Şafars in Medieval Serbian and Ottoman Mining

Katić, Srđan (2024) Şafars in Medieval Serbian and Ottoman Mining. Istorijski časopis, 73. pp. 105-127. ISSN 0350-0802

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Abstract

The paper deals with şafars – supervisors responsible for the operation of mines, smelteries and charcoal and wood supply operations. Analysing numerous unpublished Ottoman archival sources on mining and metallurgy, as well as on farming the imperial revenues, the emergence of şafars is shown from the time when they were temporarily engaged and poorly paid by the owners of çahs and smelteries, to the time when they became civil servants and permanent members of mining administrations. The paper presents all types of şafars, their number and duties in Balkan mines, as well as in large mints and salt mines. Special attention is paid to the entrepreneurial role of şafars in buying shares in mines and smelteries and farming the imperial revenue. A part of the paper concerns Serbian mining and smelting experts, who were opening and restoring mines in Anatolia, establishing in them the supervisory services of şafars

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