Papers by Aleksandar Zlatanov
In: Becoming Ottoman: Converts, Renegades and Competing Loyalties in the Early Modern and Modern Ages. Eds. Koese, Y., Kucera, P., Volker, T. I.B. Tauris: London, pp. 159–180, 2024
This chapter traces the period of Czajkowski’s political and ideological evolution and activities... more This chapter traces the period of Czajkowski’s political and ideological evolution and activities in the Ottoman Empire from the start of the 1840s, when he was sent to Istanbul, until his Ottomanization in 1850. The events are set in the context of the international confrontations and Polish émigré actions taking place in the European part of the Ottoman Empire. The main part of the text traces the circumstances and the reasons that led to the conversion of Czajkowski, who was a very popular figure in emigration circles. These processes are examined beyond some of the romantic notions imposed by previous researchers. Although Czajkowski underwent a second conversion towards the end of his life (back to Christianity, but this time to Orthodoxy), his first conversion to Islam was the most important and central to his life. This chapter will show how a Slavophile Pole could become a Polonophile Turk. It will show how, in the mid-nineteenth century, close contact with Ottoman officials could lead to integration into the Ottoman political elite; how, against the backdrop of the refugee crisis, the Polish national movement, France and the Ottoman government were realigning their political visions; and how the conversion of a Polish émigré agent in Istanbul was to play a crucial role in all of this.
Водните бедствия като бариера пред развитието. По примера на Карлово в началото на XX век // Известия на Центъра за стопанско-исторически изследвания. Т. IX. Бариери пред стопанското развитие в историческа перспектива. Варна, 2024, с. 375–386., 2024
The socio-economic situation of the town of Karlovo and the surrounding area after 1878 was diffi... more The socio-economic situation of the town of Karlovo and the surrounding area after 1878 was difficult, and the prospects for economic development were uncertain. The new economic realities and free competition accelerated the process of decline of the old crafts and livelihoods, while the local authorities and the central government failed to support the local craft and textile industries. The transition from proto-industrial to factory production proved unsuccessful in the first decades after 1878, despite isolated successful initiatives. A significant, but not sufficiently studied factor hindering the development of Karlovo and the region during this period were natural disasters, especially water-related ones. This paper will examine the consequences of water-related natural disasters that were a significant barrier to the economic development of Karlovo in the early 20th century. As will be seen, these processes were not isolated only around the Balkan Mountain, but occurred throughout Thrace, north-central and southwestern Bulgaria. In 1905 and 1910, two major water-related natural disasters occurred, causing considerable damage to the population and the underdeveloped economy of the town and the region. The paper traces how and why such devastating consequences occurred, and what measures were taken by local and central government to solve the problem? Were they successful or did vested interests and local power struggles prevailed?
In: Transforming Southeast Europe during the Long 19th century: Persons and Personalities as Agents of Modernization in the Ottoman and the Post-Ottoman space. Eds. Antonova-Goleva, B., Masheva, I. Brill: Leiden, 2024, pp. 33-65., 2024
This contribution dwells into the activities of the Polish political agent, writer, and convert M... more This contribution dwells into the activities of the Polish political agent, writer, and convert Michał Czajkowski, also known as Sadık Pasha, and his Ottoman Cossack Regiment. The Polish convert left an interesting mark in the history of the long nineteenth century, especially in the Ottoman domain. Czajkowski’s political activity in the Ottoman Empire began in 1841 when he established the so-called Eastern Agency. The Agency was created by one of Paris’ Polish émigré camps, Hôtel Lambert, and led by Prince Adam Czartoryski. Later, Czajkowski found shelter as a subject to the Sultan, converted to Islam, and assumed the name Mehmed Sadık. After the beginning of the Crimean War in 1853, in the Ottoman Balkans’ complex geopolitical situation, he established the first official regular Christian military unit in the Ottoman Empire. That Ottoman Cossack regiment or Kazak Alayı was composed almost entirely of non-Muslim subjects to the Sultan. The official status, activities, and Christian character of this Ottoman military unit made it a unique instrument and an agent of the modernization processes during the Tanzimat era in Southeast Europe.
