PÁL FODOR: THE TOWNS LIPPA (LIPOVA) AND RADNA IN THE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY OTTOMAN CADASTRAL SURVEYS
PÁL FODOR: THE TOWNS LIPPA (LIPOVA) AND RADNA IN THE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY OTTOMAN CADASTRAL SURVEYS
Lippa is situated on the left bank of the river Maros, at a strategically important place. It was called the Maros gate of Transylvania. Together with its sister town Radna (across the river), it was captured by the Ottomans in 1552. Because of its location and strong fortress, the Ottomans made it the seat of the sancak Lipova belonging to the newly organized vilayet of Temeşvar. With two longer and several shorter interruptions it remained in Ottoman hand until 1716.
The Ottoman administrators conducted several surveys in the second half of the sixteenth century of which three so-called detailed and three summary registers (mufassal and icmal defterleri) have been preserved. These registers were compiled in 1554, 1567 and 1579. In this article the data of the mufassals on the population and the taxes of the towns, and on the incomes of the Ottoman fiscal administration are presented in chronological order.
The province was created on a territory where prior to the Ottoman conquest the Hungarian population had been in part decimated by constant Ottoman raids and in part replaced by Southern Slave (mainly Serbian) immigrants. A considerable shift in the ethnic composition of both towns to the benefit of the Serbians is also reflected in the defters. The Hungarian population in the town of Lippa which was vigorous on the eve of the conquest, disappeared completely by c. 1570. This was also due to the Ottomans’ supporting their Southern Slave subjects, who, unlike most Hungarians, were willing to cooperate with their masters in running the Ottoman military and fiscal administration.
Unlike the profound alterations in demographic situation, the economic activities in the region continued. The registers testify to a lively trade in Transylvanian salt both on river and land. The Ottomans imposed taxes and customs dues on this traffic, and collected immense revenues in Lippa and Radna every year.
