Рукописна та книжкова спадщина України (Jan 2023)
Manuscripta varsoviana: Instruction of the Starostwo trade tax in Warsaw in 1683
Abstract
The purpose of the work is to publish, analyze and bring the little-known Instruction of the Starostwo [eldership] trade tax of 1683 into scientific circulation in the context of studying the range of imported food products in Warsaw in the 17th century. Not only the discourse of the trade profit of the Warsaw Starostwo, but also primarily the role and peculiarities of imported food trade are highlighted. The methodology is based on the historical-comparative method, the principles of cameral and edition archeography, the actual principles of research and publication of Old Polish manuscript sources of the 16th-19th centuries, and the definition of professional terminology. Scientific novelty. The first publication of a rare Old Polish source on trade taxation in the Warsaw Starostwo of the 17th century is presented. The publication is accompanied by a scientific commentary, explaining technical terms from the history of trade in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. On the basis of the document, a diverse assortment of products and food items, regularly transported to Warsaw, was analyzed. Based on tax data, the nature and specifics of mass food supplies for metropolitan consumers in the 17th century are considered. For comparison, publications of documents on trade taxes from other cities of the Crown, in particular from Lviv, are involved. Conclusions. The historical value of the first published Instruction of 1683 lies in the fact that it contains information on the establishment of a trade tax on imported goods for the benefit of the Warsaw Starostwo. Despite the small volume, the document accumulates specific data on mass supplies of food from the regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and from abroad to the capital. The specified assortment presents drinks, products of mass consumption and expensive items for the elite. A variety of domestic and imported fish, beer from the suburbs, regional and imported, bread and cereals, meat and livestock, oriental and Mediterranean supplements, imported wine and more are presented. The analyzed assortment also indirectly marks the sources of food supply.
