Abstract:

This study, which aims to evaluate the commerce of Istanbul in the eighteenth-century, is based on the regimentation of Istanbul Ahkâm Registers in the period of 1764-1780. In order to classify the provisions of Ahkâm Registers; (a)registry(book) numbers, (b)application areas, (c)conflict issues, (d)the social position of the litigants, (e)the religion of the litigants, and (f)application years were chosen as the basic analysis variables. 185 provisions of the commerce were determined in Istanbul Ahkâm Registers in the period of January 1764-May 1779. The most problems of the commerce of Istanbul were “commerce, price, assignation, transport and storage of merchandise”(51.4%). Moreover, the most commercial problems occurred in Üsküdar(31.9%) region. Also, the most commercial problem in Surici, Uskudar and Haslar was “provide and transport of product, firewood and coal”(respectively 18, 23 and 25 cases); in Galata was “rescue, protection and returning to the owner of the merchandise of the wrecked ship”(11 cases). The commercial problems of Istanbul in the eighteenth-century occurred between the reaya(86.5%). Both the applicants and the complainees were intensity composed by the Muslims reaya which were dwelling in centrum. It was determined that 39.5% of this commercial problems occured in the period of 1764-1767.

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