Topic
Armenian Merchant Networks
The globalisation of trade and the proliferation of merchant networks were defining features of the early modern period. In Central and Eastern Europe, most of the long-distance trade was conducted by stateless diaspora communities, including Armenians, Greeks and Jews. Among them, Armenian merchants were particularly successful, establishing trade routes that spanned from Poland-Lithuania to Russia, the Ottoman Empire and Persia.
Armenian Merchant Networks and Long-Distance Trade between Poland-Lithuania, the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Russia in the Early Modern Period
The globalisation of trade and the expansion of merchant networks were defining characteristics of the early modern period. Historically, this development was often viewed through the lens of transatlantic commerce and the activities of East India trading companies.
This research project offers a unique opportunity to consider Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East not as peripheries of the West, but as distinct regions in their own right – free from rigid notions of »dominance« and »subordination«. In this setting, long-distance trade was largely conducted by stateless diaspora groups, notably Armenians, Greeks and Jews. Armenian merchants, in particular, built highly successful trade routes that extended throughout the entire region.
The project investigates the formal and informal conditions of the caravan trade linking Poland-Lithuania, the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Russia during the early modern period.
It aims to analyse Armenian merchant networks on three connected levels: (1) long-distance trade logistics and legal frameworks; (2) networks of trust and credit within the diaspora; and (3) protection agreements (protection in exchange for services) established jointly with rulers in the region.
