A temporal analysis of wealth in eighteenth-century Ottoman Kastamonu


Ergene B. A., Kaygun A., Cosgel M. M.

CONTINUITY AND CHANGE, cilt.28, ss.1-26, 2013 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 28
  • Basım Tarihi: 2013
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1017/s026841601300009x
  • Dergi Adı: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-26
  • İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

This article studies temporal variations in wealth levels and distribution in an Ottoman context during the eighteenth century. By analysing the probate estate inventories of the Muslim deceased in Kastamonu, located in north-central Anatolia, we demonstrate that real wealth levels generally declined over the course of the century. Our analysis also suggests that the economic conditions of poor men, if not women, deteriorated more so than those of the rich, fuelling growing inequality. The article explores the factors that contributed to these trends and discusses the relevance of our findings for long-term economic development patterns in the region from a comparative perspective.