Ports of the Levant

The Ports of the Levant are the port S and the cities of the Ottoman Empire, located at the the Middle East or in North Africa, for which the Sultan had given up some of its prerogatives, in particular out of legal matter, in favor of French traders. Those depended then directly on king de France who granted Privilèges to them. These exchanges of authority between the two powers were recorded in particular acts, under the name of Capitulations .

The scale term comes from Turkish iskele , word which indicates the species of thrown S on pile built with some steps, and from where and unloaded the goods were embarked.

The commercial relations between France and the scales make it possible the town of Marseilles to know a great prosperity starting from second half of the 16th century.

Historical context

Capitulations at the time of François Ier (1515-1547)

The first Capitulations are signed between François Ier and Soliman the Magnificent the in 1536. This commercial agreement does not correspond to a military alliance between the Door and France. The capitulations of 1536 envisage:

the setting in reciprocal freedom of all the prisoners
recognition by the king of France of the preeminence of the sultan on the Anatolian peninsula
of the friendly demonstrations between ships with the sea
and especially: the creation of Consulate S French in certain ports such as Constantinople.

The capitulations are renewed in 1569 between Charles IX and Selim II. Their importance is immense since they authorize the French to be traded out of ground of Islam. Only the Venetian ones profited from such privileges. The English, the Dutchmen then Génois had respectively to wait until 1599,1612 and 1665 to enjoy identical rights.

The number of the scales is important but the main cities are the following ones:

In the Eastern Mediterranean, one counts Constantinople, Smyrna, New Échelle (coast of Anatolia), Alep (and its Alexandrette port), Seyde, Tripoli of Syria, the islands of Cyprus, Chio, Tinos, Paros, Naxos, etc
In the southernmost Mediterranean, are Cairo, Alexandria and Rosette.
In the Western Mediterranean, there is Tripoli Cruelty, Tunis, the Bastion of France (founded by a Corsican Marseillais of origin) and Algiers.

The war between the Sérénissime (Venice) and the Door (Constantinople), eliminated commercial competition from Venice. This situation made it possible Marseilles to take a dominating economic advancement and to sit its domination on the Mediterranean trade. The cordial relations between the two powers Frenchwoman and Othoman make it possible to make safe the business connections, that of which benefit the merchants from Lyon (important money market at the 16th century), of Avignon and, of course, of Marseilles.

Nevertheless, the intensification of the exchanges also causes the rise of the Piraterie. The commercial convoys are increasingly exposed with the barbaresque risks of pirate raids or Corsaires. The trade towards Raising then knows a Net decline which is accentuated by the wars of religion in France (rising of Marseilles against Henri de Navarre).

The revival of the relations with the scales under Henri IV (1589-1610)

After the completion of the conquest of its throne, Henri IV is concerned with restore the commercial relations towards Raising.

For this purpose, it sends to Constantinople the ambassador François Savary Short. It obtains Mehmed III (1595-1603) the signature of news Capitulations (1597). Those confirm the old privileges and the new ones grant some. The change of Turkish sovereign in 1603, leads the new sultan Ahmet Ier to formulate a new recognition in 1604.

Marseilles finds its prosperity but this period is characterized by a control of monarchy on the scales quite loose. The Chamber of commerce of Marseilles ensures the administration of the scales. Even if the consuls are appointed by Letters patent royal (they make royal agents of them), in practice, they enjoy a great autonomy, with the image of the perception of the taxes which monarchy concedes to them. Especially, they are devoted to any kind of traffics so that the distinction between merchant and consul becomes fuzzy.

The centralization of the administration under Louis XIV (1643-1715)

In second half of the 17th century, Colbert then the Secretaries of State of the navy Seignelay and Pontchartrain will give on the scales laws known as fundamental. Those induce a geographical partition between the scales of Cruelty (Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli de Barbarie) and the scales of Raising strictly speaking (Constantinople, Smyrna, Alexandria…).

The Ports of the Levant are consequently directed by the secretariat of State of the marine. The bonds between the Court and Constantinople are ensured by an ambassador, paid 16.000 books per annum. This last must take care of the protection of the French trade and must arbitrate the conflicts between consuls and merchants.

Pontchartrain prohibited to the consuls to deliver itself to the trade. Their mission consists in protecting the French installed in the countries from Raising as well as the religious communities there being established (Franciscains, Carmes, Capucins or Jésuites). Their thus removing any means of subsistence (they perceived before right of consulates ), the Secretary of State of the navy grants fixed salaries to them, which the Chamber of commerce of Marseilles must pay. This one receives then the privilege of the right of cooperage (tax raised on all the ships entering to Marseilles or the ports of the scales).

Even if the Chamber of commerce of Marseilles keeps a great freedom in the management of the go concern and commercial, it becomes nevertheless supervised by the central capacity. Indeed, the intendant of Provence, which is inspector commercial since 1687, has the right to chair the Room.