Zlatanov, A. Cross-cultural Contacts during the Tanzimat: The Ottoman Cossacks Regiment and its Reception // Slovanský přehled (Slavonic Review), vol. 109, no. 2, 2023, pp. 267-283.
The following article examines a slightly different kind of cross-cultural contacts during the 19... more The following article examines a slightly different kind of cross-cultural contacts during the 19th century Ottoman Balkans through authentic examples in this historical context – a very specific case study within the period of the Tanzimat reforms and Westernization of the Late Ottoman Empire. This case study is about the Ottoman Cossacks Regiment, a first of its kind, almost entirely Christian military unit, created by the Polish convert Michał Czajkowski – Sadık Pasha. This case study incorporates mainly Slavic non-Muslim subjects of the Sultan from Ottoman Rumelia as well as some European emigrants, all of them as soldiers, sergeants, and officers of the Ottoman Cossacks Regiment, their interactions and conflicts with each other, their relation and reception with the Muslim subjects and the Ottoman state, all against the fabric of the Tanzimat.
Networks of Local Influence: Karlovo Guilds in the 19th Century // Regional Networks in Context. Economy and Trade in the Lower Danube Balkans of the 19th Century. Berlin, 2023, pp. 83–92., 2023
This paper examines the activities and influence of some of the largest 19th century Karlovo guil... more This paper examines the activities and influence of some of the largest 19th century Karlovo guilds in the development of the Balkan town. The networks of these well-organized esnafs, producing and trading their products in near and far markets, spread to almost all areas of the urban fabric and had a huge local impact. Together with the merchants, the artisans intensified the economic relations of the Balkan town and put it on the map of the imperial and Balkan economy in the third quarter of the 19th century. Hence, Karlovo guilds, especially the textile ones, became one of the main drivers of the economic, social and cultural prosperity of Karlovo in the 19th century.
Периферия или полупериферия? Кога българските земи са включени в световния капитал? // Известия на Центъра за стопанско-исторически изследвания. Т. VIII. Фактори на икономическия растеж в историческа перспектива. Варна, 2023, с. 105–117
The paper aims to review several perspectives on when and how the Bulgarian lands (Ottoman Rumeli... more The paper aims to review several perspectives on when and how the Bulgarian lands (Ottoman Rumelia) were integrated into the world system of capital? And in what capacity – as periphery, semi-periphery, or something else? For this purpose the prism of the so-called world-system analysis will be used. World-systems theory was developed in the early 1970s by the American sociologist and historian Immanuel Wallerstein (1930 – 2019). The theory was influenced by various world-renowned scholars such as C. Polanyi, N. Kondratiev, I. Prigozhin, A. Smith, J. Schumpeter, etc., but above all by the tradition of the French Annales School and Braudel’s concept of the „longue durée“. In 1976 Wallerstein founded the „Fernand Braudel Center for the Study of Economies, Historical Systems and Civilizations“ at Binghamton University, which with its academic journal „Review“, became the most influential intellectual centre for the application of world-system analysis.
At the end of the 1970s, Wallerstein posed for the first time the research questions: when exactly and how was the Ottoman Empire incorporated into the system of global capital? Was this incorporation a singular event, or were the different regions of the empire – Rumelia, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt – incorporated at different times? A few years later, from the early 1980s, Wallerstein, and his collaborator Reşat Kasaba, answered these questions by placing the full incorporation of the Ottoman Empire into world-economy in the period 1750–1839. By reviewing Wallerstein and Kasaba’s main arguments, as well as the data and research that has accumulated, we will try to find out whether their claims are still valid today or need some refinement?
Comfortable Numbness: The Case of Karlovo's Heritage // Heritage and Development. Kraków: MCK, 2023, pp. 33-47
The article discusses the case of Karlovo’s undeveloped, crumbling heritage – the result of a sta... more The article discusses the case of Karlovo’s undeveloped, crumbling heritage – the result of a staggering state and public “comfortable numbness.” During the 19th century, Karlovo was among the leading proto‑industrial centres in the Balkans with an impressive textile production. The article comments on the missed economic development opportunities and collective responsibility regarding the town’s heritage, using two very emblematic examples.
