Exploring the extent of social expenditures in the Ottoman State: poor relief payment

This study investigates the determinants influencing the amount of poor relief payments within the Ottoman Empire, utilizing salary data from the 1904 register of the needy. This register encompasses official records from 1904, detailing the names, titles, social statuses, gender, religion, and residential locations of approximately 8,099 individuals receiving annual salaries. The research examines the relationship between demographic and socioeconomic variables and the magnitude of poor relief payments from a micro-level perspective. Several significant findings have been identified. Firstly, women, on average, received lower amounts in poor relief compared to men. Secondly, non-Muslims received comparatively higher payments than their Muslim counterparts, particularly in Istanbul. A notable conclusion from this study is the prominent role of social status in determining the amounts of poor relief payments, a phenomenon especially pronounced in the capital.