Lukács László (szerk.): Märkte und Warenaustausch im Pannonischen Raum - István Király Múzeum közelményei. A. sorozat 28. (Székesfehérvár, 1988)
László Novák: Trade and Migrational Connections between Transdanubia and the Area between the Rivers Danube and Tisza in the 17th - 19th Centuries
TRADE AND MIGRATIONAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN TRANSDANUBIA AND THE AREA BETWEEN THE RIVERS DANUBE AND TISZA IN THE 17th-19th CENTURIES László Novak, Nagykőrös The two large areas of the Carpathian Basin, Transdanubia and the Great Hungarian Plain, always had a close connection with each other. The River Danube did not divide,but actually linked these two areas. The other large area, between the Rivers Danube and Tisza, played an intermediate role in the commercial and migrational connections between Transdanubia and the territory east of the River Tisza and Transylvania. Migration of the population and the agricultural connetions are important elements of the system of links between Transdanubia and the area between the Danube and the Tisza. After the Turks conquered Hungary in the middle of the 16th century, and occupied the capital Buda in 1541, the country was divided into three parts. Transdanubia and the larger part of the Plain became parts of the Turkish Empire. The warlike events led to uncertainty of existence. The population fled from different territories and left them depopulated. Migration of people especially high at that time, especially to the Plain, and not to Austria or Transylvania. The reasons for it must be political and legalistic. In the 16th-17th centuries in Royal Hungary the dependece of serfs became more absolute, and change grew harder for the inhabitants. Gradually, the landowners built their farmsteads, for which a labour force of serfs'( subject to foned labour called robot) was indispensable. The situation on the Plain was different. The influence of the landdwners became much weaker here. The landowners fled from Turkish rule to Royal Hungary which is why they could not built up their private estates and had to be satisfied with the taxes only, collected through the right of landownership itsalf.. Sessio (unit of land held in villeinage) could not form here, the relations of the 14th - 15th centuries went on, with larger settlements, and country towns under Turkish rule, as the power-representatives of landowners got increasing autonomy. This development was helped by religion. Protestantism, especially Calvinism quickly spread here, and its strong puritan ideology helped the accomplishment of autonomy. Of course, the attractiveness of these countrytowns could not; be realised without different forms of permission from the Turks. Some settlements with good potential and local energy, not lying in the way of the army, had an important role in the military supply services of the Turks: wheat, wood and saltpetre for making gunpowder were taken to Buda and Székesfehérvár. Some countrytowns optained free Sultanic right and rank and became "hász"-towns. This fact had significant advantages because, by paying high taxes, they were freed of Turkish military rule, and could freely practise their religion. Besides this, the Turks did not prevent people from settling in these towns, because this meant an increase in taxes. Examples were Nagykőrös, Kecskemét, Cegléd and Kiskunhalas in the area between the Danube and the Tisza. Their population grew rapidly, their fields, on which a well-organised household-based form of agricultural cultivation took place, also expanded by hiring and acquiring. After 1541 people settled in these towns, but inhabitants from Transdanubia also migrated into them. Eszék was an im-119
