The Julfan Trade Network II: The Mediterranean, Northwestern European, and Russian Networks

Abstract

Western expansion made the Julfan merchant community an important bridge in the early modern period for economic and cultural encounters between the two great zones of the world economy, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, as well as the Eurasian landmass, which was a link between these zones. Because of the vast nature of their trade network, Julfan Armenians were able to live in a cultural world whose ethos embodied “trans-imperial cosmopolitanism.” The location of settlements was primarily determined by economic motives, such as the host society's geographic location along an important trade route with open access to other markets where Julfan merchants could profitably exchange their commodities. This chapter examines the Julfan network from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean. It discusses Julfan settlements in Aleppo, Izmir, Venice, Livorno, Marseilles, and Cadiz on the Atlantic rim. It also treats Julfan settlements in northwestern Europe, such as in Amsterdam and London, as well as the important settlements across the Russian Empire to the north.