkish version of the "Constitutive law of the department formed under the name of vilayet of the Danube" ({{langx|bg|Органически устав на департамента, създаден под наименование Дунавски вилает}}<ref>{{cite journal|author=Indzhov, Emil|url=http://conf.uni-ruse.bg/bg/docs/cp17/6.2/6.2-17.pdf|title=THE BULGARIANS AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN 50-60 YEARS AT THE XIX CENTURY.|journal=Proceedings of the University of Ruse|year=2017|volume=56|issue=6.2|language=bg}} - FRI-2.207-1-HEF-04</ref>) as published in the [[Takvim-i Vekayi]]]]

Governors of the Vilayet:<ref>[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Bulgaria.html World Statesmen — Bulgaria]</ref>
* [[Hafiz Ahmed Midhat Shefik Pasha]] (October 1864 - March 1868)
* [[Mehmed Sabri Pasha]] (March 1868 - December 1868)
* [[Arnavud Mehmed Akif Pasha]] (February 1869 - October 1870)
* [[Kücük ömer Fevzi Pasha]] (October 1870 - October 1871)
* [[Ahmed Rasim Pasha]] (October 1871 - June 1872)
* [[Ahmed Hamdi Pasha]] (June 1872 - April 1873)
* [[Abdurrahman Nureddin Pasha]] (April 1873 - April 1874)
* [[Mehmed Asim Pasha]] (April 1874 - September 1876)
* [[Halil Rifat Pasha]] (October 1876 - February 1877)
* [[Oman Mazhar Ahmed]] (1876–1877)

==Demographics==
In 1865, 658,600 (40.51%) Muslims and 967,058 (59.49%) non-Muslims, including females, were living in the province (excluding [[Nis, Serbia|Niş]] sanjak); some 569,868 (34.68%) Muslims, apart from the immigrants and 1.073.496 (65,32%) non-Muslims in 1859–1860.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mobil.turkishstudies.net/mdetay.aspx?ID=7023&Detay=Ozet|title=Makale Takip Sistemi Mobile|access-date=2018-08-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806025155/http://mobil.turkishstudies.net/mdetay.aspx?ID=7023&Detay=Ozet|archive-date=2018-08-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some 250000-300000 Muslim immigrants from [[Crimea]] and [[Caucasus]] had been settled in this region from 1855 to 1864.<ref name="auto">Karpat, K.H. (1985). Ottoman population, 1830-1914: demographic and social characteristics. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press.</ref>

