Armenian Merchants of the Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Centuries: English East India Company Sources (Transactions of the American Philosophical Society)
By Vahe Baladouni, Margaret Makepeace
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
Number Of Pages: 326
Publication Date: 1999-03
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0871698854
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780871698858
A collaboration between an archivist and an Asian historian, this text presents 270-plus extracts from the East India Company's archives. The extracts and the accompanying introduction explore the trading network of the Armenians of New Julfa and their relationship to the East India Company and the general inter- Asian trading community. source from www.booko.org
New Julfa ( Persian: محله جلفای اصفهان , literally= The Jolfa quarter of Esfahan; Armenian: Նոր Ջուղա "Nor Juġa") is the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran, located along the south bank of the river Zayandeh River.
In 1606 it was established as an Armenian quarter by edict of Shah Abbas I, the influential shah from the Safavid dynasty. Over 150,000 Armenians were moved there from Julfa (also known as Jugha or Djugha) in Nakhichevan. Iranian accounts state that the Armenians came to Persia fleeing the Ottoman Empire's persecution (see this article on Iranian churches); Armenian accounts state that the population was moved by force and their hometown destroyed. All accounts agree that, as the residents of Julfa were famous for their skill with silk textiles, Shah Abbas treated the population well and hoped that their settlement in Isfahan would be beneficial to Persia.
Over the next few centuries, New Julfa became the hub of "one of the greatest trade networks of the early modern era" (Aslanian 2008: 128), with outposts as far east as Canton, Surabaya, and Manila, and as far west as Cadiz, London, and Amsterdam, with a few merchants traveling across the Atlantic or Pacific oceans to Acapulco or Mexico City. copyright by www.booko.org
New Julfa is still an Armenian-populated area with an Armenian school and at least twelve churches, including Vank Cathedral, the Church of Bethlehem at Nazar Avenue, Saint Mary church at Julfa Square and the Yerevan church in the Yerevan area. Armenians in New Julfa observe Iranian law with regard to clothing, but otherwise retain a distinct Armenian language, identity and culture.Popular with young people in Esfahan, it is experiencing considerable growth compared to other districts.
As an organic whole, the present collection of documents-gathered together from a variety of original sources-tells a fascinating story about the trade relationship between the English East India Company & the powerful Armenian merchant community of New Julfa that lasted over one hundred years (17th & early 18th centuries). Multifarious & complex, this relationship revolved around the Company's continual efforts to break into the Armenian held silk & cloth markets. Perhaps more than any other single event, this trade relationship epitomizes the economic climate of the period, an age of competitive partnership. With the publication of this volume, Professor Baladouni & Mrs. Makepeace place for the first time at the disposal of historians a substantive body of documents that tell how this intricate Anglo-Armenian trade relationship started & evolved. Beyond that, these documents also reveal to the astute historian the human experiences that lie behind the participants' actions. The extensive topical indexes provided in the volume will be of great assistance to researchers. Finally, in the Introduction, Professor Baladouni addresses the question "What was the key to the Armenian merchants' success during the pre-modern period?" & submits a hypothesis for consideration. He proposes that their "fabulous success" may be attributed to the rare atmosphere of trust that prevailed among the Armenian merchant community which, in turn, led to two significant benefits: (1) organizational cost savings; & (2) organizational innovations. A glossary of terms & several indexes complete the study. my booko.org,my favourite website
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M1RJ27NB