First, it examines the case of an Ottoman mosque, built in 1485. Currently, it remains the oldest preserved heritage site in the town and one of the oldest and most well‑preserved Ottoman buildings in Bulgaria, and yet it has remained closed and empty for decades. Second, it discusses a unique textile factory that was built in 1891 and donated to the town of Karlovo in 1897 and consequently lost to private interests with culpable negligence in 1998. Currently, the site is in real danger of oblivion and demolition. The article addresses the questions of “whose heritage?” while also asking if these sites can be viewed as examples of contested heritage; it comments on the collective responsibility and numbness, as well as examines the role of the public and private interest, and future development strategies. Finally, it asks the question: where will that lead us?
Karlovo's Textile Guilds in the 19th century // Mehmet Genç Anısına. Osmanlı İktisat Tarihi Çalışmaları - I. Istanbul, 2023, pp. 449-456., 2023
A summary of the textile guilds and their importance in the 19th century Balkan town.
Известия на Центъра за стопанско-исторически изследвания. Т. VII. Дилеми на развитието. Варна, 2022, с. 264-286, 2022
The following research intends to examine and uncover the economic and trade network of Karlovo’s... more The following research intends to examine and uncover the economic and trade network of Karlovo’s entrepreneur Evlogi Georgiev in 1839, based on his earliest preserved trade notebooks as a source kept today in the Historical Museum of Karlovo. It was precisely on 1 January 1839 that the famous “Pulievi – Georgievi” Company was established. The partners, Evlogi and his uncles Pulievi, signed the contract and distributed their roles and functions. The entity had three headquarters across the Balkans – Karlovo (operated by Hristo Puliev), Bucharest (operated by Evlogi Georgiev) and Galați (operated by Nikola T. Puliev). Thus, the main relationship and points of commercial and economic activity was as follows: Karlovo – Bucharest – Galați. The sources showed that the model of economic activity and trade includes the purchase of goods (mostly raw materials and semi-finished products) mainly from Karlovo and the region, which were sent through the network of associates on several main routes to the Danubian principalities for sale. Almost all exported commodities were transferred via Svishtov and Zimnicea on the Danube. The main products that “came out” of Karlovo region were woolen braid lace, woolen and cotton yarn, lining, leathers, bags, rice, baize, coarse woolen cloth or frieze, silk, madder, rose oil, etc.
Evlogi Georgiev’s network operated in a considerable geographical area. The range extended into the hinterland of the European part of the Ottoman Empire (Rumelia), along the Danube River and to the north of then free-trading Danube principalities. The network itself of “Pulievi – Georgievi” Company relied exclusively on social capital – the Bulgarian emigrants and merchants along the Danube River. In this way, an effective structure of trusted collaborators and commissioners was built in vital topographical points along the Danube River, which was of capital importance. Such network of trusted partners with fast contacts and exchanged information make the commercial activities efficient. Skillful coordination and leadership at the operational level by the Karlovo’s entrepreneurs, together with honest relationships throughout the network, increased the added value. The high quality Bulgarian goods, the main subject of trade, were also an important element of the success. All this leads to the conclusion that the economic and trade network for a long distance operations of E. Georgiev and his uncles built in 1839 was precisely the necessary stable and effective foundation, the first most important step, for the transformation of the Karlovo’s entity into one of the largest Bulgarian companies in the 19th century.
Краеведът Христо Фъргов - един живот, отдаден на Карлово // Исторически преглед, LXVII, кн. 4, с. 24-40, 2021
The following contribution examines the life and activities of one of the greatest researchers of... more The following contribution examines the life and activities of one of the greatest researchers of Karlovo’s history – Hristo G. Fargov (1895–1978). As a descendant of old families of Karlovo, he devoted his entire life to his hometown. The most prominent Bulgarian scientists who worked on various topics related to the town and the region of Karlovo, as well as a number of state institutions and institutes have fully benefited from his large-scale research, cultural, and public work. In the 20th century, there was almost no researcher working on Karlovo, to whom Hristo Fargov did not help in every possible way with his vast knowledge, contacts and rich archive. However, until today he is almost unknown to the general public and to the professional historians. This article aims to revive the memory of this great citizen of Karlovo, public figure and researcher.
