PLAGUE OF 1900 AND THE ECONOMIC EFFECT ON THE OVERSEAS COMMERCE OF IZMIR

Abstract

Domestic economic activities and international commerce of Izmir were severely impaired by the strict quarantine of 1900 adopted against the presence of plague. However, the plague cases were very few, strict quarantine measures imposed. The epidemic and then quarantine left a major impact on the economy of Izmir and conflicts arose between the health commission, local and foreign merchants. All business-related activities such as labour movements, shipping services, foreign trading operations and business meetings suffered. Archival documents report that unemployment soared and scarcity of food started to become a major problem and meetings were organised to protest the situation. This paper aims to analyse the economic effects of the epidemic of 1900 by focusing on the decline in commercial operations and economy. Ottoman archival documents, Ottoman Yearbooks (salname) of Izmir as well as British consular reports are used for that purpose.