Ottoman Empire:Prices and Wages

From Marteau

Contents 1 Prices 1.1 Weights and Measures 1.2 Agricultural Products 1.2.1 Bread 1.2.2 Butter 1.2.3 Charcoal 1.2.4 Coffee 1.2.5 Honey 1.2.6 Mutton 1.2.7 Olive Oil 1.2.8 Chick Peas 1.2.9 Rice 1.2.10 Wheat 1.2.11 Wheat Flour 1.2.12 Wood 1.3 Soap 1.3.1 Soap 1.4 Textiles 1.4.1 Cloth, Imported from London 1.4.2 Cloth, Woolen 1.4.3 Velvet 1.5 Tools 1.5.1 Nails 2 Wages 2.1 Construction Workers

Istanbul experienced a significant wave of inflation from the late sixteenth and to the middle of the seventeenth century when the prices increased by about five fold. This is the period usually associated with the Price Revolution of the sixteenth century. The indices also show, however, that there occurred a much stronger wave of inflation beginning late in the eighteenth century and lasting into the 1850's when the prices increased by 12 to 15 times. Most of the latter increases were associated with the debasements that began in the 1780's and accelerated during the reign of Mahmud II (1808-1839). In contrast, the overall price level was relatively stable from 1650 to 1780 and from 1860 until World War I. Article by S. Pamuk, 2004

Prices

Weights and Measures

• 1 Cheki (weight) = 175-195 okka = 225-250 kilograms.
• 1 Kile (volume) of Istanbul approximately 37 liters. In wheat and flour, one kile of Istanbul equals approximately 20 okkas. In rice, one kile of Istanbul and one kile of chick peas both equal 10 okkas.
• 1 Okka (standard measure of weight) = 1,283 kilograms.
• 1 Zir'a (measure of length used for cloth) = 0.67-0.76 m.

Agricultural Products

Bread

4.2 Akches per okka - 3.3 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Butter

36.4 Akches per okka - 28.4 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Charcoal

1.8 Akches per okka - 1.4 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Coffee

Coffee Price, Akche per okka (of 1.283 kilogram)

165.8 Akches per okka - 129.2 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Honey

17.0 Akches per okka - 13.3 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Mutton

12.4 Akches per okka - 9.7 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Olive Oil

24.2 Akches per okka - 18.9 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Chick Peas

111.1 Akches per kile - 3.0 Akches per liter (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Rice

81.4 Akches per kile - 2.2 Akches per liter (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Wheat

74.1 Akches per kile - 2.0 Akches per liter (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Wheat Flour

101.4 Akches per kile - 2.7 Akches per liter (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Wood

36.7 Akches per cheki - 0.2 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Soap

Soap

39.4 Akches per okka - 30.7 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Textiles

Cloth, Imported from London

248.4 Akches per zir'a - 347.3 Akches per meter (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Cloth, Woolen

455.5 Akches per zir'a - 637.1 Akches per meter (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Velvet

493.6 Akches per zir'a - 690.3 Akches per meter (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Tools

Nails

28.3 Akches per okka - 22.1 Akches per kilogram (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2002

Wages

Construction Workers

24 Akches daily wages of unskilled, 37 Akches for skilled construction workers (average 1670-1730). Complete series: S. Pamuk, 2004

---

Subpage of the Marteau Platform of Research in Economic History