Szili Ferenc: Somogy megye kereskedelme a kései feudalizmus korában 1700-1848 (Kaposvár, 1988)
XI. Követi utasítások az ipar iés a kereskedelem fejlesztése érdekében
TRADE IN THE COUNTY OF SOMOGY DURING LATE FEUDALISM 1700-1848 In this volume we have tried to give the main features of the development of capitalistic trade in the county of Somogy and in the South-East of Transdanubia during late feudalism and early capitalism. Almost one and a half centuries of Turkish rule caused immense damage in economic life as well as in the infrastructure. The underdevelopment of productive forces, the roads unfit for traffic, the moorlands, a considerable decrease of population and the narrowing of home marikét all indicated the huge dimensioms of destruction. In the decadeis after driving out the Turkish army reconstruction needed a lot of energy and even more sacrifice from the inhabitants. The migration from Upper-Northern Hungary and the settlement of German people beginning in the first decades of the 18th century offered manpower not only in the county but also in the region of Southern Transdanubia. From the first decades of the 18th century Hungary was trying to join to the constant provinces. The army and agriculture aiming commodity production needed better roads and marikét at the same time. As manor lands had become stronger big and medium landowners became more and more interested in the foreign market exploiting the growing demand for agricultural products in Western European coutries where capitalism was developing dynamically. Serfs’ lands mainly satisfied the demands of home market in fairs and weekly markets. The inner migration lasting several decades obviously cannot be separated from a gradual spread of manor farming. The number of the population living in praedia, namingly that of farm hands and herdsmen increased, but in Somogy where the density of population was low there was a considerable number of villages far from the areas affected by markets. The number of this population kept increasing but they were not mobile enough having no hauling power nor capital. As their working time was controlled they were usually not allowed to go to markets. This is the social background of the increasing trading activity of peddlers. If we divide this trading activity into three on the lowest grade the majority of buyers was made up of the poor of the villages and the inhabitants of praedia. More and more selling and buying was performed by Jewish peddlers. Until the milddle of the 18th century the main part in trade had been played by Greek and Serbian merchants. The change was not only due to the larger number of Jews but also to their attitude accomodating better to the needs and possibilities of the time. Namely the permanent discrimination against the Jews (not a unique Hungarian phenomenon), which was obviously the source of unmeasurable human suffering and humiliation, objectively had started a process which changed into advantage on the long run. 208
