Valentin Kitanov,
Professor, PhD
Department of History
Faculty of Law and History
South-West University “Neofit Rilski” – Blagoevgrad
66, “Ivan Mihaylov” St.
2700 Blagoevgrad BULGARIA
E-mail: kitvalmil@swu.bg; valkitmil@abv.bg
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8361-5830
Съдържанието е достъпно само за абонирани потребители.
Pages: 137 – 178 | https://doi.org/10.53656/978-619-7667-81-3-v2.04
Abstract. This chapter examines the role of tobacco in the economic development of the Bulgarian lands during the 17th – 19th centuries, focusing on tobacco cultivation, the taxation of tobacco-related activities, tobacco trade, and the role of the tobacco guild in the economic and social infrastructure. The study is based on a diverse range of source material from Bulgarian, Ottoman Turkish, and European origins, as well as authoritative research on various aspects of tobacco history.
Tobacco was introduced to the territory of the Ottoman Empire in the late 16th – early 17th century, with some of its first areas of dissemination being parts of the Bulgarian ethnic and economic space. The favourable natural and climatic conditions in specific regions such as Macedonia, Thrace, the Rhodopes, and Northern Bulgaria facilitated the successful cultivation of the so-called oriental tobacco varieties. These regions became firmly integrated into the production profile of numerous settlements, which established themselves as prominent tobacco centres. By the late 17th century, the taxation system began regulating tobacco-related activities, and tobacco cultivation and trade in the Bulgarian lands provided significant and reliable revenue for the state treasury.
Initially, the trade in tobacco products was dominated by Turkish, Jewish, and Greek merchants. However, over time, a number of affluent Bulgarians became actively involved in the tobacco trade. The importance of tobacco in economic and social life grew further with the consolidation of the tobacco guild, which became a key factor in the cultural maturation of the Bulgarian nation during the 19th century. The positions established in tobacco production and trade during the 17th – 19th centuries contributed to the establishment of the tobacco industry as a key and strategic sector of the Bulgarian economy in the 20th century.
Keywords: Tobacco; tobacco cultivation; trade; Bulgarian lands; Ottoman Empire; Tobacco guild
