Growth and retardation in the Ottoman economy : the case of Ottoman Selanik, 1876-1912
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Selanik became one of most modernised and dynamic regions of the Ottoman Empire. With its tightly knit marketing networks and extensive railway systems, relatively well-developed financial markets, fluid land market, modem factories, burgeoning urban areas and port-cities, Selanik had clearly become one of the leading commercial regions of the entire eastern Mediterranean basin by the turn of the twentieth century. Two primary forces underlay the process of economic modernisation in the region, namely the capitalist world economy and the reform efforts of the Ottoman government. Enhanced integration with the world economy brought new opportunities and helped bolster economic modernisation in the region. The reform efforts and infrastructure investments of the Ottoman state also contributed to the moment of commercialisation and modernisation. Notwithstanding the impressive dynamism and apparent modernisation of the regional economy, serious processes of retardation and backwardness also surfaced rather strongly during the same period. Ironically, the very same forces that generated much dynamism in the regional economy also prepared the structural ground
Akarli, Ahmet Orhun
Selanik
Growth and retardation in the Ottoman economy : the case of Ottoman Selanik, 1876-1912. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Selanik became one of most modernised and dynamic regions of the Ottoman Empire. With its tightly knit marketing networks and extensive railway systems, relatively well-developed financial markets, fluid land market, modem factories, burgeoning urban areas and port-cities, Selanik had clearly become one of the leading commercial regions of the entire eastern Mediterranean basin by the turn of the twentieth century. Two primary forces underlay the process of economic modernisation in the region, namely the capitalist world economy and the reform efforts of the Ottoman government. Enhanced integration with the world economy brought new opportunities and helped bolster economic modernisation in the region. The reform efforts and infrastructure investments of the Ottoman state also contributed to the moment of commercialisation and modernisation. Notwithstanding the impressive dynamism and apparent modernisation of the regional economy, serious processes of retardation and backwardness also surfaced rather strongly during the same period. Ironically, the very same forces that generated much dynamism in the regional economy also prepared the structural ground
growth retardation ottoman economy case ottoman become_one modernise dynamic region ottoman_empire tightly knit marketing network extensive railway system relatively_well developed financial market fluid land market modem factory burgeon urban_area port cities clearly become_one leading commercial region entire eastern_mediterranean basin turn primary force underlay process economic modernisation region namely capitalist world economy reform effort ottoman government enhanced integration world economy bring_new opportunity help bolster economic modernisation region reform effort infrastructure investment ottoman state also_contribute moment commercialisation modernisation notwithstanding impressive dynamism apparent modernisation regional_economy serious process retardation also surface rather strongly period ironically force generate much dynamism regional_economy also prepared structural ground