The Middle East & the Balkans Under the Ottoman Empire: Essays on Economy & Society

This major contribution to Ottoman history is now published in paperback in one volume! Professor İnalcık was the first to discuss the register of the customs dues (gümrük bekaya defteri) of the important city of Caffa (Kefe) in the Crimea that the Ottomans had taken in 1475. This English presentation of the register, vvith essays on the Black Sea trade, tables and documents, gives the reader, in the vvords of the publishers, "a colorful tapestry of the Ottoman Black Sea trade system." It is more than a full publication of the oldest extant Ottoman customs register from Caffa, vvhich the English ambassador to the porte Sir Thomas Roe described as "the chief seat and port of the Euxine." İnalcık's essays are investigations of the Ottoman Black Sea trade as vvell as an analysis of the register. With meticulous examination of ali facts and fıgures, he describes the grain production, imports and exports of the Crimea, and the shipovvners, captains and merchants in the Black Sea, comparing his fındings vvith the trade of Kili and Kerş. The appendices, tables and rare documents bring forth fascinating details of Ottoman life. His data on vveights and measures, Ottoman and Crimean currency and the glossary make the book an invaluable chef d'oeuvre. The materials provided describe hovv the Black Sea vvas transformed into an Ottoman lake and hovv the northern communities in Moldavia, Ukraine, Muscovy and others benefitted from this grovvth. The customs register of Caffa is also a volume of a more general character vvith contributions on the history of the Black Sea economy.