<em>Male</em> population of the Danube Vilayet (exclusive of the [[Sanjak of Niš]]) in 1865 according to Kuyûd-ı Atîk (the Danube Vilayet printing press):<ref name="Koyuncu1">{{cite journal|journal=Turkish Studies - International Periodical for the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic|volume=9|issue=4|first=Aşkın|last= KOYUNCU |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272874328 | trans-title=Population and Demography of the Danube Vilayet (1864-1877) |title=Tuna Vilâyeti'nde Nüfus Ve Demografi (1864-1877)|language=tr|date=January 2014|doi=10.7827/TurkishStudies.7023|pages=695|doi-access=free}}</ref>
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Ethnoconfessional Groups in the Danube Vilayet as per 1865 Population Register<ref name="Koyuncu1"/>
|radius = 80
|label1 = [[Bulgarians]]|color1 = Salmon 
|value1 = 56.22
|label2 = Muslims|color2 = DodgerBlue   
|value2 = 40.31
|label3 = Vlachs|color3 = Gold
|value3 = 0.92
|label4 = [[Armenians in the Ottoman Empire|Armenians]]|color4 = DarkRed
|value4 = 0.86
|label5 = [[Greeks]] |color5 = HotPink
|value5 = 0.60
|label6 = [[Jews in the Ottoman Empire|Jews]]|color6 = DarkOrchid 
|value6 = 0.44
|label7 = Christian Romani |color7 = Yellow
|value7 = 0.44
|label8 = Muslim Romani|color8 =Aquamarine 
|value8 = 0.20
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Ethnoconfessional Groups in the Danube Vilayet as per the 1865 Population Register<ref name="Koyuncu1"/>
|-
! Community
! [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Rusçuk]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Vidin]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Veliko Tarnovo|Tırnova]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Tulcea|Tulça]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Sofia|Sofya]] [[Sanjak]]
! Danube Vilayet
|-
| style="background:#E0F0FF;"| [[Islam]] Millet
|style="background:#E0F0FF;" |{{number and percent|138017 | 225769}}
|{{number and percent|14835 | 116899}}
|style="background:#E0F0FF; "|{{number and percent|38230 | 51975}}
|{{number and percent|77539 | 192335}}
|style="background:#E0F0FF; "|{{number and percent|38479 | 59487}}
|{{number and percent|20612 | 166364}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent|327712 | 812829}}
|-
| style="background:#E0F0FF; | [[Muslim Roma]]
|{{number and percent|312 | 225769}}
|{{number and percent|245 | 116899}}
|{{number and percent|118 | 51975}}
|{{number and percent|128 | 192335}}
|{{number and percent|19 | 59487}}
|{{number and percent|766 | 166364}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent|1588 | 812829}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|[[Bulgar Millet]]
|{{number and percent|85268 | 225769}}
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"| {{number and percent|93613 | 116899}}
|{{number and percent|9553 | 51975}}
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|{{number and percent|113213 | 192335}}
|{{number and percent|12961 | 59487}}
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|{{number and percent|142410 | 166364}}
|style="background:#FFD0C0; text-align:right;"|{{number and percent|457018|812829}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|[[Ullah Millet]]
|{{number and percent|0 | 225769}}
|{{number and percent| 7446| 116899}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 51975}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 192335}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 59487}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 166364}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent|7446|812829}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|[[Armenians|Ermeni Millet]]
|{{number and percent|926 | 225769}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 116899}}
|{{number and percent|368 | 51975}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 192335}}
|{{number and percent|5720 | 59487}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 166364}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent|7014|812829}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|[[Rum Millet]]
|{{number and percent|0 | 225769}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 116899}}
|{{number and percent|2639 | 51975}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 192335}}
|{{number and percent|2215 | 59487}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 166364}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent|4908 | 812829}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|Non-Muslim [[Romani people]]
|{{number and percent|145 | 225769}}
|{{number and percent|130 | 116899}}
|{{number and percent|999 | 51975}}
|{{number and percent|1455 | 192335}}
|{{number and percent|92 | 59487}}
|{{number and percent|786 | 166364}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent|3607|812829}}
|-
| style="background:#E0E0FF;"|[[Jews|Yahudi Millet]]
|{{number and percent|1101 | 225769}}
|{{number and percent|630 | 116899}}
|{{number and percent|14 | 51975}}
|{{number and percent|0 | 192335}}
|{{number and percent|1 | 59487}}
|{{number and percent|1790 | 166364}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent|3536 | 812829}}
|-
!'''TOTAL'''
!{{number and percent| 225769| 225769}}
!{{number and percent| 116899| 116899}}
!{{number and percent| 51975| 51975}}
!{{number and percent| 192335| 192335}}
!{{number and percent| 59487| 59487}}
!{{number and percent| 166364| 166364}}
!{{number and percent| 812829| 812829}}
|}
[[File:LoiconstitutiveDanubeVilayet.pdf|thumb|page=5|''Loi constitutive du département formé sous le nom de vilayet du Danube'' ("Constitutive law of the department formed under the name of vilayet of the Danube") in French]]

