Numbered 201 Price Book of İstanbul Court

Istanbul had had importance for Ottoman Empire, both as a official and political capital and with its crowded population up to half-million and its economic opportunities. For this reason,Constantinople became a prior trade center where surplus productions belonging to the all domain had arrived, and had had a particular importance for the state.Constantinople, in addition to Istanbul Qadılıq, as for administrative, was divided into Bilâd-ı Selâse, also called Galata Qadılıq, Üsküdar Qadılıq and Eyüp Qadılıq. Amongst these qadılıqs, especially Istanbul Qadılıq had played an important part in the economical life of the city. Therefore, Istanbul Qadılıq was charged of fixation and arrangement of all prices applied in the economical life. On the fixation of prices, Empire had grounded on the principle of both securing of people?s welfare and of not suffering damage of tradesmen and producer groups. It is understood from the registers that Ottomans had given an importance to this principle and acted meticulously in the application of and the inspection of prices determined. Because of the political and military failures in the 18th and 19th centuries, the financial problems of the state had deepened seriously, for this reason the role of the state over economical life gradually rised. In this respect, within the scope of these circunstances of the period the price fixing book numbered 201 of Istanbul Court contains detailled informations about economical life of Istanbul, tradesmen and craftsmen groups and goods variety and price changes.