5. Commercial Mobility and Geographic Expansion

The Ottoman Empire, with its agrarian economy and feudal structures, struggled to keep pace with the rapidly modernizing nations of the West. Industrialization, coupled with population growth and the expansion of mass consumption, drove an increasing demand for raw materials. These were sourced from the fertile plains of the Balkans, the cotton and tobacco plantations of Macedonia, and the textile products of semi-nomadic pastoral communities. In response, domestic production saw a significant boost to meet these growing demands.

Christian subjects of the empire seized this opportunity, forging commercial ties abroad while leveraging favorable political conditions. They benefited greatly from the privileges granted under two landmark treaties between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire: the Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) and the Treaty of Passarowitz (1718).