<em>Male</em> Muslim & Non-Muslim population in the Danube Vilayet according to the Ottoman Salname for 1868:<ref name="Koyuncu2">{{cite journal|journal=Turkish Studies - International Periodical for the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic|volume=9|issue=4|first=Aşkın|last= KOYUNCU |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272874328 | trans-title=Population and Demography of the Danube Vilayet (1864-1877) |title=Tuna Vilâyeti'nde Nüfus Ve Demografi (1864-1877)|language=tr|date=January 2014|doi=10.7827/TurkishStudies.7023|pages=697|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>
{|class="wikitable sortable" text-align:left;
|+Male Muslim & Non-Muslim Population in the Danube Vilayet as per the 1868 Ottoman Salname<ref name="auto"/><ref name="Koyuncu2"/>
|-
! rowspan="2" style="width:90pt;" "text-align="left"  |Sanjak
! colspan="2" style="width:90pt;" style="background:#E0F0FF;|Muslims
! colspan="2" style="width:90pt;" style="background:#FFD0C0;" |Non-Muslims
! rowspan="2" style="width:90pt;" |Total
|-
! style="width:80pt; "|Number
! style="width:10pt;" |%
! style="width:80pt;" |Number
! style="width:10pt;" |%
|-
|[[Ruse, Bulgaria|Rusçuk]]
|align="center" style="background:#E0F0FF;|138,692
|style="background:#E0F0FF;|59.14%
|align="center"|95,834
|40.86%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|234,526}}
|-
|[[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]]
|align="center" style="background:#E0F0FF;|58,689
|style="background:#E0F0FF;|73.86%
|align="center"|20,769
|26.14%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|79.458}}
|-
|[[Vidin]]
|align="center"|25,338
|16.90%
|align="center" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|124,567
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|83.10%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|149,905}}
|-
|[[Sofia|Sofya]]
|align="center" |24,410
|14.23%
|align="center" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|147,095
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|85.77%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|171,505}}
|-
|[[Veliko Tarnovo|Tirnova]]
|align="center"|71,645
|40.73%
|align="center" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|104,273
|style="background:#FFD0C0;" |59.27%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|175,918}}
|-
|[[Tulcea|Tulça]]
|align="center" style="background:#E0F0FF;|39,133
|style="background:#E0F0FF;|68.58%
|align="center"|17,929
|41.42%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|57,062}}
|-
|[[Nis, Serbia|Niş]]
|align="center"|54,510
|35.18%
|align="center" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|100,425
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|64.82%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|154,935}}
|-
! style="text-align:left;"|{{large|Grand Total}}
! {{resize|105%|412,417}}
! {{resize|105%|40.30%}}
! {{resize|105%|610,892}}
! {{resize|105%|59.70%}}
! style="text-align:right;"|{{resize|105%|1,023,309}}
|-
|}

<em>Male</em> Population of the Danube Vilayet (exclusive of the [[Sanjak of Niš]]) in 1866-1873 according to the editor of the Danube newspaper Ismail Kemal:<ref name="spisaniestatistika.nsi.bg">Димитър Аркадиев. ИЗМЕНЕНИЯ В БРОЯ НА НАСЕЛЕНИЕТО ПО БЪЛГАРСКИТЕ ЗЕМИ В СЪСТАВА НА ОСМАНСКАТА ИМПЕРИЯ [http://spisaniestatistika.nsi.bg/page/bg/details.php?article_id=84&tab=en] National Statistical Institute</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Male Population of the Danube Vilayet<sup>'''1'''</sup> in 1873
|-
! Community
! style="text-align:right; width:160pt;"|Population
|-
| style="background:#E0F0FF; | '''Muslims'''
|style="text-align:right;| '''{{number and percent|481798 |1141051}}'''
|-
| style="background:#E0F0FF; |<small>—Established Muslims</small> 
|style="text-align:right;| <small>{{number and percent|392369 |1141051}}</small>
|-
| style="background:#E0F0FF; |<small>—Muslim settlers</small> 
|style="text-align:right;|  <small>{{number and percent|64398 |1141051}}</small>
|-
| style="background:#E0F0FF; |<small>—Muslim Roma</small> 
|style="text-align:right;|  <small>{{number and percent|25031 |1141051}}</small>
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|  '''Christians'''
|style="text-align:right; background:#FFD0C0;"| ''' {{number and percent|646215 |1141051}}'''
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"| <small>—Bulgarians</small>
|style="text-align:right; background:#FFD0C0;"|  <small>{{number and percent|592573 |1141051}}</small>
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"| <small>—Greeks</small>
|style="text-align:right;|  <small>{{number and percent|7655 |1141051}}</small>
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"| <small>—Armenians</small>
|style="text-align:right;|  <small>{{number and percent|2128 |1141051}}</small>
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"| <small>—Catholics</small>
|style="text-align:right;|  <small>{{number and percent|3556 |1141051}}</small>
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"| <small>—other Christians</small>
|style="text-align:right;|  <small>{{number and percent|40303 |1141051}}</small>
|-
| style="background:#FFD0C0;"|Non-Muslims Romani people
|style="text-align:right;| <small>{{number and percent|7663 |1141051}}</small>
|-
| style="background:#E0E0FF;"| '''Jews'''
| style="text-align:right;|'''{{number and percent|5375 |1141051}}'''
|-
! style="text-align:left;"|'''{{resize|110%|TOTAL Danube Vilayet}}'''
! style="text-align:right;"| '''{{number and percent|1141051|1141051}}'''
|-
| colspan="11" | {{smalldiv|1=<sup>'''1'''</sup> Exclusive of the Sanjak of Niš.}}
|}

