Wagstaff Malcolm, Frangakis-Syrett Elena. The port of Patras in the second Ottoman Period. Economy, demography and settlements c. Economy, demography and settlements. The development of the economy. During the course of the eighteenth century the Morea, as part of the Ottoman Empire, traded with the international market within the system of the Capitulations and largely through the presence of western merchants who were established there for this purpose fig.
The latter imported into the Morea western manufactured and colonial goods and exported from the area Ottoman raw materials and foodstuffs such as cereals, olive oil, silk, wax, valonia and currants. For the first three quarters of the eighteenth century, most of the external trade of the Morea, including that of Patras, was greatly dominated by the French.
A degree of inter-western competition, in the form of British and Dutch merchants trading in the area, did exist however. Such competition facilitated the participation of local merchants in the economic activities of the area.
For instance, the Greeks were strong competitors to the French in the export of olive oil, an important produce of the Morea, whilst the Jews were dominant in the import and distribution of cloth, the biggest western import into the Morea V. Such local participation in the economy was not unique to the Morea but prevalent throughout the Ottoman Empire N. Svoronos, ; E. Eldem, ; D. Panzac, ; E. Nevertheless, the very strong position of the French in the external trade of the Morea meant that, in peace time, the local entrepreneurs were mostly relegated to the position of brokers or of intermediaries coming into contact with the local producers on behalf of the western merchants.
By contrast, the internal trade of the region was in the hands of local merchants, both Muslim and non-Muslim. Greeks were also active in the coastal carrying trade, whilst the Jewish and Turkish communities were strong rivals to the westerners in monetary speculative activities Kremmydas, It was at times of war, however, and particularly during inter- western and Ottoman-western maritime conflicts, that local merchants were able to gain a bigger than otherwise share in the Morea' s external trade.
