An Analysis of a Revenue Archival Book Belonged to the İzmir Efrenç Custom and Conclusions Related to Trade 1797-1799

Abstract

This study has been built on the analysis of a 47 page archival book registered under the number of 22222 in the Ottoman Archives of Prime Ministry of Turkey (BOA. D. HMK.). According to the "icmal" book of Custom of İzmir, the classified data in this analysis belongs to 316 ships whose records from 25.03.1797 to 01.03.1799 have been registered in the stated book. The overall data and statistics on the tariffs and duties paid by those ships, their ports of origin and the nationality (flag) of the ships have lead us to some clues and conclusions about the trade, commercial life and structure of Ottoman İzmir of the time, and they are discussed in relation to economic and political conjecture. Based on the same records, the study has also reached the information on the trade recording methods of the time applied by the Foreign Custom of Izmir, as well as the figures on incomes and expenses of the Customs and Port Studied. Although this study did not aim to generalize, it sheds some light on the period with a sampling method.