A Coal Miner's Life during the Late Ottoman Empire

Abstract

This is a translation of a truly extraordinary and rare historical document—a transcribed narrative of a coal miner who began to work in the coal fields of the Anatolian Black Sea coast during the late 19th century. To date, no comparable tale of an Ottoman worker's life has come to light. This annotated document offers a rich and vivid look into the life of underground miners of the late Ottoman Empire. It vibrantly illustrates the connections between village and mine, the power of village headmen, and the nature of labor recruitment. And, it details work inside the mines. The account should be of considerable value to labor historians in every field not only for its descriptions but for the comparative perspective which it facilitates.