Social and economic history of Edirne in the first half of the XVIIIth century

In this study, an attempt has been made to address the situation of Edirne, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire in Rumelia, during the first half of the 18th century by utilizing archival sources. The impacts of the events that emerged in the first half of the 18th century on Edirne, an ancient Ottoman city, have been evaluated from social and economic perspectives. Along with the general situation that emerged in the Ottoman Empire after the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz, the study focuses on the effects of the 1703 Edirne Incident, which we consider a turning point for Edirne. The administrative structure of Edirne, its neighborhoods, religious, educational, and social life structures, commercial structures, demographic situation, family dynamics including polygamy, marriage-divorce rates, social life, incidents referred to court, and foundations have been evaluated within the scope of the period studied. Additionally, efforts have been made to shed light on the events affecting the social life of Edirne, such as wars, campaigns, banditry incidents, natural disasters, and epidemic diseases, through observations based on archival documents, aiming to illuminate the Edirne society of the period. The economic situation of Edirne in the first half of the 18th century, including the monetary system, price control practices, taxes, production and industry, professions, agriculture, and animal husbandry studies, is also within the scope of this study. Through conducted research, the social and economic structure of Edirne, a classical Ottoman city, has been revealed in the first half of the 18th century.