Abstract
The Grain Trade Problem Between the Ottoman Empire and Russia in the 18th Century (1768-1792)
The Ottoman Empire was a great empire that spread to the oldest continents of world such as Asia Minor, Europe and Africa. These geographies also hosted the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which were world’s most important trade centers. Being the indisputable leader of these two trade centers, Ottomans had established commercial relations with many states over the centuries. Commercial relations with one of these states, Russia, started for the first time in the XV. century. It started when the Russian Tsar III. Ivan sent his ambassadors to Istanbul in order to regulate bilateral trade relations. This phase was known as the period of friendship and solidarity between two countries. After this period, between two countries relations began to pass in an environment of constant struggle and war. The most important factor was that the Black Sea and Mediterranean basins were at the center of the expansion and enlargement policy of the Russians. The Russians were expanding their trade network by adding new commercial concessions to agreements signed at the end of each war, they won against the Ottomans. Russians, in this way, until end of the XVIII. century, they expanded their borders against the Ottoman Empire, and besides, they obtained the right of free trade in the Ottoman territorial waters from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. In this study; especially archival documents which Ottoman historical research main sources, and other research works made in this subject are discussed that commercial problems between the Ottoman Empire and Russia in XVIII. century.
Keywords
Ottoman Empire, Russia, Trade, Grain
