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Ottoman Customs Registers (Gümrük Defterleri) as Sources for Global Exchange and Interaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2015

Linda T. Darling*
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
*
Linda T. Darling is a professor in the Department of History at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; e-mail: ldarling@email.arizona.edu.

Abstract

The Ottoman Empire, contrary to the stereotype, was a key player in global commerce until well into the nineteenth century. Customs registers (gümrük defterleri) compiled by the Ottoman administration provide abundant information on ships, seamen, merchants, goods, and prices. This article summarizes the history of Ottoman customs taxation, enumerates the various types of records that contain information on trade and customs dues, and surveys current scholarship on the customs registers. It also includes lists of customs registers found in the Maliyeden Müdevver collection of the Prime Minister's Ottoman Archive (Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi) and other collections also containing customs registers and related documents. The purpose is to stimulate further research into the Ottoman Empire's role in global interaction and exchange, a core topic in the growing field of world history.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc. 2015 

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