Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Social Scale

Population of the Largest Settlement

population of the largest settlement is the estimated population of the largest settlement of the polity. note that the largest settlement could be different from the capital (coded under general variables). if possible, indicate the dynamics (that is, how population changed during the temporal period of the polity). note that we are also building a city database - you should consult it as it may already have the needed data.   (See here)
Contributors:

Variable Definition
Polity The Seshat Polity ID
Year(s) The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE]
Tag [Evidenced, Disputed, Suspected, Inferred, Unknown]
Verified A Seshat Expert has approved this piece of data.

Variable Definition
population_of_the_largest_settlement_from The lower range of population of the largest settlement for a polity.
population_of_the_largest_settlement_to The upper range of population of the largest settlement for a polity.

# Polity Year(s) Population of the Largest Settlement from Population of the Largest Settlement to Description   Edit
121
(Tairona)
1100 CE
100
200
None
122
(Novgorod Land)
1100 CE
15000
15000
None
123
(Northern Song)
1100 CE
1000000
1000000
None
124
(Seljuk Sultanate)
1100 CE
500000
1000000
None
125
(Heian)
1150 CE
150000
150000
None
126
(French Kingdom - Late Capetian)
1150 CE
25000
25000
None
127
(Tairona)
1150 CE 1399 CE
150
4000
None
128
(Ghur Principality)
1176 CE 1215 CE
100000
400000
Inhabitants.
{300,000; 50,000}: 1200 CE not sure if Herat was within polity.
Probably Herat? Contemporary estimates in range of 1-2 million but recent scholars much less. "Petrushevskii himself estimated that the population of Herat, which he considered to be one of the largest cities in the Middle East at the beginning of the thirteenth century, was 'at least several hundred thousand.'" [Subtelny 2007, p. 121] M.E. Masson's estimate of more than half a million "seems unreasonable when compared with estimates for western Iranian towns made by Portuguese and Italian visitors during roughly the same period." Lower range of estimates for medieval Herat are "from 45,500 to 60,000 for the city proper; 140,000 to 160,000 for the province (vilayat) of Herat; and 300,000 to 400,000 for the greater Herat region." [Subtelny 2007, pp. 121-122]
129
(Benin Empire)
1180 CE 1785 CE
None
None
None
130
(Kingdom of Sicily - Hohenstaufen and Angevin dynasties)
1194 CE
300000
300000
None
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