<em>Male</em>  Population of the Danube Vilayet (exclusive of the [[Sanjak of Niš]])  in 1868 according to [[Kemal Karpat]]:<ref name="auto"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Group
! Population
|-
| style="background:#FFD0C0;"| Christian Bulgarians
| 490.467
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF; | Muslims
| 359.907
|-
|}

According to the 1874 census, there were 963596 (42,22%) Muslims and 1318506 (57,78%) non-Muslims in the Danube Province excluding [[Nis, Serbia|Nış]] sanjak. Together with the sanjak of Nish the population consisted of 1055650 (40,68%) Muslims and 1539278 (59,32%) non-Muslims in 1874. Muslims were the majority in the sanjaks of [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Rusçuk]], [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]] and [[Tulcea|Tulça]], while the non-Muslims were in majority in the rest of the sanjaks.<ref name="koyuncu">{{cite web |last1=KOYUNCU |first1=Aşkın |title=Population And Demographics In The Danube Province (1864-1877) |url=http://www.turkishstudies.net/English/DergiTamDetay.aspx?ID=7023&Detay=Ozet |website=www.turkishstudies.net |access-date=2018-08-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144518/http://www.turkishstudies.net/English/DergiTamDetay.aspx?ID=7023&Detay=Ozet |archive-date=2018-06-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Ethnoconfessional Groups in the Danube Vilayet as per 1873-74 Vilayet Census<ref name="Ubicini">{{citation|title=État Présent De L'empire Ottoman: Statistique, Gouvernement, Administration, Finances, Armée, Communautés Non Musulmanes, Etc., Etc. d'Apres Le Salnameh (Annuaire Imperial) Pour l'Annee 1293 de l'Hegire (1875-76)|trans-title=Present State Of The Ottoman Empire: Statistics, Government, Administration, Finances, Army, Non-Muslim Communities, Etc., Etc. according to the Salnameh (Annual Imperial Register) for the Year 1293 of the Hegira (1875-76)|first1=Abdolonyme|last1=Ubicini|first2=Abel|last2=de Courteille|pages=91|publisher=Dumaine|year=1876|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rfpXhDl1qLwC}}</ref>
|radius = 80
|label1 = [[Bulgarians]]|color1 = Salmon 
|value1 = 52.02 
|label2 = Establ. Muslims|color2 = DodgerBlue   
|value2 =  34.44
|label3 = [[Circassians in Bulgaria|Circassian]] Muhacir|color3 = Indigo
|value3 = 5.65
|label4 = Misc. Christians|color4 = Red
|value4 = 3.53
|label5 = Muslim Romani|color5 = Aquamarine  
|value5 = 2.19
|label6 = Christian Romani|color6 = Yellow
|value6 = 0.68
|label7 = [[Greeks]]|color7 = DeepPink
|value7 = 0.67
|label8 = [[Jews]]|color8 = DarkOrchid 
|value8 = 0.48
|label9= Roman Catholics|color9 = Orange
|value9 = 0.31
}}
<em>Total</em> population of the Danube Vilayet by ethnoconfessional group according to French orientalist [[Abdolonyme Ubicini|Ubicini]] on the basis of the official Ottoman Census of the Danube Vilayet of 1873-1874 (exclusive of the [[Sanjak of Niš]]) , then part of the Prizren Vilayet:<ref name="Ubicini"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Ethnoconfessional Groups in the Danube Vilayet<sup>'''1'''</sup> as per the 1873-74 Census<ref name="Ubicini"/>
