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Commerce System
Jerusalem had very little commerce during Ottoman Rule as the
corruption in the Ottoman
empire made it difficult
to complete many simple tasks. It is said that in order to build a
structure on one's own
property, he had to pay two fees. One for the building permit and
another to bribe an
official to issue the permit. The commerce which did take place was
undoubtedly only dealing
with the necessities of life such as food, clothing and medicines.
Additionally, huge
bribes often changed hands as officials sought more power in the
corrupt world.
Laws and Imposed
Social Structure
Despite there relative tolerance for non-Muslims in the Ottoman
Empire, the Ottomans did
force non-Muslims to pay
a tax as Muslims were forced to serve in the military. These
non-Muslims were forced
into a social structure imposed by their Muslim rulers.
Peasants were forced to
lease their land from the state which effectively enslaved them to
their lands as they
could not sell it, but it did transfer from generation to
generation. Artisans
were placed organized
into guilds which controlled the provided training and economic
help as well as dealing
with government regulation.. The elite merchants experienced a life
free from government
rules and taxes, allowing them to add gain wealth, often through
less
than honorable means.
Lastly, Pastoral People were placed under their own regulation,
allowing them to
effectively control their own laws.
Transportation
The citizens of Jerusalem appear to have used walking as their
primary mode of
transportation. However,
they were not required to spend their time carrying water as
Sulieman rebuilt famed
the water system before the turn of the 17th century. The streets
were too small for
animals and their are no recorded grazing areas. |