Известия на Центъра за стопанско-исторически изследвания. Т. VI. Предприемачеството в историческа перспектива. Варна, 2021, с. 284-295., 2021
A particularly important place in the economic development of the regional center Karlovo in Otto... more A particularly important place in the economic development of the regional center Karlovo in Ottoman Rumelia from the beginning of the 19th c. was occupied by the textile crafts. From the 1840s they would even develop into a large proto-industrial textile manufacturing in the Ottoman Balkans. Those factors were the prerequisites for the emergence of a successful small trade and entrepreneurial class in Karlovo from the early 1830s trading with those locally made textile goods. The high quality textile raw materials and finished products from Karlovo soon began to be sold very successfully in the major domestic Ottoman markets and fairs, even in Wallachia and beyond. The main goods that “come out” of Karlovo were: braids, wool, bags, yarn, baize, frieze, socks, candles, tallow, rose oil, i.e. The label “Karlovo’s products” became synonymous of high quality in the Ottoman markets, and that of Karlovo’s merchants – as one of the most honest ones. Thus, from the 1830s until the Liberation in 1878, Karlovo’s merchants developed a dense network of trade links with important economic points and cities along the Danube, throughout Rumelia, and beyond the Ottoman Empire. The present contribution focuses on several unknown Karlovo’s trade notebooks from the middle of the 19th c., found in the State Archive – Plovdiv. The notebooks of Karlovo’s merchant operating in the Ottoman capital date in the period 1862 – 1863 and illustrate a successful entrepreneurial activity of considerable capacity. The network of associates and suppliers is located mainly in Karlovo, its region and the port town of Tulcea, which increased the efficiency and frequency of the deliveries, as well as their planning. Characteristic features of the merchants are the not very large turnovers and amounts in its activity, as well as the great variety of goods transported and sold in the Ottoman capital. This showed significant flexibility, resourcefulness and quick decision-making in an uncertain market environment.
„Отел Ламбер“ и конверсията на политическия агент Михаил Чайковски // Исторически преглед, LXXVI, кн. 4, 2020, с. 5-33.
The article presents the political activities and views of Michał Czajkowski at the end of the 18... more The article presents the political activities and views of Michał Czajkowski at the end of the 1840s and the beginning of 1850s as a top agent and head of the so-called Eastern Agency in Istanbul. The Eastern Agency, supported by France, is a permanent residence in the East of Adam Czartoryski’s Polish political émigré camp Hôtel Lambert. The change of the geopolitical tides in the East in the 1840s forced Czajkowski’s pragmatical Slavophilism towards a pragmatical Turkophilism. When the top agent of Hôtel Lambert found himself without French protection after exerted influence by Petersburg, he found shelter as a subject to the Sultan in 1850, converted to Islam, and accepted the name Mehmed Sadyk. That decision opened a completely new chapter and prospective career options in the Ottoman state for the Polish renegade.
