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The Balkan Economies c.1800-1914: Evolution without Development (Cambridge Studies in Modern Economic History)

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Palairet's contribution to the Balkan Economic history is the sixth volume of the Cambridge Studies in Modern Economic history series. The series are described as a new initiative in the writing of the economic history dictated by the concerns of the history of economic performance, output and productivity with a direct reference to the evolutions and impacts of economic growth or stagnation. The volumes are mentioned as written in line with the mainstream of the series. As far as Palairet's volume is concerned, his outcome, which is basically derived from a long term comparative analysis of the performance of the Balkan economies, reconciles with this phenomenon. His deductive, in-depth study of the Balkan economies from early 19th century until 1914, suggests a deploring performance rather than growth, though agricultural production steadily increased, a level of industrialisation attained, nevertheless per capita output and income never caught up the levels of the pre-modern and pre-liberation times. The pre-liberation times overlapped with the sovereignty of the Ottoman rule for most of the Balkan states except Serbia enjoying an independent status after 1815. Such a long term overall comparative analysis requires periodization which is strictly reflected in the chapter formation of the book. During the period under consideration, Balkan economies had passed through two institutional transformation, the first being the breakdown of the Ottoman decentralised administrative structre, which was major push effect of the Balkan economic growth and the second, the emergence of the independent balkan states which curtailed down the economic development. Agriculture production had severely been hit by the subsistence farming, already set up by the self governments to establish a peasant power base for the new regime. The textile proto-industries could not be able to sustain out-put levels and the market share of the pre-liberation era. I do really impressed by the author's in-depth analysis of the Balkan economies, utilising both the qualitative and the quantitative data, covering almost, as far as we assume, all the primary and secondary sources on Balkan Economic History. Essential feature of the book is to indicate how contraversial is to associate Ottoman political structre with stagnation, underdevelopment and retrogression.