The establishment of large çiftliks: indebtedness and property acquisition in 18th-century karaferye (veria)

Abstract

Çiftliks, i.e., landed estates, were profitable for wealthy investors in the Ottoman Empire, yet detailed information about how they were established and operated is limited. This study delves into the 18th-century practices of local elites in Karaferye (mod. Veria), a town within the province of Selânik (mod. Thessaloniki), who acquired arable lands from peasants thanks to the latter's debts and security concerns. Interestingly, the debt burden was not exclusive to the peasants; it also affected the local elites who acted as creditors, leading to the phenomenon known as the cycle of debt. Following the ceding of their lands, the peasants transitioned from independent cultivators to wage laborers (ecir). The article draws its empirical base from the land investments of the Saricazâdes, one of the most powerful local families, and similar local notables in 14 villages in the rural hinterland of Karaferye. © Bedirhan Laçin, 2024. Published with license by Koninklijke Brill BV.