Establishing an optimal plant population is a critical factor for maximizing seed yield in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). This study was conducted to determine the influence of six seeding rates (100 to 350 kg ha⁻¹) on yield and its components in the 'Katran' chickpea cultivar and their correlation. A field experiment was carried out during the 2023-2024 growing season in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, using a randomized complete block design. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of seven key agronomic traits revealed that the first three principal components (PCs) accounted for 80.14% of the total variation. PC1, termed "Plant Vigor and Architecture," identified a clear trade-off between vegetative growth (e.g., plant height) and seed size (100-seed weight). PC2, "Pod Set Strategy," was primarily driven by the number of pods per plant. Crucially, PC3, "Yield Realization," was strongly and positively correlated with seed yield, indicated that yield was a distinct trait independent of plant size or pod count. The findings concluded that high seeding rates promoted vegetative growth at the expense of seed size. That optimal yield in 'Katran' chickpea was achieved not by maximizing number of pods per plant, but by balancing plant competition to support a moderate number of well-filled pods per plant.