Cyrillic Correspondence between the Commune of Ragusa and Ottomans from 1396 to 1458

Ivanović, Miloš (2017) Cyrillic Correspondence between the Commune of Ragusa and Ottomans from 1396 to 1458. In: State and Society Before and After Establishment of Ottoman Rule. Institute of History Belgrade; Yunus Emre Enstitüsü - Turkish Cultural Centre Belgrade, Belgrade, pp. 43-63. ISBN 978-86-7743-125-9

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Abstract

An important source for an overview of relations between the Commune of Ragusa and the Ottoman Empire is Cyrillic correspondence of these states. In this paper we analyze letters from the period between 1396 and 1458. Namely, the first preserved document in the Serbian language dates from 1396, while the year 1458 marks the end of the research since Ragusa became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. The Ragusan letters to Turkish officials had a similar form as documents which they were sending to Serbian and Bosnian rulers and noblemen. Through their analysis it is possible to determine what kind of reputation Ottomans had in the eyes of the Ragusans. On the other hand, Ottoman letters combined patterns of Serbian and Turkish diplomatics. The content of most of the letters referred to the status and privileges of Ragusan merchants in the Ottoman territory. It should be noted that Ragusans avoided contact with Sultans because they were afraid that he would impose the payment of tribute to their commune. Therefore, they tried to resolve problems of their citizens in communication with Ottoman military commanders and officials

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