Coal mining Zonguldak in Kozlu: Business administration and working life (1848-1921)

In this study, there has been investigated the business administration and working conditions of the coal mining at Zonguldak Kozlu area in 1848-1921 Ottoman period. In the study, there has been preferred economic periodization in order to explain changes in the coal mining history, different from other studies on this subject. Then, in the study this periodization has also been used to present the impacts of changing coal mining business on the labor in the process force. It has been examined in detail that the mining operations of earlier and subsequent established enterprises' activities in the basin and the state's efforts of creating adequate workforce on the basis of the domination. According to findings obtained from archival sources especially, enterprises has accelerated their investment in the basin after the year of 1882 in which the investors expected to gain more profit from their businesses. Since the domestic investments was not enough for the region, foreigner investments have become inevitable. The labor profile in the basin has changed and diversified by means of impacts of developments in specific periods. By increasing labor supply in investment, it has been provided partial liberalization of labor market. However, amenable workers who works for part time with a village centered life style prevented the emerging of active worker movements and labor unions in the basin during the late Ottoman period. Keywords: Ottoman, Zonguldak Kozlu, Coal Mining, Working Life.