Социално-икономическо развитие на Карловска околия след Освобождението // Известия на Центъра за стопанско-исторически изследвания. Т. V. Пазари, общество, власт. Варна, 2020, с. 319-332., 2020
For the most part of the 19th century Karlovo region experienced a sharp rise in its socio-econom... more For the most part of the 19th century Karlovo region experienced a sharp rise in its socio-economic and demographic spheres, to end the century, after the Liberation in 1878, with a significant decline in its economic potential, and hence the demographic situation of the region. In the first half of the 19th century, the sub-Balkan settlements, led by the regional capital Karlovo, formed a popular center of proto-industrial development of the textile industry in the European part of the Ottoman Empire through a number of crafts, but mostly through braiding. For example, in the third quarter of the 19th century, there were about 2,000 braid machines in Karlovo, producing more than 339,730 kg of braid per year. Together with the neighboring villages of Sopot and Kalofer, where approx. 1700 additional braiding machines were located, the region occupied the leading position in the production of braid products in the Ottoman Empire during the 1860s and 1870s. The end of the Russo-Turkish Liberation War found the region of Karlovo in a difficult socio-economic situation. The war and the atrocities of the bashibozouks resulted in destruction and mass emigration in the main craft centers of Karlovo, Kalofer, and Sopot. The new socio-economic and geopolitical reality offered a brand new way of production and marketing of products in completely new markets, where the ordinary Bulgarian craftsman and trader had to compete with the experienced competitors and industrialists from Central and Western Europe. The newly introduced tariffs significantly increased the product’s export price, and thus the urban population in Rumelia gradually began preferring cheaper imported goods and raw materials. As a result, the main livelihood of sub-Balkan urban town centers remained the declining crafts, most notably braid production, but the local and the central government failed to help and slow the economic collapse. The other significant subsistence industry in those towns was the rose gardens and rose production, which was also widespread in the region. Apart from the few towns, the rest of over 40 villages in the region subsisted mainly on agriculture, horticulture, and cattle breeding in the years after the Liberation.
Историята на едно дарение: Текстилната фабрика на Евлогий Георгиев в Карлово // Дарителство и предприемачество на Балканите през ХІХ в. по примера на братята Евлоги и Христо Георгиеви. София, 2020, с. 141-157., 2020
Статията разглежда историята на текстилната фабрика на Евлогий Георгиев в град Карлово, построена... more Статията разглежда историята на текстилната фабрика на Евлогий Георгиев в град Карлово, построена през 1891 г. Фабриката е най-голямото дарение на карловския търговец и банкер за родния му град и има твърде интересна и превратна съдба. Използвани са неизвестни архивни документи, които хвърлят нова светлина върху изграждането на това монументално архитектурно бижу в полите на Стара планина, както и върху стопанско-икономическата история на подбалканския град в края на XIX в.
Балканската политика на „Отел Ламбер” и установяването на Източната агенция в Цариград (1831 – 1842) // История, бр. 3, 2020, с. 250-269, 2020
The article dwells into the ideological development and evolution of the Balkan policies of Adam ... more The article dwells into the ideological development and evolution of the Balkan policies of Adam Czartoryski’s Hôtel Lambert – one of the Polish political camps in exile, represented by the conservative-liberal and monarchic ideas. The geopolitical changes in Europe at the end of 1830’s forced Czartoryski and his émigré camp in Paris to shift their political concepts. As a culmination of that new course, Hôtel Lambert established a permanent Eastern Agency in the Ottoman capital, which was headed by the Polish agent Michał Czajkowski. And it is no coincidence, since after the second Ottoman-Egyptian Crisis the East was no doubtfully established as a focal geopolitical point.
Czajkowski's Christian Army of the Sultan, 1853–1870 // Turkish Yoke or Pax Ottomana. The Reception of Ottoman Heritage in the Balkan History and Culture. Zeszyty Naukowe Towarzystwa Doktorantów UJ. Nauki Społeczne, Nr. 24 (1/2019). Kraków, pp. 45-57, 2019
In the mid-19th century, a Polish writer, political agent and renegade, called Michał Czajkowski ... more In the mid-19th century, a Polish writer, political agent and renegade, called Michał Czajkowski (Sadık Paşa), managed to do something remarkable in the Ottoman Empire. After the beginning of the Crimean War in 1853, in that complex international and geopolitical situation on the Balkans and amidst the triangle of the great empires — the British, French and Russian—he created the first official regular Christian military unit within the Ottoman Empire. That “Christian army” was composed almost entirely by Christians. The official Christian character of that Ottoman military unit made them an unique instrument and representative of the modernization processes during the Tanzimat era. As an Ottoman general Michał Czajkowski (Sadık Paşa) commanded his Slavic Regiment for nearly 20 years from 1853 to 1870 throughout the Balkan provinces of the Ottoman Empire.
