The Economic Situation of Budjak of the Tatar-Ottoman Era (XV–In Begining XIX Century)

The article examines the main stages of the formation of the economic system of Budjak during the of its intensive settlement by Tatars and Ottomans. The main prerequisites for the formation of the economic system in the 15th–early 19th centuries are the arrival of the Tatar tribes in the region and the appearance here of Italian, Moldavian, Bulgarian trading posts, which already in the 15th century created competition for the Ottoman Empire, which led to the capture of Budjak by the Turks, who established their model of the economic system. Populating the region with Nogays and at the same time reforming trade, land, tax law, the Turks turned Budjak into a supplier of household products, wine, salt, and slaves. The main ports were Akkerman, Kiliya, Timarovo, Izmail. Economic changes also affected the Tatars, who gradually abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and became the main suppliers of food, livestock, salt to Moldova, Crimea, Turkey later, in the province of the Russian Empire. The trade and tax policies of the Crimea and the Ottoman Empire were of great importance. Despite the large number of taxes, they were not heavy and, in general, did not exceed 10% of the income of local residents. The right to trade was given to all comers, Christians and Muslims. In the 18th century, Kyrym Giray Khan developed a project for the creation of 2 commercial ports, which were supposed to supply grain to Istanbul and create competition for the ports of Turkey on the Danube. The publication reveals the role of the main ethnic groups in the economic specialization of the region. Moldovans were engaged in agriculture and wine production, Tatars – in animal husbandry, agriculture, salt mining, Turks, Ukrainians – in trade. Economic growth has strengthened the role of the Budjak ports in international trade, which has led to the interest of European states in expanding economic contacts with the region