|-
! style="width:130pt;"|Community
! style="text-align:center;"style="width:100pt;"|Number
! style="text-align:center;"style="width:100pt;"|Percentage
|-
| style="background:#E0F0FF; | '''Muslims''' || style="text-align:right;|'''963,596''' ||  style="text-align:right;| '''42.28%'''
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—Established Muslims</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>784,731</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>34.44%</small> 
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Circassians in Bulgaria|Circassian]] Muhacir</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>128,796</small>||style="text-align:right;| <small>5.65%</small>
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—Muslim [[Romani people|Romani]]</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>50.069</small>||style="text-align:right;| <small>2.19%</small>
|-
| style="background:#FFD0C0;"| '''Christians''' ||style="text-align:right;| '''1,303,944''' ||style="text-align:right; background:#FFD0C0;"| '''57.23%'''
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|  <small>—[[Bulgarian millet|Bulgar millet]]</small> ||style="text-align:right;"| <small>1,185,146</small> ||style="text-align:right; background:#FFD0C0;"| <small>52.02%</small> 
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|  <small>—[[Rum millet]]</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>15,310</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>0.67%</small> 
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|  <small>—[[Armenian millet|Ermeni millet]]</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>450</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>0.02%</small>
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|  <small>—Roman Catholics</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>7,112</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>0.31%</small> 
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|  <small>—Christian [[Romani people|Romani]]</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>15,524</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>0.68%</small>
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|  <small>—Miscellaneous Christians<sup>'''2'''</sup></small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>80,402</small> ||style="text-align:right;| <small>3.53%</small>
|-
| style="background:#E0E0FF;"| '''[[Judaism|Yahudi millet]]''' ||style="text-align:right;| '''10,752''' ||style="text-align:right;| '''0.48%'''
|-
! style="text-align:left;" |{{resize|110%|GRAND TOTAL}} || {{resize|105%|2,278,290}} || {{resize|105%|100%}}
|- 
| colspan="11" | {{smalldiv|1=<sup>'''1'''</sup> Exclusive of the Sanjak of Niš.<br><sup>'''2'''</sup> Vlachs, Lipovans, Cossacks, Germans, etc., mostly in Sanjak of [[Tulcea|Tulça]].}}
|}

