Abstract:

The aim of this study is to investigate and reveal the economic situation of non-Muslims living in the city center of Bursa province according to the economic data obtained from the Temettuat Surveys dated 1844-1845. According to the data, in terms of population, the Armenians ranked first and the Greeks ranked second in Bursa city center. Jews, on the other hand, had a very small population compared to other non-Muslim groups and lived in one particular neighborhood. These three non-Muslim communities got engaged in numerous economic activities. The non-Muslims living in Bursa worked in sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry, shop-keeping and commerce, and taxes were imposed on the income they earned as an outcome of their trade. Among the non-Muslims, there were those who earned high income from their trade and businesses, as well as those who got engaged in low-profile jobs. As it can clearly be seen in our study, it was recorded that the total annual income of non-Muslims living in 1790 households was 2.082.111 Kuruş, and the tax paid in return for their annual income was 164.893 Kuruş.

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