The Position of the Ottoman Authority on Customs Smuggling at the Port of Alexandria (Late 18th Century)
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Abstract
This study aimed to shed light on the impact of political instability, particularly at the end of the 18th century, under the dual government (Ibrahim Bey and Murad Bey) on economic institutions in Egypt such as the Alexandria Port. The legal documents of the Alexandria Sharia Court and the customs records of Alexandria during the Ottoman era, deposited in the Egyptian National Archives, were adopted as a source for study and analysis using historical research and quantitative statistical methods. The study results indicate that Customs smuggling in the port of Alexandria during the mid-18th century was considered an economic crime as it involved illegal attempts to avoid paying customs duties. The phenomenon was caused by various administrative and economic reasons and had a direct impact on Egypt’s tax resources and customs systems, as well as on society. This prompted the Ottoman authorities to develop mechanisms to combat and minimize its effects. The paper recommends to conduct more studies that rely on Ottoman documentary sources while studying the history of Arab economic institutions, ports, and customs, to counter the misconceptions that were issued by Western sources, especially the French, in this regard.
How to Cite
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Alexandria; Alexandria Port; smuggling; customs duties; Ottoman Empire
“Roznama Registers (Registers of the financial assets of customs stations in Alexandria and Rashid), from 1162 AH to 1213 AH”, in Egyptian National Archives.
“Egyptian Customs Authority (1798), Appendix: Deficit Due to Customs Smuggling, Roznama Register, 1213 AH”, in Egyptian National Archives.
“Egyptian Customs Authority (n.d.), Roznama Registers (Alexandria and Rashid), 1162–1213 AH / 1749–1798 CE”, in Egyptian National Archives.
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