A fragile prosperity at the 18th century

The trade bound for the scales develops remarkably during the 18th century since the French traders évincent the English and the Dutchmen of the area. The exchanges with the Othoman world are largely profit at least for the years 1700-1775. After the loss of Canada at the time of the Treated of Paris (1763), Versailles even considers that the Mediterranean trade could become a lucrative substitute. To increase its profits and to reach strategic products (like corn), France tries to obtain the access to the Black Sea but in vain. In spite of these successes, the situation tarnishes little by little. There is with that of the political reasons suitable for the Turkish empire but so commercial. In political matters, the Othoman central capacity has more and more difficulties of being made obey on the margins of the territory, so that certain local administrators become largely autonomous. It was in particular the case with Acre or in Egypt. Certain local leaders will raise great difficulties with the traders by requiring them forced loans. It is true that in other cities, the situation remains calm (Smyrna). The scale of Constantinople was little appreciated merchants, but this time for reasons specific to the French. Indeed, Constantinople was the place of residence of the ambassador who also made function of consul. So he exerted a control without fault on the merchants, which they hardly appreciated.

Lastly, of the difficulties of economic order have also affected the results of the trade towards Raising. In the years 1770, occurs a crisis in the trade of cloths of the Languedoc and the Coton (the arrival of American cottons in the circuits of world exchanges disturbs the Mediterranean market). That causes some bankruptcies among financial Marseillais and of the phenomena of cotton price-cuttings in the scales which all, practically, market this product.

The ordinance of December 9th, 1776 undertakes a reform of organization of the scales, by creating a hierarchy (consulate-generals, consulates, vice-consulships). But especially, the ordinance is accompanied by three edicts which reveal the brittleness of the trade Levantine:

one corresponds to a bankruptcy. All the debts of the scales are unobtrusive.
the second, to prevent that a similar situation does not reproduce, prohibits the traders from making loans.
the third creates a single tax on the trade while Raising.

In parallel, the Secretary of State to the Navy Antoine de Sartine sends the baron Tott to make a round of inspection. On its return, the ordinance of March 3rd, 1781 is published which founds the freedom of trade: henceforth, the foreign ships will be able to trade between France and the scales without paying the tax of 20%. The Marseilles traders are alarmed, and obtain win in 1785.

The 18th century is thus characterized by a rise of the trade towards Raising, but at the same time it seems very sensitive to the risks of the economic situation, therefore fragile.

The disorganization of the commercial relations during the Revolution and the Empire (1789-1815)

In this context, the revolutionary disorders will ruin the commercial relations between France and country of Raising.

The chambers of commerce are removed in September 1791. The cheap one of Marseilles creates an office " provisional of the commerce" who remains until 1793, date on which the commercial relations are completely destabilized by the wars in progress. The revolutionary government attaches the consuls to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

On the spot, the consuls are private instructions during several months. The Othoman authorities benefit from it: the traders are subjected to pressures, in particular in the form of swindles. The French commercial influence completely is ruined after the destruction of the fleet with Aboukir (August 1798) and the rupture of the Paix of Amiens in 1803 does not make it possible to consider a reversal of situation since all the French buildings in a position to sail are requisitioned.

The Restauration does not make it possible to the French to find the commercial vitality which was theirs with Raising. They were supplanted by the British who then impose their control on the area of the Middle East.

Marketing activities

Exchanged products

The exchanges between France and Raising it are very unbalanced. France exports little and imports a great diversity of products. Each scale has its own commercial specificity.

Products imported of Raising

The ports Levantines are primarily wearing of transit between the Asia and the Europe. Also, Europeans are interested they, according to the times, with the invaluable goods such as the spices (Poivre, Sucre…), the Silk of Persia, with Coffee of Yemen, etc.

However, the local productions are also exported towards Europe: ashes of cali, olive oil (ingredient which use the composition of the Household soap), nuts gall and other plants tinctorial, skins, wool of goat of Angora and of Berbazar, corn and especially cotton. Moreover, the diffusion with large scales of the cotton produced in America, caused crisis situations. The French cease little by little supplying themselves while Raising, causing considerable price-cuttings at the origin of tensions with the local authorities.

Products exported towards Raising

The French exported while Raising cloths, in particular those of the Languedoc, fabric, paper, hardware of the Forez.

Summary table

Each scale has its own commercial specificity. The following table makes it possible to have a summary sight of it:

Details:

the most dynamic scales are Smyrna and Alexandria.
Alexandria is the port more attended by the Marseillais. The richest traders of Marseilles are those which adulterate with Egypt.
the trade of the coral is controlled by the Corsican installed in Marseilles. The monopoly of fishing to the coral is conceded in Tomasino Lenche by Henri II (1551). It founds in 1552 the Bastion of France close to Bône. The company passes to the hands of a relative of Lenche, Sanson Nappollon (1628-1633).

Value and volume of the exchanges

The volume of the exchanges was not really important. Indeed, France exported few products towards Raising. Thus, with Marseilles, Raising it only 15% of the ships occupy and represent 18% of tonnage. The weakness of these volumes is not surprising: France exports little on the one hand, and the strong value of the imported products implies consequently that the bought quantities are weak. This imbalance of the exchanges was described as of the 17th century by Jacques Savary in his Parfait negotiating (1675).

On the other hand, in terms of value, this trade is very important. Always in Marseilles, it represents in him-only 45,5% of the trading incomes of the city. The trade between the South of France and the Ports of the Levant represented " 317 million gold franc between 1783 and 1792".

References

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