The evolution of commercial institutions and business networks in the Ottoman Empire : British merchant families and individual merchants in the Levant trade in the 18th century
This thesis has been written with the purpose of contributing to the existing general literature on the Levant trade while at the same time being informed by recent advances in research on Ottoman business history. Our aim in this thesis was to study the effect of institutional and organizational change that the Levant Company underwent in the 18th century on the evolution of individual business networks. This thesis is based on an examination of British and Ottoman archival documents and Lloyd's Lists and Registers, which have served as our main source of data and information for the purpose of identifying the initiatives undertaken by individual merchants that led to the creation of new business networks after the year 1753. The variables on which this change in the character of trade depended most and the areas in which the impact of such change was experienced most intensely is revealed during the course of our study. This thesis demonstrates the distinctive character of relationships between family merchants on the one hand and individual merchants on the other in different phases of the early, middle and late 18th century. Furthermore, it confirms the effects that the liberalization and easing of access
Serdaroglu, Uzeyir Serdar
DA Great Britain ; DR Balkan Peninsula
The evolution of commercial institutions and business networks in the Ottoman Empire : British merchant families and individual merchants in the Levant trade in the 18th century. This thesis has been written with the purpose of contributing to the existing general literature on the Levant trade while at the same time being informed by recent advances in research on Ottoman business history. Our aim in this thesis was to study the effect of institutional and organizational change that the Levant Company underwent in the 18th century on the evolution of individual business networks. This thesis is based on an examination of British and Ottoman archival documents and Lloyd's Lists and Registers, which have served as our main source of data and information for the purpose of identifying the initiatives undertaken by individual merchants that led to the creation of new business networks after the year 1753. The variables on which this change in the character of trade depended most and the areas in which the impact of such change was experienced most intensely is revealed during the course of our study. This thesis demonstrates the distinctive character of relationships between family merchants on the one hand and individual merchants on the other in different phases of the early, middle and late 18th century. Furthermore, it confirms the effects that the liberalization and easing of access
evolution commercial institution business network ottoman_empire british_merchant family individual merchant levant trade write purpose contribute exist general literature levant trade time inform recent_advance ottoman business_history aim_study effect institutional organizational change levant company underwent evolution individual business network base_examination british ottoman archival_document lists serve main_source data information purpose identify initiative undertaken individual merchant lead_creation new business network variable change character trade depend area impact change experience intensely reveal course study demonstrates distinctive_character relationship family merchant one_hand individual merchant different_phase early_middle late furthermore confirm effect ease access