Profile of entrepreneurs in the classical age of the ottoman empire according to muhimme registers (1558 - 1597)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to uncover the profile of entrepreneurs in the Ottoman Empire's classical age. The Ottoman Empire's entrepreneurial history is usually considered as a single period and a whole. Without taking into account the archive data, evaluations illustrate the Ottoman Empire's entrepreneurial characteristics in the after 18th century. Muhimme records are supposed to provide crucial clues concerning the Ottoman Empire's entrepreneurship prior to the 18th century. The methodological basis of the research is content analysis with MaxQDA. The muhimme registers between the years 1558 – 1597 (according to hijri[1] calendar: 966 – 1005) were evaluated using content analysis. A total of 68 muhimme registers were examined and rated in areas of entrepreneurship, partnership, entrepreneur belief, and currency. Conclusions. In the study, strong conclusions are reached that Muslim Turkish entrepreneurs played an important role in the region in the mentioned period. According to the research, there are several reasons why the time between 1558 and 1578 in the muhimme registers are more intense than the period between 1579 and 1597. The Ottoman Empire and European countries (particularly Portugal and Spain) fought for political and commercial control in the Mediterranean and North African coasts from 1558 to 1578, which is perhaps the most important of these causes. According to the findings, statements that there were no or a small number of Muslim Turkish entrepreneurs in the Ottoman Empire throughout the era studied are false. On the contrary, evidence suggests that Muslim Turkish traders are engaged in brisk business in the MENA region, the Black Sea, and the Adriatic Sea. There are also indicators that the Muslim Turkish businesspeople named have a significant quantity of money. Given that the study in question merely gives a prognosis for the time period under consideration (1558 – 1597), muhimme registers are expected to offer numerous further research opportunities to academics interested in studying Ottoman entrepreneurs. Muhimme registers from the 17th and 18th centuries which were not included in the study because they were regarded outside the classical period, can be used as an example.