<em>Male</em> Population of the Danube Vilayet (exclusive of the [[Sanjak of Niš]]) in 1875 according to Tahrir-i Cedid (the Danube Vilayet printing press):<ref name="Koyuncu717">{{cite journal|journal=Turkish Studies - International Periodical for the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic|volume=9|issue=4|first=Aşkın|last= KOYUNCU |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272874328 | trans-title=Population and Demography of the Danube Vilayet (1864-1877) |title=Tuna Vilâyeti'nde Nüfus Ve Demografi (1864-1877)|language=tr|date=January 2014|doi=10.7827/TurkishStudies.7023|pages=717|doi-access=free}}</ref>
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Ethnoconfessional Groups in the Danube Vilayet as per 1875 Ottoman Salname<ref name="Koyuncu717"/>
|radius = 80
|label1 = [[Bulgarians]]|color1 = Salmon 
|value1 = 54.04
|label2 = Establ. Muslims|color2 = DodgerBlue   
|value2 =  36.23
|label3 = Misc. Christians|color3 = Red
|value3 = 2.74
|label4 = Çerkes [[Muhacir]]|color4 = Indigo
|value4 = 2.73
|label5 = Muslim Romani|color5 = Aquamarine  
|value5 = 2.22
|label6 = Christian Romani|color6 = Yellow
|value6 = 0.68
|label7 = Armenians|color7 = DarkRed
|value7 = 0.51
|label8 = [[Jews]]|color8 = DarkOrchid 
|value8 = 0.44
|label9 = [[Greeks]]|color9 = DeepPink
|value9 = 0.37
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Male Population of the Danube Vilayet (exclusive of the [[Sanjak of Niš]]) in 1875<ref name="Koyuncu717"/>
|-
! Community
! [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Rusçuk]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Vidin]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Veliko Tarnovo|Tırnova]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Tulcea|Tulça]] [[Sanjak]]
! [[Sofia|Sofya]] [[Sanjak]]
! Danube Vilayet
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"|[[Islam]] Millet
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"|{{number and percent| 164455| 309797}}
|{{number and percent| 20492| 178823}}
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"|{{number and percent| 52742| 85805}}
|{{number and percent| 88445|245894}}
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"|{{number and percent| 53059|87455}}
|{{number and percent| 27001|213180}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent| 406194|1120954}}
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"|[[Circassians|Circassian]] [[Muhacir]]
|{{number and percent| 16588| 309797}}
|{{number and percent| 6522| 178823}}
|{{number and percent| 4307| 85805}}
|{{number and percent|  0|245894}}
|{{number and percent| 2954|87455}}
|{{number and percent| 202|213180}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent| 30573|1120954}}
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"|[[Muslim Roma]]
|{{number and percent| 9579| 309797}}
|{{number and percent| 2783| 178823}}
|{{number and percent| 2825| 85805}}
|{{number and percent| 6545|245894}}
|{{number and percent| 139|87455}}
|{{number and percent| 2964|213180}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent| 24835|1120954}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|[[Bulgar Millet]]
|{{number and percent| 114792| 309797}}
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|{{number and percent| 131279| 178823}}
|{{number and percent|  21261| 85805}}
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|{{number and percent| 148713 |245894}}
|{{number and percent|  10553 |87455}}
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|{{number and percent| 179202 |213180}}
|style="text-align:right; background:#FFD0C0;"|{{number and percent| 605800 |1120954}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|[[Vlachs]], Catholics, etc.
|{{number and percent| 500| 309797}}
|{{number and percent| 14690| 178823}}
|{{number and percent| 0| 85805}}
|{{number and percent|  0|245894}}
|{{number and percent| 15512|87455}}
|{{number and percent| 0|213180}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent| 30702|1120954}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|[[Armenians|Ermeni Millet]]
|{{number and percent| 991| 309797}}
|{{number and percent| 0| 178823}}
|{{number and percent|  808| 85805}}
|{{number and percent|  0|245894}}
|{{number and percent|  3885|87455}}
|{{number and percent| 0|213180}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent| 5684|1120954}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|[[Rum Millet]]
|{{number and percent| 0| 309797}}
|{{number and percent| 0| 178823}}
|{{number and percent| 3421| 85805}}
|{{number and percent| 494|245894}}
|{{number and percent| 217|87455}}
|{{number and percent| 0|213180}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent | 4132|1120954}}
|-
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|Non-Muslims [[Romani people]]
|{{number and percent| 1790| 309797}}
|{{number and percent| 2048| 178823}}
|{{number and percent| 331| 85805}}
|{{number and percent| 1697|245894}}
|{{number and percent| 356|87455}}
|{{number and percent| 1437|213180}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent| 7659|1120954}}
|-
| style="background:#E0E0FF;"|[[Jews|Yahudi Millet]]
|{{number and percent| 1102| 309797}}
|{{number and percent| 1009| 178823}}
|{{number and percent|  110| 85805}}
|{{number and percent|  0|245894}}
|{{number and percent|  780|87455}}
|{{number and percent| 2374|213180}}
|style="text-align:right;"|{{number and percent| 5375|1120954}}
|-
! '''TOTAL'''
! {{number and percent| 309797| 309797}}
! {{number and percent| 178823| 178823}}
! {{number and percent|  85805| 85805}}
! {{number and percent|  245894|245894}}
! {{number and percent|  87455|87455}}
! {{number and percent| 213180|213180}}
! {{number and percent| 1120954|1120954}}
|}

