Week 3 Reflection

This past week’s readings we examined how the Mediterranean acted as a fluid surface for economic and social exchange. The Mediterranean was also pivotal in the political systems between Ottoman Empire, Republic of Venice, and the rest of Europe in creating alliances and prolonging rivalries. Port cities such as Venice and Istanbul played a central role in creating a communication network inside the Mediterranean region, especially the interactions between East and West. We looked at the pattern of food consumption and reflections based on travel literature to analyze the Mediterranean conflicts and connections. Furthermore, we were able to construct a vivid image of the narratives of important individuals from reports and correspondence of migrants, merchants, and ambassadors. Although these examinations provide a detailed illustration of the economic, social, and political activities of fifteenth until the eighteenth century Europe, these evaluations can give us an idea of why leaders and subjects of the time acted the way the did in times of war, peace, and great prosperity.

In The Mediterranean and Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, Braudel explains how the Mediterranean was not only a physical unit, but also a human unit that connects towns and cities through sea, river, and land routes. These trade routes served as a means to communicate between distant communities and without these routes towns risk economic stagnation or abandonment. Braudel writes that the Mediterranean greatly relied on small boats for shipping since they were able to load goods quickly and sold their services cheaply. Although he states that large boats such as galleys were not favored in the Mediterranean trade activities, the modern world has shifted to a larger commercial trade network, especially in the Mediterranean. When I visited Venice, the port that was once lauded as the most important trading port of Europe, has modernized and expanded to accommodate the large ships and tonnage. Today, trade in Venice is not limited to the Mediterranean, but is connected with the rest of the world. Mercantilism no longer exists because individual merchants, similar to the Ottoman and Venetian merchants of the Renaissance would not be able to survive against the capitalist corporations that dominate the world economy.

In Venice and the Islamic World, Carboni writes about the love-hate relationship between Venice and the Ottoman Empire. Both the Republic and the Empire engaged in major naval battles over a span of three centuries. However, the two Mediterranean powers enjoyed long periods of peace and friendly relations on the commercial and political levels. This resulted in the exchange of Venetian and Ottoman cultures that greatly influenced the economy and society. For example, in Istanbul I saw the Levantine areas, primarily the Galata district, that were once trading and housing areas for Venetian and other European merchants. These trading areas provided economic wealth to the Ottoman Empire since the sultan’s income consisted on taxing non-Muslims subjects and accepting Venetian tributes.  During my visit in Venice this past weekend, I witnessed the Ottoman influence that once affected Venetian society. Several buildings were incorporated a few Ottoman architectural designs such as the St. Peter’s Basilica and Doge Palace. Although Venice and the Ottomans had some hostility towards each other, both were more welcoming of each other since they depended on each other for economic growth and political influence between the East and the West.

Maria Pia Pedani gives us a better picture of the close relationship between Venice and the Ottoman Imperial Palace in Safiye’s Household and Venetian Diplomacy. Pedani writes how Venetians presented pieces of furniture to members of the Ottoman imperial family as a gift to congratulate the newly engage wife-to-be. Furthermore, many Christian women went to Istanbul to join their male relatives who gained important positions in the Imperial administration. This perspective of the imperial household further supports the notion that inter-religious and inter-cultural marriages between Ottomans and Venetians were important to maintain peace between the two powers. Venetian presence in the Ottoman capital pleased the sultan because they relished on the European tributes and saw that Venetian merchants contributed to the wealth of the Empire. On the other hand, the Republic of Venice valued their peace treaty with the Ottomans because it allowed free trade between the three continents, which helped Venetians amass a great amount of wealth.