Inflation in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire and Europe

Year 2022, Volume: 30 Issue: 54, 401 - 420, 25.10.2022

Kamil Kıvanç Karaman , Seçil Yıldırım-karaman

https://doi.org/10.17233/sosyoekonomi.2022.04.21

Cited By: 1

Abstract

This study investigates the rates and causes of price inflation in early modern Europe and the Ottomans. There are two leading causes of price inflation in this period. The first is the American silver, and the second is the debasements that states resorted to for revenue. Our study shows that debasements are the more important cause. Debasements have induced price increases ranging between two to five hundred-fold for different states. As for American silver, it has induced, at most, a four-fold increase in prices. Hence inflation was mainly caused by debasements and the underlying political factors.

Keywords

Price Revolution, Inflation, Debasement, Silver Standard

Erken Modern Dönem Osmanlı Devleti ve Avrupa’da Enflasyon

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Osmanlı Devleti ve diğer Avrupa devletleri için erken modern dönemde gerçekleşen fiyat enflasyonu oranlarını karşılaştırmakta ve enflasyonun sebeplerini incelemektedir. Bu dönemde gerçekleşen fiyat enflasyonunu açıklamada iki etken ön plana çıkar. İlk etken Amerika’da keşfedilen gümüş, ikinci etken ise devletlerin gelir elde etmek için başvurdukları tağşişlerdir. Çalışmamız bu iki etkenden daha önemli olanının tağşişler olduğunu gösterir. Eldeki veriler tağşişlerin farklı ülkeler için 2 ile 500 kat arasında değişen oranlarda fiyat artışlarına yol açtığını göstermektedir. Amerika’dan gelen gümüş ise fiyatları 4 kattan daha az artırmıştır. Dolayısıyla enflasyonun temel sebebi tağşişler ve tağşişlere yol açan siyasi sebeplerdir.

Keywords

Fiyat Devrimi, Enflasyon, Tağşiş, Gümüş Standardı

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