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Laonicus Chalcocondyles and the Ottoman Budget
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 January 2009
Extract
The subject of this communication is a relatively short but interesting passage in the ίστορίαι of the Athenian historian Laonicus Chalcocondyles, which deals with the administration and fiscal income of the Ottoman Empire in the reign of Muhammad II. The contents of this text were first utilized by von Hammer and most recently by Franz Babinger in his monumental history of the reign of Muhammad II, so it is obvious that in choosing this theme I am not presenting something completely new or unknown. Nevertheless, this material merits closer scrutiny than it has hitherto enjoyed, not only because of the scarcity of early sources on Ottoman fiscal history but because it will contribute to the ongoing evaluation of the historical worth of the toίστορίαι, and finally because it gives a view of the system to which the peoples of the empire were subject. A translation of the text is presented, followed by an analysis of the contents and a partial comparison with other sources.
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References
1 On Chalcocondyles see: Krumbacher, K., Geschichte der byzantinischen Literatur (New York, 1970), 1, 302–305;Google ScholarMoravcsik, G., Byzantinoturcica, I: Die byzantinischen Quellen der Geschichte der Türkenvolker, 2d ed. (Berlin, 1958), pp. 396 ff.;Google ScholarDitten, H., Der RusslandExkurs des Laonikos Chalkokondyles (Berlin, 1968);Google Scholaridem, “Laonikos Chalkokondyles und die Sprache der Rumänen”, Aus der byzantinistischen Arbeit der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, ed. J. Irmscher, I (1957), 93–105.
2 von Hammer-Purgstall, Joseph, Geschichte des Omanischen reiches (Pest, 1840), I, 589.Google ScholarBabinger, F., Mehmed der Eroberer und seine Zeit: Weltstürmer einer Zeitwende (Munich 1959), pp. 482–488 and passim.Google Scholar
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6 Ibid., pp. 198–199.
7 Ibid., p. 201.
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32 Chalcocondyles, II, 200. The figures he actually inclues in his breakdown amount to only 2,300,000, but his portion from the revenues shared with the provincial officials is missing, as are the pasturage of sheep, one-fifth booty, and so 1,700,000 ducats are unaccounted for.Google Scholar
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34 Schefer, C., Le voyage d'outreiner de Bertrandon de Ia Brocquicre (Paris, 1892), p. 182.Google Scholar
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36 Babinger, Iacopo, p. 72, estimates expenditures at 1,375,000 ducats.Google Scholar
37 Chalcocondyles, II, 201.Google Scholar
38 “Baştina” is, of course, of Slavic origin.Google Scholar
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