Niepublikowane wspomnienia o Michale Czajkowskim – Sadyku Paszy // Studia z Dziejów Rosji i Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, T. LIII, z. 2. Warszawa, 2018, pp. 111-130, 2018
W artykule po raz pierwszy prezentowane są niepublikowane pamiętniki Kazimierza Burzyńskiego, adi... more W artykule po raz pierwszy prezentowane są niepublikowane pamiętniki Kazimierza Burzyńskiego, adiutanta polskiego pisarza i generała Michała Czajkowskiego – Sadyka Paszy. Kazimierz Burzyński pełnił tę funkcję w latach 1866–1868.
Forest and Outlaws in the Bulgarian lands during XVIII century // Les forêts européennes. Gestions, exploitations et représentations (XIe-XIXe siècles). PUB, Pessac, pp. 105-115, 2018
The paper deals with the relations and the connections of the various types of outlaws and the fo... more The paper deals with the relations and the connections of the various types of outlaws and the forest during the XVIII century. The outlaws were a notorious and widespread phenomenon in Rumelia during this period, which had a certain influence over the Non-Muslim population and the Ottoman government. The contribution follows the reactions of the local inhabitants and the authorities in some regions of the Bulgarian lands about the threats from the outlaws. One of the most interesting decisions is cutting down entire forests in some regions due to the outlaws’ threats. In addition, a point of view is offered about how inhabitants and outlaws perceive forests socially and as a part of the settlement’s space as well as what is the relationship between these two groups and the forest.
Непубликувани спомени за Михаил Чайковски - Садък паша // Българите в Османската империя, XIX в. Понятия, структури, личности. София, 2017, с. 107-133., 2017
In this paper the unpublished memoirs of Kazimierz Burzyński – aide-de-camp of the Polish politic... more In this paper the unpublished memoirs of Kazimierz Burzyński – aide-de-camp of the Polish political agent, writer and general Michał Czajkowski (Sadık Pasha), are presented for the first time. Kazimierz Burzyński was serving as aide-de-camp of Sadık Pasha during the period 1866 – 1868. Burzyński’s memoirs shed light on some intriguing and not so well known political realities and movements at that time both in the Ottoman Empire and in Europe, which on the other hand are linked to the political and military activities of Michał Czajkowski himself.
In addition, the article examines also the history of the memoir’s manuscript, held in the Jagiellonian University Library archive, as well as some biographical notions of the author Kazimierz Burzyński.
Локализиране на границите на Карлово според вакфието на Карлъзаде Лала Али бей от 1469 г. // Известия на Регионален исторически музей – Габрово, т. IV. 2017, с. 27-38., 2017
Статията има за цел да локализира максимално точно границите на град Карлово (или карловския мюлк... more Статията има за цел да локализира максимално точно границите на град Карлово (или карловския мюлк) според първия официален документ, в който той се споменава като селище, датиращ от 1496 г. В процеса на локализация са използвани стари и по-нови топографски карти, исторически и краеведски данни, както и местната топонимия. Уточнените граници на карловските владения са нанесени прецизно върху спътникови снимки на град Карлово и региона за по-добра визуална представа.
Uploads
Papers by Aleksandar Zlatanov
At the end of the 1970s, Wallerstein posed for the first time the research questions: when exactly and how was the Ottoman Empire incorporated into the system of global capital? Was this incorporation a singular event, or were the different regions of the empire – Rumelia, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt – incorporated at different times? A few years later, from the early 1980s, Wallerstein, and his collaborator Reşat Kasaba, answered these questions by placing the full incorporation of the Ottoman Empire into world-economy in the period 1750–1839. By reviewing Wallerstein and Kasaba’s main arguments, as well as the data and research that has accumulated, we will try to find out whether their claims are still valid today or need some refinement?
