Wealth Accumulation and Entrepreneurship in the Ottoman Empire, 18th to 20th Centuries by Chatziioannou, Maria Christina; Laiou, Sophia;

Short description:

This book provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the Ottoman Empire's economic history, particularly through its exploration of local entrepreneurship, which brings new perspectives to the economic dynamics of the region.

Long description:

This book provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the Ottoman Empire’s economic history, particularly through its exploration of local entrepreneurship, which brings new perspectives to the economic dynamics of the region.

This focus adds a valuable dimension to the broader narrative of Mediterranean social and economic developments from the 18th to the 20th century. By emphasizing the role of both Muslim and non-Muslim agents, the work challenges more Eurocentric narratives that have often influenced the historiography of economic activities in this region. The inclusion of Ottoman, Turkish, and Greek sources underlines the importance of accessing voices and records that have been underutilized in previous studies. The fact that this project is a result of Greek–Turkish academic cooperation is particularly noteworthy, as it promotes a more nuanced and comprehensive view toward shared histories in order to shed light on complex historical phenomena.

This work will be of interest to scholars of Ottoman and Mediterranean history seeking to explore the nuances of economic and social change from within the Ottoman Empire. It will also appeal to a wider audience interested in the history of early entrepreneurial activities and the complex interplay between cultural and economic dynamics in historical contexts.

Table of Contents:

Introduction  Part 1: Forms of Entrepreneurship and Social Mobility  1. Aspects of Capital Accumulation in Thessaloniki of the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century: Capital Structure, Entrepreneurial Strategies, and Economic Characteristics of a Muslim Urban Elite  2. Capitalist Practices of Thessalonican Greek Merchants Around the 1820s  3. Ottoman Greek Entrepreneurs in Istanbul in the Early 1800s  4. Wealth Accumulation and Investment Methods of Sarrafs (Moneychangers) in 18th Century Ιstanbul  5. Signs of Wealth: Emerging Consumption in Early Modern Southeastern Europe  Part 2: The 1820s: The Dawn of a New Era  6. Between Private Wealth and State Revenues: Was Ali Paşa of Ioannina a Rich Man?  7. Janissary Inter-Provincial Economic Practices During the 1821 Greek War of Independence  8. The Wealth Accumulated by Merchants in the 1820s: Levels, Gradations, Distributions  Part 3: Tanzimat and the New Economic Horizons  9. Locality and Transnational Trade: The Role of the Ottoman Greek Merchant-Entrepreneur  10. Businesses and Investment Strategies in the Cigarette Industry of the Eastern Mediterranean, Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries  11. Motifs of Primary Accumulation in the Ottoman Empire: The Bankers of Galata and the Case of Andreas Syngros  Part 4: Land Possession and Entrepreneurship  12. Capital and Wealth in the Ottoman Balkans at the Turn of the 19th Century: Some Evidence from Salonica  13. Çiftlik Holdings in Western Anatolia: The Karaosmanoğlu Family and the Baltazzi Family in the 18th–19th Centuries  14. Wealth Inequality, Çiftliks, and the Question of Agrarian Capitalism in Cyprus During the 1830s  15. Stephan Spartalian: An Armenian Entrepreneur in the Age of ‘National Economy’ of the Young Turk Period