<em>Total</em> population of the Danube Vilayet according to Russian diplomat [[Vladimir Cherkassky]] from the Ottoman population register:<ref name="Koyuncu725">{{cite journal|journal=Turkish Studies - International Periodical for the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic|volume=9|issue=4|first=Aşkın|last= KOYUNCU |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272874328 | trans-title=Population and Demography of the Danube Vilayet (1864-1877) |title=Tuna Vilâyeti'nde Nüfus Ve Demografi (1864-1877)|language=tr|date=January 2014|doi=10.7827/TurkishStudies.7023|pages=725|doi-access=free}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable" text-align:left;
|+Total Population of the Danube Vilayet according to [[Vladimir Cherkassky|Cherkassky]] from the register, ca. 1876:<ref name="Koyuncu725"/>
|-
! rowspan="2" style="width:120pt;" "text-align="left"  |Sanjak
! colspan="2" style="width:90pt;" style="background:#E0F0FF;|Muslims
! colspan="2" style="width:90pt;" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|Bulgarians
! colspan="2" style="width:90pt;" style="background:#FFD700;"|Others
! rowspan="2" style="width:90pt;" |Total
|-
! style="width:80pt; "|Number
! style="width:10pt;" |%
! style="width:80pt;" |Number
! style="width:10pt;" |%
! style="width:80pt;" |Number
! style="width:10pt;" |%
|-
|[[Ruse, Bulgaria|Rusçuk]]
|align="center" style="background:#E0F0FF;|381,224
|style="background:#E0F0FF;|61.53%
|align="center"|233,164
|37.63%
|align="center"|5,186
|0.84%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|619,574}}
|-
|[[Sanjak of Vidin|Vidin]]
|align="center"|59,654
|17.66%
|align="center" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|246,654
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|73.04%
|align="center"|31,398
|9.30%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|337,706}}
|-
|[[Veliko Tarnovo|Tirnova]]
|align="center"|189,980
|38.71%
|align="center" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|300,820
|style="background:#FFD0C0;" |61.29%
|align="center"|0
| -
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|490,800}}
|-
|[[Tulcea|Tulça]]
|align="center" style="background:#E0F0FF;|112,300
|style="background:#E0F0FF;|63.34%
|align="center"|26,212
|14.78%
|align="center"|38,788
|21.88%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|177,300}}
|-
|[[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]]
|align="center" style="background:#E0F0FF;|119,754
|style="background:#E0F0FF;|69.78%
|align="center"|43,180
|25.16%
|align="center"|8,678
|5.06%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|171,612}}
|-
|[[Sanjak of Sofia|Sofya]]
|align="center" |59,930
|14.02%
|align="center" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|362,714
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|84.87%
|align="center"|4,748
|1.11%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|427,392}}
|-
|[[Sanjak of Niš|Niş]]
|align="center"|77,500
|21.63%
|align="center" style="background:#FFD0C0;"|270,000
|style="background:#FFD0C0;"|75.36%
|align="center"|10,800
|3.01%
|align="right"|{{resize|105%|358,300}}
|-
! style="text-align:left;"|{{resize|110%|Danube Vilayet Total}}
! {{resize|105%|1,000,342}}
! {{resize|105%|38.73%}}
! {{resize|105%|1,482,744}}
! {{resize|105%|57.41%}}
! {{resize|105%|99,598}}
! {{resize|105%|3.86%}}
! style="text-align:right;"|{{resize|105%|2,582,684}}
|-
|}

