Bitlis vilayet

{{Short description|First-level administrative division of the Ottoman Empire}}

{{More citations needed|date=October 2010}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}

{{Infobox Former Subdivision

|native_name = ولایت بتليس
Vilâyet-i Bitlis

|common_name = Bitlis Vilayet

|subdivision = Vilayet

|nation = the Ottoman Empire

|year_start = 1875

|event_start =

|year_end = 1923

|event_end = Declaration of the Republic of Turkey

|date_start =

|date_end =

|p1 = Erzurum Eyalet

|flag_p1 =

|s1 = Turkey

|flag_s1 = Flag of Turkey.svg

|image_flag =

|flag_type =

|image_coat =

|image_map = CUINET(1892) 2.552 Bitlis Vilayet.jpg

|image_map_caption = The Bitlis Vilayet in 1892

|capital = Bitlis

|today = Turkey

|stat_year1 = Muslim, 1914{{cite web|url=http://www.tsk.tr/8_TARIHTEN_KESITLER/8_1_Ermeni_Sorunu/konular/ermeni_faaliyetleri_pdf/Arsiv_Belgeleriyle_Ermeni_Faaliyetleri_Cilt_1.pdf |title=1914 Census Statistics |publisher=Turkish General Staff |pages=605–606 |access-date=29 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007185405/http://www.tsk.tr/8_TARIHTEN_KESITLER/8_1_Ermeni_Sorunu/konular/ermeni_faaliyetleri_pdf/Arsiv_Belgeleriyle_Ermeni_Faaliyetleri_Cilt_1.pdf |archive-date=7 October 2011 }}

|stat_area1 =

|stat_pop1 = 309,999

|stat_year2 = Armenian, 1914

|stat_area2 =

|stat_pop2 = 117,492

|footnotes =

{{Pie chart

|thumb = right

|caption = Ethnic groups in the Bitlis Vilayet based on 1914 population statistics for the Ottoman Empire

|label1 = Muslim|color1 = Green

|value1 = 71

|label2 = Armenian|color2 = Yellow

|value2 = 27

|label3 = Others|color3 = Brown

|value3 = 2

}}

}}

Bitlis Vilayet ({{langx|hy|Բիթլիսի վիլայեթ}} Bit'lisi vilayet' , Ottoman Turkish: ولایت بتليس Vilâyet-i Bitlis) was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire. Before the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) it had been part of the Erzurum Vilayet, it was then made a separate vilayet by the Sublime Porte.{{Google books|rezD7rvuf9YC|page=715|First Encyclopaedia of Islam: 1913–1936}} By M. Th. Houtsma It was one of the six Armenian vilayets of the Empire.{{Cite book|last=Klein|first=Janet|title=Social Relations in Ottoman Diyarbekir, 1870-1915|date=3 August 2012|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-22518-3|editor-last=Jongerden|editor-first=Joost|pages=148|language=en|editor-last2=Verheij|editor-first2=Jelle}}

At the beginning of the 20th century, Bitlis Vilayet reportedly had an area of {{convert|11522|sqmi|km2}}, while the preliminary results of the first Ottoman census of 1885 (published in 1908) gave the population as 388,625.[https://archive.org/stream/asiakeane00kean#page/460/mode/1up Asia] by A. H. Keane, 1909, page 460 The accuracy of the population figures ranges from "approximate" to "merely conjectural" depending on the region from which they were gathered.

Bitlis and Muş were formerly included in the Eyalet of Erzurum. In 1875, they were detached and made a separate vilayet. The sanjak of Siirt was joined to the vilayet of Bitlis from Diyarbekir Vilayet in 1883–84.{{cite book|last=Krikorian|first=Mesrob K.|title=Armenians in the Service of the Ottoman Empire: 1860–1908|date=January 1977 |publisher=Routledge and Kegan Paul |isbn=9780710085641 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=do89AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA26}}