Crafts and Craft Development of Christians in the Ottoman Provincial City (Following the example of Eski Juma in the First Half of the 19th Century)

This article is a study of the types of crafts practiced, and their development according to Ottoman Turkish archival documents for the town of Eski Juma (today’s Targovishte, Northeastern Bulgaria). The data was compiled using the nufus, temettuat and jiziye registers from the first half of the 19th century. The data on the occupations of the urban population in the nufus and temettuat censuses of the 1830s and 1840s are presented in tabular form. This makes it easier to compare the craft industries of the different ethno-religious communities and gives readers the opportunity to familiarize themselves with all the crafts practiced in the Qazalian center of Eski Juma. The registers of the period constitute another valuable source for the development of the various professions among the Christian inhabitants of the town of Eski Juma in the first half of the 19th century.