Entrepreneurial Networks in the Ottoman Empire: the Case of Osman Inayet

Abstract

This article analyzes the dynamics of an entrepreneurial activity, mine exploitation, at the end of the nineteenth century in Salonica through the economic activities of an entrepreneur, Osman Inayet and proposes an evaluation of the complex relationships he created with other entrepreneurs through mining activities. Legal transformations concerning mining activities coupled with the economic growth due to the commercial expansion especially in port-cities such as Salonica in this period paved the way for an increase in the interest in mining activities. The mining activities of Osman Inayet, one of the entrepreneurs engaged in this sector, serve to analyze the components of the economic network he formed around this activity and lead us to enrich our comprehension about the nature of economic relations in Salonica at the end of the nineteenth century. Focusing on an individual case provides a more comprehensive picture of individual choices, decisions, and experiences. Furthermore, this analysis, based on archival documents on mine concessions, provides new perspectives to our understanding of the inner mechanisms entrepreneurial activities. © 2020 by the authors.