<em>Male</em> population of the Danube Vilayet in 1876 according to the Ottoman officer [[Stanislas Saint Clair]]:<ref name="spisaniestatistika.nsi.bg"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Community
! Population
|-
| Turk Muslims
| {{number and percent|457018|1274282}}
|-
| Other Muslims
| {{number and percent|104639|1274282}}
|-
| Bulgarian Christians
| {{number and percent|639813 |1274282}}
|-
| Armenian Christians
| {{number and percent|2128 |1274282}}
|-
| Vlach and Greek Christians
| {{number and percent|56647 |1274282}}
|-
| Gypsies
| {{number and percent|8220 |1274282}}
|-
| Jews
| {{number and percent|5847 |1274282}}
|-
| '''TOTAL Danube Vilayet'''
|{{number and percent|1274282 |1274282}}
|}

<em>Total</em> population of the Danube Vilayet (including [[Nis, Serbia|Niş]] and [[Sofia]] sanjaks) according to the 1876 edition of [[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kellogg |first1=Day Otis |title=Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature |date=1876 |publisher=J.M. Stoddart |page=462 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y98qPa8-2VkC&pg=PA462 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Group
! Population
|-
| [[Bulgarians]]
| {{number and percent|1500000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Turkish people|Turks]]
| {{number and percent|500000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Tatars]]
| {{number and percent|100000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Circassians]]
| {{number and percent|90000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Albanians]]
| {{number and percent|70000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Romanians]]
|  {{number and percent|40000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Gypsies]]
| {{number and percent|25000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Russians]]
| {{number and percent|10000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Armenians]]
| {{number and percent|10000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Jews]]
| {{number and percent|10000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Greeks]]
| {{number and percent|8000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Serbs]]
| {{number and percent|5000|2369000}}
|-
| [[Germans]], [[Italians]], [[Arabs]] and others
| {{number and percent|1000|2369000}}
|-
| '''TOTAL Danube Vilayet'''
| {{number and percent|2369000|2369000}}
|}

<em>Total</em>  Population of the Danube Vilayet (excluding [[Nis, Serbia|Niş]] sanjak) in 1876 estimated by the French counsel Aubaret from the register:<ref>{{cite book|last1=Suleiman|first1=Yasir|title=Language and Identity in the Middle East and North Africa|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781136787843|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ugVeAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA102|page=102|date=2013-12-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=ENGİN DENİZ TANIR|title=THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY OTTOMAN BULGARIA FROM THE VIEWPOINTS OF THE FRENCH TRAVELERS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/188315570/THE-MID-NINETEENTH-CENTURY-OTTOMAN-BULGARIA-FROM-THE-VIEWPOINTS-OF-THE-FRENCH-TRAVELERS-pdf|pages=52–55|access-date=2018-08-05|archive-date=2017-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202055057/https://www.scribd.com/document/188315570/THE-MID-NINETEENTH-CENTURY-OTTOMAN-BULGARIA-FROM-THE-VIEWPOINTS-OF-THE-FRENCH-TRAVELERS-pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Community
! Population
|-
| '''Muslims'''
| {{number and percent|1120000 |2353000}}
|-
| incl. Turks
| {{number and percent|774000 |2353000}}
|-
| incl. Circassians
| {{number and percent|200000 |2353000}}
|-
| incl. Tatars
| {{number and percent|110000 |2353000}}

|-
| incl. Gypsies
| {{number and percent|35000 |2353000}}
|-
| '''Non-Muslims'''
| {{number and percent|1233500 |2353000}}
|-
| incl. Bulgarians
| {{number and percent|1130000 |2353000}}
|-
| incl. Gypsies
| {{number and percent|12000 |2353000}}
|-
| incl. Greeks
| {{number and percent|12000 |2353000}}
|-
| incl. Jews
| {{number and percent| 12000|2353000}}
|-
| incl. Armenians
| {{number and percent|2500 |2353000}}
|-
| incl. Vlachs and others
| {{number and percent|65000 |2353000}}
|-
| '''TOTAL Danube Vilayet'''
| {{number and percent|2353000 |2353000}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/loiconstitutive00turkgoog|title=Loi constitutive du département formé sous le nom de vilayet du Danube|language=fr|publisher=Ottoman Empire Imprimerie Centrale|date=1865}}

{{Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire|expanded = Vilayets}}

[[Category:Vilayets of the Ottoman Empire in Europe]]
[[Category:Modern history of Ukraine]]
[[Category:Ottoman period in the history of Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Ottoman period in Romania]]
[[Category:Ottoman Serbia]]
[[Category:1860s in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:1870s in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1864]]
[[Category:1864 establishments in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:1878 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire]]