Ottoman saphane mukataas in the 18th century: Production, management, trade

This study examines the 18th-century Karahisar-ı Şarkî, Maruniye and Gedüs alum mukataas, which were important sources of revenue for the Ottoman Empire through the state-operated iltizam and malikâne systems. Alum mines were managed by the state for many years due to their high profitability, contributing significantly to the state treasury. Within this context, the study thoroughly explores the characteristics of alum mine, its historical usage, mining operations within alum mines, associated settlements, resident miner reaya, their duties and exemptions, administration of alum mukaatas, revenue generated from alum mines, expenditure of revenues, public order issues related to alum mines, alum transportation, rules governing alum sales, alum sales, and violations arising from these aspects.This study is structured into three main sections: "alum mining and alum mukaatas in the Ottoman Empire," "alum miners and employment in alum mukaatas," and "alum transportation and trade." Under these main headings, there are subheadings such as "historical evolution of alum ore," "the fiscal concept of mukaatas: general features and implementation," "Karahisar-ı Şarkî, Maruniye, and Gedüs alum mukaatas," "villages or districts attached to alum mukaatas for employing alum miners," "alum miners associated with alum mines," "the Kazgancı group and their service," "issues related to alum transportation and sales," and "alum transportation and sales according to the sales area." Additionally, some of these subheadings are further divided into second and third-tier subheadings.The purpose of this study is to fill the literature gap resulting from the insufficient and superficial nature of existing research on the subject, thereby contributing to the economic history of the Ottoman Empire. To achieve this goal, numerous documents were utilized from various registers and records within the Ottoman Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, supplemented where necessary by references to existing literature. This approach was undertaken to construct the present text, ensuring a comprehensive examination of the topic.