Szirácsik Éva (szerk.): Uradalmak kora - Discussiones Neogradienses 10. (Salgótarján, 2010)

Tarkó Ilona: Anyagi kultúra és rabkereskedelem Batthyány II. Ferenc idején

DISCUSSIONES NEOGRADIENSES 10. - URADALMAK KORA

trading in slaves, and in her opinion Takáts depicts the analysed period too idillic and an age of chivalric contest.

For the survey of material culture and slavetrade documents of the Batthyány estate relating to Ottoman period (consisting of over 1000 pages only the 81 pages marked in the National Archives MOL P 1313/248 cs. Batthány cs. Lt. Török vonatkozású iratok No. 1) and the Turkish letters on the topic in Hungarian (from the 71 translated and interpreted ones only 13) were studied by the researcher. After summarizing and analysing these (arranging data in tables) deductions could be made. The author aims at treating these as part of a process and where exact facts are available, she gives outlines of tendencies as well.

The booklet contains data on 24 years of slavetrading and so the lives of a group of captives can be traced. It also turns out that these people were taken into captivity or to auctions (in Hungarian ’kótyavetye’) from the fortresses lying in areas under Ottoman rule. Looking at the 17th century and comparing the captured persons’ purchase price with the demanded ransom the author concludes: the 10-13-fold difference could have been a serious income source if the landlord had got these.

From the document it is not clear what was decisive in setting a captive’s value.

The hypothesis that the captives’ rank was important cannot be proved with data, more likely the material, family and social background counted.

Only 17% of the demanded ransom was in cash, the rest in commodities: 44% - fixed, 39% - unfixed. The definite conclusion is commodities were more important than cash. From the description of material needs the atmosphere of the age breaks through, the objectivity of the language of the essay is eased by quotations from documents. This applies to descriptions of harnesses, particular textiles and pieces of clothing.

The final conclusion of the essay: the trade in captives was significant considering both benefits and the turnover of commodities. By the 17th century (the period of Adam Batthyány 1) captivetrading grew ’largescale’, then ceased with ousting the Turks from Hungary.

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