From Beratlı Tüccar to Avrupa Tüccarı: The Pursuit of "Nizâm-ı Raiyyet" in Salonica
The non-Muslim merchants of the Ottoman State had requested protection from the consuls throughout the 18th century for their legal and economic freedom. In this sense, the institution of tercümanlık [dragoman] was open to abuse and exploited, and the issue of beratlı-fermanlı tüccarıs [certified me...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Istanbul University Press
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Tarih Dergisi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/95E9B94A17614BB885E606A90BAA0989 |
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| Summary: | The non-Muslim merchants of the Ottoman State had requested protection from the consuls throughout the 18th century for their legal and economic freedom. In this sense, the institution of tercümanlık [dragoman] was open to abuse and exploited, and the issue of beratlı-fermanlı tüccarıs [certified merchants] arose. Selim III in particular fought against this issue in order to preserve the state's reputation and revenues. Salonica was one of the significant cities where the attempt was made to control this issue and the patronage of consuls. The practices of Selim III regarding the establishment of nizâm-ı raiyyet [statute regarding non-Muslim subjects] had significant success in Salonica. In 1806, the issue of beratlı [certified] merchants was resolved in Salonica, and the institution of Avrupa tüccarı [merchants of Europe], which was offered to the dhimmi [non-Muslim subjects] as an alternative, gained popularity. Compared to the Greeks, the Jewish merchants of the city gained an active position in socio-economic life thanks to this establishment. |
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| ISSN: | 2619-9505 |