Money and prices in Central Anatolia (1688-1760)

In this study, the subject of money and prices between 1688 and 1760 in Central Anatolia is examined, and after the history of money in the Ottoman Empire from its establishment up until 1760 has been examined in all aspects, the effects on the people of the changes in the money and monetary units and on the relations between the people and the state particularly in the cities of Ankara, Konya, and Kayseri have been tried to be determined. After the Vienna defeat in 1683, the state had problems in finding money during the wars against the holy alliance which lasted 16 years. And the state had to coin copper money (mankur) in 1688. Because more nominal value than its actual metal value was given to the copper, it caused big issues, and in 1691 the copper money was removed from circulation (demonetized). The state started coining its own coins in 1690, and this steadily continued up until 1760; and from then on, the money started losing value very fast due to the fact that the state was forced to enter into new wars. For this reason, this steady covers the period until 1760. In the part regarding prices, the prices in Ankara, Konya and Kayseri between 1688 and 1760 have been examined ambidextrously by using statistical information. On the one hand the prices of houses, vineyards, gardens, fields, inns, Turkish baths, and stores have been examined and on the other hand rents, animal and slave prices, alimonies, articles of clothing, fabrics and cloths, household goods and kitchenware of the time, foodstuff, and the building material prices and the wages have all been examined, and the changes in the prices and the elements affecting the prices have been tried to be determined. Therefore, with the examination of the money and prices in the Central Anatolian cities, an idea has been obtained about the economic situation of the people in the Ottoman Empire.