First, it examines the case of an Ottoman mosque, built in 1485. Currently, it remains the oldest preserved heritage site in the town and one of the oldest and most well‑preserved Ottoman buildings in Bulgaria, and yet it has remained closed and empty for decades. Second, it discusses a unique textile factory that was built in 1891 and donated to the town of Karlovo in 1897 and consequently lost to private interests with culpable negligence in 1998. Currently, the site is in real danger of oblivion and demolition. The article addresses the questions of “whose heritage?” while also asking if these sites can be viewed as examples of contested heritage; it comments on the collective responsibility and numbness, as well as examines the role of the public and private interest, and future development strategies. Finally, it asks the question: where will that lead us?
Evlogi Georgiev’s network operated in a considerable geographical area. The range extended into the hinterland of the European part of the Ottoman Empire (Rumelia), along the Danube River and to the north of then free-trading Danube principalities. The network itself of “Pulievi – Georgievi” Company relied exclusively on social capital – the Bulgarian emigrants and merchants along the Danube River. In this way, an effective structure of trusted collaborators and commissioners was built in vital topographical points along the Danube River, which was of capital importance. Such network of trusted partners with fast contacts and exchanged information make the commercial activities efficient. Skillful coordination and leadership at the operational level by the Karlovo’s entrepreneurs, together with honest relationships throughout the network, increased the added value. The high quality Bulgarian goods, the main subject of trade, were also an important element of the success. All this leads to the conclusion that the economic and trade network for a long distance operations of E. Georgiev and his uncles built in 1839 was precisely the necessary stable and effective foundation, the first most important step, for the transformation of the Karlovo’s entity into one of the largest Bulgarian companies in the 19th century.
In addition, the article examines also the history of the memoir’s manuscript, held in the Jagiellonian University Library archive, as well as some biographical notions of the author Kazimierz Burzyński.
At the end of the 1970s, Wallerstein posed for the first time the research questions: when exactly and how was the Ottoman Empire incorporated into the system of global capital? Was this incorporation a singular event, or were the different regions of the empire – Rumelia, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt – incorporated at different times? A few years later, from the early 1980s, Wallerstein, and his collaborator Reşat Kasaba, answered these questions by placing the full incorporation of the Ottoman Empire into world-economy in the period 1750–1839. By reviewing Wallerstein and Kasaba’s main arguments, as well as the data and research that has accumulated, we will try to find out whether their claims are still valid today or need some refinement?
First, it examines the case of an Ottoman mosque, built in 1485. Currently, it remains the oldest preserved heritage site in the town and one of the oldest and most well‑preserved Ottoman buildings in Bulgaria, and yet it has remained closed and empty for decades. Second, it discusses a unique textile factory that was built in 1891 and donated to the town of Karlovo in 1897 and consequently lost to private interests with culpable negligence in 1998. Currently, the site is in real danger of oblivion and demolition. The article addresses the questions of “whose heritage?” while also asking if these sites can be viewed as examples of contested heritage; it comments on the collective responsibility and numbness, as well as examines the role of the public and private interest, and future development strategies. Finally, it asks the question: where will that lead us?
Evlogi Georgiev’s network operated in a considerable geographical area. The range extended into the hinterland of the European part of the Ottoman Empire (Rumelia), along the Danube River and to the north of then free-trading Danube principalities. The network itself of “Pulievi – Georgievi” Company relied exclusively on social capital – the Bulgarian emigrants and merchants along the Danube River. In this way, an effective structure of trusted collaborators and commissioners was built in vital topographical points along the Danube River, which was of capital importance. Such network of trusted partners with fast contacts and exchanged information make the commercial activities efficient. Skillful coordination and leadership at the operational level by the Karlovo’s entrepreneurs, together with honest relationships throughout the network, increased the added value. The high quality Bulgarian goods, the main subject of trade, were also an important element of the success. All this leads to the conclusion that the economic and trade network for a long distance operations of E. Georgiev and his uncles built in 1839 was precisely the necessary stable and effective foundation, the first most important step, for the transformation of the Karlovo’s entity into one of the largest Bulgarian companies in the 19th century.
In addition, the article examines also the history of the memoir’s manuscript, held in the Jagiellonian University Library archive, as well as some biographical notions of the author Kazimierz Burzyński.