URBANIZATION OF MEDIEVAL BYZANTINE AND URBAN REVIVAL IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 3 Sayı: 2, 93 - 101, 31.12.2022

Hüseyin Hakan Gazioğlu

Öz

The transition from late antiquity to the early middle ages marks a turning point in the history of the Byzantine state. In particular, Arab invasions on Byzantine lands, as well as various natural disasters such as epidemics and earthquakes that reappear in certain periods caused important social, economic, and political changes in the Byzantine empire. These phenomena also affected the landscape, structure, and functions of the early Byzantine period cities, which were a continuation of the late antique period police, and led to the emergence of a new city concept and Medieval urbanization. The evolution of late antique and early Byzantine cities to medieval standards seems to have taken place as a result of the fragmentation of the late antique agricultural mode of production and economic model under war conditions. The phenomena of the seventh century transformed the agricultural character of the empire based on large landownership into a small producer-dominated agricultural model, while also disrupting the rural-urban relationship where agricultural surplus was directed to the care of the ancient city or police. This also appears to be one of the reasons for the shrinkage in trade and money volume. The cities lost their intermediary role in the economic and financial management of the empire, which they had maintained since ancient times. This situation caused the end of the ancient city organization. From the middle of the seventh century, Byzantine cities were united with the defense system of the empire, and some cities gained importance in the regional military system. Until the tenth century, the physical and social character of Byzantine cities was shaped by the intervention of the empire. During this period, the existence of cities depended on the political and economic preferences of the empire, and the army and church personnel in the administrative centers became the driving factors of urban development by creating demand for trade and production. The economic role of the state as the primary moneymaker and collector promoted urban development through regional governments. Payments made by the state to the regional personnel increased the demand for agriculture and crafts, and domestic trade and markets began to develop at the regional level. In this respect, until the tenth century, cities witnessed a state initiative-based liberation. On the other hand, the state's large-scale housing policy emerges as an important factor in the early stages of urban development. The central government built cities and castles for the immigrants they settled in the destroyed and deserted regions of Anatolia and the Balkans. In the ninth century, urban development became widespread across the empire. Thanks to the financial reform made in this period, the increase in the circulation of money stimulated the commercial life of the cities. The strengthening of the big landowning classes with the tenth century is marked as a new stage in the development of Byzantine cities. The gradual decrease in the weight of small producers and villagers in agriculture in favor of large land ownership enabled agricultural production to be concentrated in large farms, while this situation enabled some cities to develop as commercial centers and product exit points, and brought the revival of the urban economy.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Medieval Urbanism, Castron, Byzantine City, Economy.

Destekleyen Kurum

Akmed

Proje Numarası

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ORTA ÇAĞ BİZANS KENTLEŞMESİ VE KENTSEL CANLANMANIN EKONOMİK DİNAMİKLERİ

Öz

Geç antik çağdan erken Orta çağlara geçiş, Bizans devleti tarihinde bir dönüm noktası olarak işaretlenir. Özellikle Bizans topraklarına yapılan Arap istilaları yanı sıra belirli dönemlerde tekrar ortaya çıkan salgınlar ve depremler gibi çeşitli doğal afetler Bizans imparatorluğunda önemli sosyal, ekonomik ve politik değişikliklere neden olmuştur. Bu fenomenler aynı zamanda geç antik dönem polisinin bir devamı olan Erken Bizans dönemi kentlerinin peyzajını, yapısını ve fonksiyonlarını etkilemiş, yeni bir kent kavramının ve Orta çağ kentleşmesinin ortaya çıkmasına yol açmıştır. Geç antik ve erken Bizans dönemi kentlerinin Orta çağ standartlarına evrilmesi, savaş koşullarında geç antik tarımsal üretim modu ve ekonomik modelinin parçalanması sonucunda gerçekleşmiş görünür. Yedinci yüzyılın fenomenleri imparatorluğun büyük toprak sahipliğine dayalı tarımsal karakterini küçük üretici ağırlıklı tarımsal modele dönüştürürken aynı zamanda tarımsal fazlalığın antik kent ya da polisin bakımına yönlendirildiği kır-kent ilişkisini bozmuştur. Bu aynı zamanda ticarette ve para hacminde yaşanan büzülmenin nedenlerinden biri olarak görünür. Kentler imparatorluğun ekonomik ve mali yönetiminde antik dönemden itibaren sürdürdüğü aracılık rollerini kaybetmişlerdir. Bu durum antik kent örgütlenmesinin sona ermesine neden olmuştur. Yedinci yüzyılın ortasından itibaren Bizans kentleri imparatorluğun savunma sistemi ile birleştirilmiş, bazı kentler bölgesel askeri sistem içerisinde önem kazanmıştır. Onuncu yüzyıla kadar Bizans kentlerinin fiziksel ve sosyal karakteri imparatorluğun müdahalesi ile şekillenmiştir. Bu dönemde kentlerin varlığı imparatorluğun politik ve ekonomik tercihlerine bağlı olmuş, idari merkezlerde bulunan ordu ve kilise personeli ticaret ve üretime talep yaratarak kentsel gelişmenin itici unsurları olmuşlardır. Bu açıdan onuncu yüzyıla kadar kentler devlet inisiyatifine dayalı bir kurtarılmaya tanık olmuşlardır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Ortaçağ Kentleşmesi, Kastron, Bizans Kenti, Ekonomi.

Proje Numarası

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Kaynakça

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