Halil inalcrk

Studies in Ottoman Social

and Economic History

VARIORUM REPRINTS
London 1985
Brirsh Llbran'CIP data inalcrk. Halil
Studies in Ottoman social and economic historl,.
(Collected studies series; CS214)
-1. Turker'- Economic conditions
I. Title
330.956 HC492

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 CONTENTS
I

i^F
rrelace vll-vlll
I
A

\-,\/
I

' I The Question of the Emergence

of the Ottoman State 7t-79
International Journal of Turkish
Studies II. Madison, Wisc., 1980

L'Empire Ottoman 75-103

./tt Actes du ler Congris international
des itudes balkaniques et sud-est
europednnes, III. Sofia, 1969

m The Khan and the Tribal Aristocracy:

The Crimean Khanate under Sahib Giray | 445-466
Harvard Ukrainian Studies III-M.
Cambridge, Mass., 1979-80

ry Impact of the Annales School on

Ottoman Studies and New Findings 69-96
Review, Journal of the Fernand Braudel
Center, I. Binghampton, N.Y., 1978

' ;-- Y Military and Fiscal Transformation

-"' in the Ottoman Empire, 1600-1700 283-337
Archivum Ottomanicum V I.
Louvain, 1980

\{ Rice Cultivation and the geltilkci-

re'6yd System in the Ottoman Empire 69-L41, \
Turcica, Revue d'€rudes turques, XIV.
Lo uv ain- P aris - S tras b o urg, I 982
 vi

,;-
/ vrr Servile Labor in the Ottoman Empire
4 25-52
The Mutual Effects of the Islamic
and J udeo-Ciiisrian'Worlds: The Easr
European Pattern, ed. A. Ascher,
T, Halasi-Kun & B. K. Kirdly.
Srudies on Sociery in Change 3.
Brooklyn, N.Y.: BrooklS,n College Press, 1979

VIII The Emergence of Big Farms. giftliks:

State. Landlords and Tenants r05-126
\
Contributions d I'histoire 6conontique
er sociale de I'Empire'ononzan.
Collection Turcica, III. '
Louvain: Peeters, ],984

The Hub of the City:

The Bedestan of Istanbul r-17
International Journal of Turkislt
Studies L Madison. Wisc.. 1980

X Introduction to Ottoman Metrologv 311-348

Turcica, Revue d'dtudes turques W. ,"\
Louvain- Paris-Strasbourg, I 983
Index of Weiehts and Measures

Index 1-8

This volume contains a total of 348 pages.

The articles in this volume, as in all others in the Collected Studies Series, have not
been given a new, continuous pagination. In order to avoid confwion, and to
facilitate their use where these same studies have been referred to elsewhere, the
original pagination has been maintained wherever possible.
Each article has been given a Roman number in order of appearance, as listed in
the Contents. This number is repeated on each page and quoted in the index
entries.
 PREFACE

This second volume of my collected studies deals principally with

economic and social history. The first two papers, "The Question of
the Emergence of the Ottoman State" and "L'Empire Ottoman"
serve as an introduction to the subject. Here the reader will find a re-
interpretation of Ottoman history based on a new periodization.
Paper IV, "The Impact of the Annales School", is an attempt to
assess the main issues upon which historians have focussed since the
end of World War II. I examine critically studies dealing with the
effects of the sixteenth-century population explosion, as well as the
shattering impact of the price revolution, on the Ottoman state and
society. The key problem in Ottoman demographic studies is the
interpretation of statistical data. Our conclusions depend largeiy on
our definitions of "khdn€" the Ottoman household and "nefer"
an adult male as- virtually all population -records were
-,
rendered in these terms. Using modern demographic theory. it is
argued that, at least in urban centers and certain other regions. the
average Ottoman household was much smaller than five individuais.
Also in "The Impact of the Annales School". I differ from the
traditional explanation, rvhich O. L. Barkan developed, for the
debasement of the "akEa" Ottoman silver monetary unit
- 1lgthat,
in
the period 1584-1620. I argue contrary to Barkan's belief-that
debasement occurred in order to find a supplementary supplv for the
treasury's shortage of cash, the akEa's value was adjusted to the
foreign specie which flooded the Ottoman market in that period.
Paper V, "Military and Fiscal Transformation", is a study. based
on a close analysis of Ottoman sources. of the "decline" period
which followed the financial and military upheavals of the 1590's. I
conclude that an analysis of the "celdli" depredations should stress
the changes in the methods of warfare which necessitated the
massive use of Anatolian mercenaries equipped with fire-arms for
the campaigns in Europe. Faced with subsequent unemployment
these mercenary companies ("sekbdn") become brigand bands
("celili"). When M. Akda-e explained the widespread celdli
disorders as a manifestation of latent economic and social unrest. he
missed the basic characteristic of the movement. The growing use of
rrtoney in the empire's economy and state finances, as well as the
military unrest, precipitated a period of transformation.
 viii

Papers vI, "Rice. cuitivation", and vII.,'servile Labor". focus on

mgre specific aspects of Ottoman sociai and economic historv. Rice
cultivation in the empire exhibited some of the mosr 11,pical features
of the ottoman socio-political concepi and stiucture. This
agricultural sector demonstrated dramaticalli, the state's massive
exploitation of the peasant labor and the ruling elire's unrlertaking of
land reclamation and mobilization of asricultiral resources throieh
the fa'or of supreme authorin'. Thus. -h'draulic enterprit.r
witrfogel) do- not constituie an exclusjve example ofir-.-i, mass
exploitation of peasant labor in the oriental srare.
Also in "Rice Cultivation". I seek to explain hou,. under normal
conditions. the Sultan tried to standardize ri'ithin the empire a
specific form of aqrarian production based on the familv farm unit.
This polifl' led to the eradual ejimination of servile' labor. but
broueht about. in rice cu'itivation. a kind of enserfmenr for certain
:-srgupl of peasantr\'. This paper also considers land reciamatjon.
irrigation methods. and land and capacitr,rneasurements. The article
"Serviie Labor" develops e\/en further the role of rhis form of labor
in economic activities other than militari,and domestic slaverv in the
Ottoman Empire.
"The Emergence of Big Farms". \/III. analvses a particular
development .ii ottoman -asrari;n r,istoitl. Heie. Lti.,npr ro
describe in detail the struiiure of ottoman bis faims uncier
provincial notabies during the eighteenth cenrur\,] tire chansjne
conditions in the landlord and peasanr,rtenanr iejarions ,..Ei.,,,5
special attention.
in article IX. "The Bedestan of Istanbul". I describe and analr,ze
the bedestan's central role in the orsanization of the Ottoman u.6un
econom\', A fifteenth-centurt'surue1, is a basic source in this studr,.
A reliable socjal and economic stud-r'demands an accurate anaiysjs
of the sources with exact definitions of u,eights and measures. Essav
no. X. "Inrroduction to ottoman lv{etroldgi"'. explores the origin,
and development of the ottoman svsrem o-imeasuremenrs.

HALIL INALCIK
Chicago, Illinois
Aupust 1984